Worlds Results 2009

Results from Worlds Irish Dancing Championships
Oireachtas Rince Na Cruinne
April 5-12, 2009
Philadelphia, PA USA

Notes: Ties in the following competitions:
* Competition #26 Girls 15-16 (Tie for 10th)
* Competition #46 Senior Ladies Céilí (Tie for 9th)
* Competition #58 Dance Drama Senior (Tie for 7th)

All Results from: Feisresults.com

Competition #1 Senior Men Over 21
1. Scott Doherty O’Shea-Chaplin, Massachusetts, USA
2. Benedict Devlin Maguire-O’Shea, London/Essex, England
3. Stephen Brennan McGahan-Lees, Essex/Kent, England
4. Ziggy Gaca Céim Óir, London, England
5. Kincaid Stringer Hession, Galway, Ireland
6. Jonathon Srour Broesler, New Jersey, USA
7. Allen Mills Aaron Crosbie, London, England
8. Ryan McCarthy Schade, New York, USA
9. Declan McHale Doherty, Coventry, England
10. Danny Keane Ryan, Tipperary, Ireland

Competition #2 Men 19-21
1. Gerard Carson Doherty, Belfast, Ireland
2. James Breen Murchu-Duiginn, London, England
3. Conor O’Sullivan Scanlon, Birmingham, England
4. Scott Cordon Joyce-O’Donnell, Leeds, England
5. Gerard Carroll Armstrong, Belfast, Ireland
6. Colin Fleck Richens-Timm, Mid-America, USA
7. Sean O’Brien Uí Shé, Dublin, Ireland
8. Daithí Fisher Doherty, Belfast, Ireland
9. Liam Sheils Ard Rince, Queensland, Australia
10. Levi Hatgi Martin Percival, Western USA

Competition #3 Men 18-19
1. James Greenan Mona Ní Rodaigh, Dundalk, Ireland
2. Craig Mason Kelly Hendry, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
3. Cian Houlihan Smith Smith-Houlihan, New England, USA
4. Michael Holland Richens-Timm, Mid-America, USA
5. Kieran Coleman Burke-Conroy, Mid-America, USA
6. Jan Gaca Céim Óir, London, England
7. Michael Padgett Christine Ayres, Melbourne, Australia
8. Matthew Ferry McConomy, Derry, Ireland
9. Rory Ward Mulhern, Illinois, USA
10. Ryan Fox Doherty, Belfast, Ireland

Competition #4 Men 17-18
1. Michael McHugh Kennedy, Belfast, Ireland
2. Fergal Keaney Hession, Galway, Ireland
3. Tyler Schwartz Anam Mór, Illinois, USA
4. Declan Crowley Broesler, New Jersey, USA
5. Christopher Johnson Comerford, Western USA
6. John Mullane Godley Mullane-Healy-O’Brien, Chicago, USA
7. Jason Hays McTeggart, North Texas, USA
8. Colin Casey Ard na Gréine, Calgary, Canada
9. John McCullough Keogh, Midlands, England
10. Michael Newman Woodgate-Shamrock, Toronto, Canada/Buffalo, USA

Competition #5 Boys 16-17
1. Michael Putman Dennehy, Chicago, USA
2. Cathal Keaney Hession, Galway, Ireland
3. John Fitzgerald Rinceoirí na Ríochta, Munster, Ireland
4. Matthew Smith Stanley-Carroll, Midlands, England
5. Peter Ryan Kathleen O’Keefe, New York, USA
6. Thomas Duern Carey, Birmingham, England
7. Niall McCarron McCarron, Birmingham, England
8. Zachary Klingenberg Richens-Timm, Mid-America, USA
9. Allan Walsh Coleman, Mayo, Ireland
10. Nicholas Shore Tir Conaill, Arizona, USA

Competition #6 Boys 15-16
1. Connor Walsh Glendarragh, Midlands, England
2. John Lonergan Kiely-Walsh, Cork, Ireland
3. Conor O’Brien O’Shea-Chaplin, Massachusetts, USA
4. Lewis Childs Carey, Birmingham, England
5. Gerard McNamee McConomy, Derry, Ireland
6. Josh Ruddock Céim Óir, London, England
7. Sandun Verschoor Redmond, Amsterdam, Holland
8. Lorcan Balfe Butler-Fearon-O’Connor, California, USA/Ontario, Canada
9. Dylan Millar Devaney, Lincoln, England
10. Kelcey Steele McGing, Ohio, USA

