News

Something for Everyone at GAIF Cultural Building

July 25, 2011

An Irish Festival is not just about the music, or the food, or even the beverages. More than anything, it's about the celebration of Irish culture in all its various forms. Nowhere is this more in evidence than at the Cultural Building at the 2011 Great American Irish Festival, where festival attendees can enjoy language workshops, dance instruction, open musical sessions and a number of presentations on a wide variety of subjects during all three days of the festival.

The spirit of Ireland is perhaps expressed most beautifully in its dance, and, in that spirit, the GAIF Cultural Building will present dancers from six different dance schools, Butler-Sheehan Academy of Irish Dance, Ring of Chiarraighe, Claddagh Ring, Johnston School of Dance, Celtic Dancers of Hartwick, and Rince na Sonas. They all make it look so easy, but if you want to try your hand feet at it, you can learn an Irish ceili (social) dance from GAIF mainstay Pat Kane.

After you've watched the fabulous musicians at GAIF, do you find yourself wishing you could do that? Well, maybe you can. Music workshops will be offered all weekend long in the cultural building by the best in their fields, including fiddlers Mike Hoke and Amanda Straney, and bodhran player Kevin Matthews, who all invite you to bring your instrument, or just to sit and enjoy. Finally, you can take what you've learned and put it to the test, as you sit in with the Craobh Dugan branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann for an open session, where musicians of all skill levels can join the group and play along with familiar songs and perhaps learn a new song or two. And as always, Michael Roddy's bagpipes will fill the adjoining bandshell throughout the weekend.

Perhaps your interests are more scholarly. If so, take advantage of the opportunity to learn the Irish language from Tom Malley, who will present Irish language workshops throughout the weekend for beginners and more accomplished speakers as well. Nobel Prize author and poet William Butler Yeats will be the subject of two separate workshops by Matt Power, the "Wit of Yeats" on Friday, followed by the "Wisdom of Yeats" on Sunday. On Saturday, Mark Sisti will give a presentation on Irish Myths and Legends. Are they tales? Are they true? Who can say? We all know an Irishman never lets the truth get in the way of a good story. And speaking of stories, on Sunday, Deirdre McCarthy, well known for her artistry in storytelling, will weave her spell, not just for children but for the children in all of us.

Maybe you still have family living in Ireland. Want to find out? Join Ann Brunnett's Genealogy Workshop on Saturday and see. And if you're wondering what to feed them when they come to visit, food demonstrations will be available courtesy of the Bracken Family on Friday and Saturday. To top things off, Natalie Spellman will delight visitors on Sunday with a "low afternoon tea."

On display all weekend will be scale models of the stone circles at Drombeg and Caim T Sliabh na Cailleacht, courtesy of Celtic Revival; a Utica Curling Club display; an update on the Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley, currently under construction; the 4th Annual Photo Contest; Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, Craobh Dugan; and numerous other Irish culture displays and presentations. Come to visit and see what GAIF has to inform, entertain and delight.
Cultural Building
Friday July 29, 2011
5:00-5:45 Butler-Sheehan Academy of Irish Dance
Bracken Family Food Demonstration
6:00-6:45 Tom Malley - Irish Language Workshop
Mike Hoke - Fiddle Workshop
Bandshell Michael Roddy - Bagpipes
7:00-7:45 Butler-Sheehan Academy of Irish Dance
Matt Powers "Wit of Yeats" Workshop

Saturday July 30, 2011
12:00-12:45 Mark Sisti - Myths
Bracken Family Food Demonstration
Tom Malley - Irish Language Workshop
12:20-12:35 Rince na Sonas
1:00-1:45 Celtic Dancers of Hartwick
1:00-1:45 Genealogy Workshop - Ann Brunnett
2:00-2:45 Ring of Chiarraighe
3:00-3:45 Bracken Family Food Demonstration
Claddagh Ring
4:00-4:45 Celtic Dancers of Hartwick
Amanda Straney - Fiddle Workshop
5:00-5:45 Claddagh Ring
5:00-5:45 Genealogy Workshop - Ann Brunnett
6:00-6:45 Bandshell - Rince na Sonas
7:00-7:45 Bandshell - Celtic Dancers of Hartwick
7:00-8:45 CCE Seisun

Sunday, July 31, 2011
12:00-12:45 Matt Powers "Wisdom of Yeats" Workshop
Bandshell - Johnston School of Irish Dance
12:00-1:00 Pat Kane Celi Workshop
1:00-1:45 Bandshell - Ring of Chiarraighe
1:00-3:00 Natalie Spellman "Low Afternoon Tea"
2:00-2:45 Deirdre McCarthy Storyteller
Kevin Matthews - Bodhran
Bandshell - Michael Roddy Bagpipes
3:00-3:45 Mike Hoke - Fiddle Workshop
Tom Malley - Irish Language
4:00-4:45 Kevin Matthews - Bodhran Workshop
Ring of Chiarraighe
Displays:
Celtic Revival scale models of Caim T Sliabh na Cailleacht, and Drombeg.
Fryeside Irish Setters (outside)
Utica Curling Club (outside)
Additional displays inside