Competition #7 Boys 14-15
1. Joe Bitter Carey, Birmingham, England
2. David Geaney Rinceoirí na Ríochta, Munster, Ireland
3. Conor Simpson Simpson, Canberra, Australia
4. Owen Sherman Maguire-O’Shea, London/Essex, England
5. Brian Perry Carrera Kennelly, San Francisco, USA
6. Conor Ryan Céim Óir, London, England
7. Fred Nguyen DeDanaan, Western Canada
8. Ryan Barry McGahan-Lees, Essex/Kent, England
9. Makulumy Alexander-Hills Claddagh, Western USA
10. Kelly Reid O’Neill, Christchurch, New Zealand

Competition #8 Boys 13-14
1. Caolan McKeating-Lynch Mulvenna, Belfast, Ireland
2. Shane Duigman Hession, Galway, Ireland
3. Eoghan Murphy Mona Ní Rodaigh, Dundalk, Ireland
4. Eoghan Curley Kennedy, Belfast, Ireland
5. Eoghan O’Neill Siobhan McDonnell, Sligo, Ireland
6. Drew Lovejoy Nugent, Ohio, USA
7. Michael Gardiner Hession, Galway, Ireland
8. Luke McCusker Fitzgibbon, North West England
9. Ian Luebbers Broesler, New Jersey, USA
10. Joe Stevenson Carey, Birmingham, England

Competition #9 Boys 12-13
1. Sean Downes McCutcheon, Glasgow, Scotland
2. Colm Conneely Hession, Galway, Ireland
3. Michael Fleck Richens-Timm, Mid-America, USA
4. Justin McGuire Grainne Feely, Kildare, Ireland
5. Adam Fogarty King-Clifford, Kerry, Ireland
6. Fergus Fitzpatrick Uí Shé, Dublin, Ireland
7. Tomás Ó Sé Rinceoirí na Ríochta, Munster, Ireland
8. Kevin Duncan Burke, Cleveland, USA
9. Ross Conway Uí Nualláin, Luimneach, Éire
10. Peter Cafferty Sylvan Kelly, Mayo, Ireland

Competition #10 Boys 11-12
1. Connor Carlton Glendarragh, Midlands, England
2. Eamon Kitching Conway-Lally, Bedfordshire, England
3. Peter Dziak Trinity, Chicago, USA
4. Daire Hanrahan Uí Ruairc, Limerick/Clare, Ireland
5. Nathan Dale Mullane-Healy-O’Brien, Chicago, USA
6. Rory McElvogue-Heslop McElvogue, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
7. Liam McMahon Inishfree, New York, USA
8. Parker Charles Graham, Missouri, USA
9. James McCarthy Marion Flanagan, Oxford, England
10. David Keady Hession, Galway, Ireland

Competition #11 Boys 10-11
1. Jordan McCormick Lambe, Mayo, Ireland
2. Jack Quinn Uí Shé, Dublin, Ireland
3. Conor Rodgers McConomy, Derry, Ireland
4. Curtis Long Doherty, Belfast, Ireland
5. Conor Norton Aaron Crosbie, London, England
6. Nathan McGhee Coleman, Mayo, Ireland
7. Owen Luebbers Broesler, New Jersey, USA
8. Thomas Flanagan Scanlon, Birmingham, England
9. David McNamee McConomy, Derry, Ireland
10. Conor Reagan Inishfree, New York, USA

Competition #21 Senior Ladies Over 21
1. Ashley Smith Smith-Houlihan, New England, USA
2. Heather Lynn Hanson Inishfree, New York, USA
3. Siobhan Hackett Aaron Crosbie, London, England
4. Lexa Hickey Broesler, New Jersey, USA
5. Nicole Donaghy McLaughlin, Glasgow, Scotland
6. Emily Babyn Ni Fhearraigh-O’Ceallaigh, Newmarket, Canada
7. Sarah Leahy Murchu-Duiginn, London, England
8. Jackie Sabo Broesler, New Jersey, USA
9. Laura Kennedy Elaine Kavanagh, Dublin, Ireland
10. Clare Nix Dennehy, Chicago, USA

Competition #22 Ladies 19-21
1. Deirdre Robinett McGing, Ohio, USA
2. Meghan Lucey Pender-Keady, Connecticut, USA
3. Maggie Darlington Claddagh, Western USA
4. Kerri Smith DeNogla, New Jersey, USA
5. Emily Penner Butler-Fearon-O’Connor, California, USA/Ontario, Canada
6. Janine Taggart Doherty, Belfast, Ireland
7. Siobhan Casey The Academy, Birmingham, England
8. Olivia Robin McConomy, Derry, Ireland
9. Rachael McGinley McConomy, Derry, Ireland
10. Caitlin Kenny Harney, Walpole, USA

Competition #23 Ladies 18-19
1. Claire Greaney Hession, Galway, Ireland
2. Suzanne Coyle McLaughlin, Glasgow, Scotland
3. Jilian Oury Trinity, Chicago, USA
4. Simona Mauriello Maguire-O’Shea, London/Essex, England
5. Charlotte Wilkes Murchu-Duiginn, London, England
6. Vicki McMullan Doherty, Belfast, Ireland
7. Alicia Aileen Andersen Clarkson, Mid-America, USA
8. Frances Dunne The Academy, Birmingham, England
9. Sophie Easton Devaney, Lincoln, England
10. Roisin Lyons O’Donoghue, Dublin, Ireland

Competition #24 Ladies 17-18
1. Lauren Early Doherty, Belfast, Ireland
2. Leanne Gray McGahan-Lees, Essex/Kent, England
3. Jodie Osborne Carey, Birmingham, England
4. Nadine Martin The Academy, Birmingham, England
5. Shannon Daly Grainne Feely, Kildare, Ireland
6. Sinéad Kalnins Turley, Coventry, England
7. Regan Matsukane Butler-Fearon-O’Connor, California, USA/Ontario, Canada
8. Victoria Thorniley Kelly Hendry, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
9. Olivia Griffin Butler-Fearon-O’Connor, California, USA/Ontario, Canada
10. Zoe Baines Kenny, Birmingham, England

Competition #25 Girls 16-17
1. Gabriella Wood Petri, New York, USA
2. Megan Kerrigan Kenny, Birmingham, England
3. Caitriona Quinlan Céim Óir, London, England
4. Therese Corless Aaron Crosbie, London, England
5. Alanna Mervyn Doherty, Belfast, Ireland
6. Kirsty Donovan Scanlon, Birmingham, England
7. Amy Monaghan Siobhan McDonnell, Sligo, Ireland
8. Ashley Tuccinardi Lynn, Massachusetts, USA
9. 10. Marnie Smth Butler-Fearon-O’Connor, California, USA/Ontario, Canada
Jessica Hindley Lally, Manchester, England

Competition #26 Girls 15-16
1. Heather Carr Sylvan Kelly, Mayo, Ireland
2. Niamh Taylor Doherty, Belfast, Ireland
3. Niamh O’Donovan Kiely-Walsh, Cork, Ireland
4. Bobbie Trotter Carey, Birmingham, England
5. Clodagh Bofer Domican, Donegal, Ireland
6. Jasmine Withers Kenny, Birmingham, England
7. Corinne Gallibois Butler-Fearon-O’Connor, California, USA/Ontario, Canada
8. Erica Brady Brady, Boston, USA
9. Erinn Brown McGinley, Ontario, Canada
10. Emma Deery McConomy, Derry, Ireland
10. Kelly McCourt Gray-Gillan-Owens, Connecticut, USA

Competition #27 Girls 14-15
1. Sinead Carson Doherty, Belfast, Ireland
2. Olivia Graydon Maguire-O’Shea, London/Essex, England
3. Megan Ryan McConomy, Derry, Ireland
4. Alana Pearson Céim Óir, London, England
5. Maisie Bishop Turley, Coventry, England
6. Gabrielle Corrigan Penk-O’Donnell, Western Canada
7. Kevinah Dargan Rince na Tiarna, New York, USA
8. Katherine Vincent Murchu-Duiginn, London, England
9. Emily Holt Ard Rí, London, England
10. Chloe Marsh Kelly Hendry, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England

Competition #28 Girls 13-14
1. Micheala Hinds Butler-Fearon-O’Connor, California, USA/Ontario, Canada
2. Rebecca Reed Murchu-Duiginn, London, England
3. Laura Casey O’Donoghue, Dublin, Ireland
4. Stephanie Lam Kelley O’Boyle, London, England
5. Niamh O’Brien Costello, Limerick, Ireland
6. Katie Meikle Stokes-Collins, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
7. Layla Healy Fegan, Dublin, Ireland
8. Janice Kenny Brooks, London, England
9. Loretta Callahan Hession, Galway, Ireland
10. Sarah Oldam Peter Smith, New Jersey, USA

Competition #29 Girls 12-13
1. Shauna Ryan Uí Nualláin, Luimneach, Éire
2. Mellisa McCarthy Harney, Walpole, USA
3. Hannah Labrie-Smith Butler-Fearon-O’Connor, California, USA/Ontario, Canada
4. Codie Shiels McConomy, Derry, Ireland
5. Aisling Higgns Sylvan Kelly, Mayo, Ireland
6. Ann Marie Kenny Claddagh, Western USA
7. Ann Paige Turilli Inishfree, New York, USA
8. Gemma Goulding Murchu-Duiginn, London, England
9. Mary Claire McDonnell Anam Mór, Illinois, USA
10. Ciara Dickson Caroline Greene, Glasgow, Scotland

Competition #30 Girls 11-12
1. Shannon Bradley Doherty, Belfast, Ireland
2. Amy-Mae Dolan McConomy, Derry, Ireland
3. Ciara O’Sullivan Sheehan-Murphy, Kerry, Ireland
4. Anna Sulger Pender-Keady, Connecticut, USA
5. Kelly Donegan Sylvan Kelly, Mayo, Ireland
6. Olivia Murray Mona Ni Rodaigh, Dundalk, Eire
7. Leelle Eakins Ní Chearra-Ó Baoláin, Louth/Meath/Cavan, Ireland
8. Shannon Umhafer Hagen, Mid-Atlantic, USA
9. Amy Harley McConomy, Derry, Ireland
10. Shannon Morrissey Céim Óir, London, England

Competition #31 Girls 10-11
1. Cyra Taylor McConomy, Derry, Ireland
2. Melainie Valdes Petri, New York, USA
3. Meghan Bonner Bonner-Cannon, Donegal, Ireland
4. Taylor-Lee Keating Sheila Hayes, Cork, Ireland
5. Rohan Bole Caroline Greene, Glasgow, Scotland
6. Louise Fennessy Kelley O’Boyle, London, England
7. Aoife Griffin Marion Flanagan, Oxford, England
8. Anna-Marie Coll Céim Óir, London, England
9. Aine McGill McNelis-Cunningham, Ulster, Ireland
10. Kelli Devlin Broesler, New Jersey, USA

Competition #41 Minor Mixed Céilí
1. Foireann B Cara, Pennsylvania, USA
2. Foireann A Cashel-Dennehy, Wisconsin, USA
3. Foireann A Mona Ní Rodaigh, Ulster, Ireland
4. Foireann A Mullane-Healy-O’Brien, Chicago, USA
5. Foireann A Broesler, New Jersey, USA
6. Foireann A Inishfree, New York, USA
7. Foireann A Michael Ryan, Tipperary, Ireland
8. Foireann A Cara, Pennsylvania, USA

Competition #42 Minor Girls Céilí
1. Foireann A Smith-Houlihan, New England, USA
2. Foireann C Harney, Mapole, USA
3. Foireann A Claddagh, Western, USA
4. Foireann A Pender-Keady, Connecticut, USA
5. Foireann A Cashel-Dennehy, Wisconsin, USA
6. Foireann A World, Illinois, USA
7. Foireann B Mona Ní Rodaigh, Ulster, Ireland
8. Foireann B Harney, Mapole, USA
9. Foireann B Cara, Pennsylvania, USA
10. Foireann A Healy, San Francisco, USA

Competition #43 Junior Mixed Céilí
1. Foireann A Carey, Midlands, England
2. Foireann A Claddagh, Western, USA
3. Foireann A Harney, Mapole, USA
4. Foireann A O’Neill, Christchurch, New Zealand
5. Foireann A McGing, Ohio, USA
6. Foireann A Celtic, Ohio, USA
7. Foireann A Broesler, New Jersey, USA
8. Foireann A Cashel-Dennehy, Wisconsin, USA

Competition #44 Junior Girls Céilí
1. Foireann A Kelly Hendry, Newcastle-U-Tyne, England
2. Foireann A Claddagh, Western, USA
3. Foireann A Smith-Houlihan, New England, USA
4. Foireann A Kidd, Birmingham, England
5. Foireann A Scanlon, Birmingham, England
6. Foireann B Butler-Fearon-O’Connor, California, USA/Ontario, Canada
7. Foireann B McGing, Ohio, USA
8. Foireann B Marie Moore, New Jersey, USA
9. Foireann B Harney, Mapole, USA
10. Foireann A Cashel-Dennehy, Wisconsin, USA

Competition #45 Senior Mixed Céilí
1. Foireann A Mona Ní Rodaigh, Ulster, Ireland
2. Foireann A Doherty, Coventry, England
3. Foireann A Schade, New York, USA
4. Foireann A Carey, Midlands, England
5. Foireann A Claddagh, Western, USA
6. Foireann A O’Neill, Christchurch, New Zealand
7. Foireann A Mullane-Healy-O’Brien, Chicago, USA
8. Foireann A Butler-Fearon-O’Connor, California, USA/Ontario, Canada
9. Foireann A Donny Golden, New York, USA
10. Foireann A Ard-Rialla, Cavan/Louth, Ireland

Competition #46 Senior Ladies Céilí
1. Foireann A Smith-Houlihan, New England, USA
2. Foireann A Claddagh, Western, USA
3. Foireann A Harney, Mapole, USA
4. Foireann A Marie Moore, New Jersey, USA
5. Foireann A Mona Ní Rodaigh, Ulster, Ireland
6. Foireann A O’Shea-Chaplin, Massachusetts, USA
7. Foireann B Butler-Fearon-O’Connor, California, USA/Ontario, Canada
8. Foireann A Kelly Hendry, Newcastle-U-Tyne, England
9. Foireann A Doherty, Coventry, England
9. Foireann A Ui Shé, Dublin, Ireland

Competition #52 Minor Girls Figure Dancing
1. Foireann A Claddagh, Western USA
2. Foireann A Mullane-Healy-O’Brien, Chicago, USA
3. Foireann A World, Illinois, USA
4. Foireann A DeNogla, New Jersey, USA
5. Foireann A Cara, Pennsylvania, USA
6. Foireann A O’Grady-Quinlan, Pennsylvania, USA
7. Foireann A Pender-Keady, Connecticut, USA
8. Foireann A Carle, New York, USA
9. Foireann A O’Neill-James, Virginia, USA

Competition #53 Junior Mixed Figure Dancing
Team A Carey School, Midlands, England

Competition #54 Junior Girls Figure Dancing
1. Foireann A McGing, Ohio, USA
2. Foireann A Carey, Midlands, England
3. Foireann A Claddagh, Western, USA
4. Foireann A Scanlon, Birmingham, England
5. Foireann A Pender-Keady, Connecticut, USA
6. Foireann A DeNogla, New Jersey, USA
7. Foireann A Mullane-Healy-O’Brien, Chicago, USA
8. Foireann A McBride, California, USA
9. Foireann B Mullane-Healy-O’Brien, Chicago, USA
10. Foireann A Ni Fhearraigh-O’Ceallaigh, Ontario, Canada

Competition #55 Senior Mixed Figure Dancing
1. Foireann A Claddagh, Western, USA
2. Foireann A Carey, Midlands, England
3. Foireann A Murphy Irish Arts Center, Ohio, USA
4. Foireann A Michael Ryan, Tipperary, Ireland
5. Foireann A Hansen-Keohane, Massachusetts, USA

Competition #56 Senior Ladies Figure Dancing
1. Foireann A The Academy, Birmingham, England
2. Foireann B McGing, Ohio, USA
3. Foireann A Claddagh, Western, USA
4. Foireann A Kidd, Birmingham, England
5. Foireann A Celtic Steps, Colorado, USA
6. Foireann C Comerford, Western, USA
7. Foireann A McGing, Ohio, USA
8. Foireann A Comerford, Western, USA
9. Foireann A Mullane-Healy-O’Brien, Chicago, USA
10. Foireann A DeNogla, New Jersey, USA

Competition #57 Dance Drama Under 16
1. Foireann A Watters, Florida, USA
2. Foireann B McDade, Pennsylvania, USA
3. Foireann A Burke, Cheshire, England
4. Foireann A McDade, Pennsylvania, USA

Competition #58 Dance Drama Senior
1. Foireann A Smith-Houlihan, New England, USA
2. Foireann A Watters, Florida, USA
3. Foireann A McDade, Pennsylvania, USA
4. Foireann A World, Illinois, USA
5. Foireann A Lynn, Mid-Atlantic, USA
6. Foireann A Simpson, Canberra, Australia
7. Foireann A McGing, Ohio, USA
8. Foireann A Murphy Irish Dancers, Ohio, USA
9. Foireann B Murphy Irish Arts Center, Ohio, USA
10. Foireann A McBride, California, USA

Photos by Sara Velasquez

Irish Film Festival Boston

The Irish Film Festival Boston (IFFB)
March 25-28

Notable filmmakers and established actors have been honored with awards . IFFB was founded in 1999 to introduce Irish filmmaking to the world. Four days of feature films, Documentary, short fiction and animation flicks at the Brattle, Sommerville Theaters.

One short film of interest…Dance Lexie, Dance (1996) 14 mins Director: Tim Loane
Laura, a 12 year old Protestant girl wants to be a Riverdancer when she grows up. However, with her mother dead, will her Dad, Lexie, help her?

www.irishfilmfestival.com

Custer Annihilated

By Edward T. O’Donnell

On June 25, 1876, the Seventh Cavalry met its doom on the battlefield at Little Big Horn in Wyoming. Overwhelmed by a massive force of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors, commanded by chiefs Crazy Horse and Gall, some 262 soldiers and civilian personnel died that day, including Lt. Col. George A. Custer. The debacle at Little Big Horn, most Custer’s doing, shocked the nation on the eve of its Centennial celebration. That shock turned to revulsion when the press reported that all but two of the bodies of the slain cavalrymen had been stripped and horribly mutilated. The two exceptions were Custer, whom the Indians feared and admired, and Irishman, Capt. Myles W. Keough. The latter became an intriguing footnote to the story of the worst defeat in American military history.

Myles Walter Keough was born in County Carlow Ireland, on March 25, 1840. The Keoughs (the spelling varies and includes Keogh and Kehoe) were wealthy Catholic landowners whose resources enabled them to survive the Famine. Myles received an excellent education and graduated from St. Patrick’s College. Eager for adventure, he went to Africa to find work as a mercenary soldier. But when he learned of Pope Pius X’s call for volunteers to defend the papal states against revolutionaries bent on creating a unified Italy, he headed for Rome. Made a lieutenant in the Battalion of St. Patrick, he distinguished himself in several battles in what proved to be a losing cause. Despite the defeat of the papal army, the pope awarded him the Medaglia di Pro Petri Sede (Medal for the See of St. Peter). He wore it proudly for the rest of his life.

By now the American Civil War had begun, so Keough headed west across the Atlantic to join the Union army. His experience, limited as it was, exceeded that of many officers in the Union forces and earned him a position as a staff officer in the Army of the Cumberland in Tennessee. Over the next four years he saw action in scores of battles and earned a reputation as a tough and fearless warrior.

Like many Civil War veterans, Keough jumped at the opportunity to remain in the military after the war by signing on for service in the American west. Instead of fighting Confederates, the army was now engaged in a major offensive to pacify Indian tribes that resisted efforts to remove them from tribal lands and force them onto reservations. The westward migration of white settlers brought increased conflict with Native American tribes who believed they had a right to the lands where they had lived for generations. Wars broke out repeatedly on the Great Plains and elsewhere as white settlers encroached on Indian land and tribes resisted confinement to reservations. Native Americans lacked the firepower and unity to withstand the army, but nonetheless put up fierce resistance.
Keough was hardly the only Irishman on the western frontier. With hundreds of thousands of Irish-born and Irish Americans having served in the Union Army, it was only natural that many of the soldiers who headed west were of Irish lineage. In the Seventh Cavalry, for example, 21 percent (128 of 600) of the men were Irish-born. Irish Americans likely comprised another 10-20 percent.

Accounts vary as to Keough’s reputation as an officer. Several contemporaries recorded favorable impressions of him and said he enjoyed the respect of the men he commanded. Others, however, speak of him as a harsh disciplinarian and an alcoholic who, like Custer, had a weakness for flashy dress and women. All seem to agree that he was a brave and capable officer in the field. Custer certainly thought so and placed him in charge of the Seventh’s Company I.

The road to Little Big Horn began in 1874 when prospectors (acting illegally) discovered gold in the Black Hills of the Dakota Territory. Only six years earlier the Fort. Laramie Treaty, negotiated by a fair-minded Irishman named Thomas Fitzpatrick, had granted this land to the Sioux and Cheyenne and prohibited white settlement. But news of gold brought thousands of white fortune seekers into the territory and hostilities soon erupted. The US government reneged on its promise to prevent white incursion and demanded the tribes renegotiate the treaty to allow it. When the Indians refused and continued to defend their lands, the government dispatched a force under Gen. Alfred Terry which included the Seventh Cavalry.

The army eventually closed in on a large band of Indian warriors near the Little Big Horn River. The Seventh made first contact on the morning of June 25, 1876. Custer, eager to earn glory, attacked before the rest of the army (and other officers who might overshadow him) arrived. He believed there were only a few hundred Indian warriors when in fact the number was as high as 4,000. He divided his force into thirds and ordered an attack. It quickly disintegrated in the face of superior numbers and several tactical blunders by Custer. Within an hour more than two hundred men of the Seventh lay dead and more would die the next day as remnants of the Seventh fought their way to safety.

The precise reason why Keough was spared the mutilations that followed will forever remain a mystery. The Sioux apparently mutilated enemy fighters in the belief that it prevented the dead from entering heaven. Many believe the Sioux were awed by Keough’s large and impressive papal medal and decided to pass him over rather than risk angering his god. This theory is supported by the fact that the Indians did not kill or take Keough’s prized horse, Commanche, who remained tethered to his rider’s body. Commanche, incidentally, became a sort of folk hero. When he died 17 years later he was preserved by a taxidermist and remains on display at the University of Kansas.

Although the Battle of Little Big Horn was an overwhelming triumph for the Sioux and Cheyenne, it quickly proved a pyrrhic victory. Despite Custer’s blundering, many Americans at the time saw him as a heroic victim and demanded vengeance. The United States government expanded military action in the west and Native Americans never again won a significant victory. Within a few years of Little Big Horn, the Sioux and other defiant tribes were forced onto reservations.

Celtic Cross…Universal Illustration of Ireland

By Sarah Velasquez

A jogger turned the corner, cutting me off at a busy pedestrian intersection in Manhattan’s East Village, when I noticed a mass of colorful knots adorning the back of his calf.  He slowed his pace and I took a hard look at the design it was an ornate Celtic cross.  Being a self-proclaimed Celt buff I inquired, “Hey, why a Celtic cross?” to which he hesitantly responded, “I don’t know; because I’m Irish, I guess.”  I wondered if he knew the history of that design beyond its Irish affiliation.
The Celtic cross is a basic design comprising a cross (often in the shape of a “T”) with four arms extending through a circle, but its origins precede its commonly accepted meaning.  When asked to explain that meaning, most people would answer that the Celtic cross represents Jesus’ crucifixion with a uniquely Western European twist.  But the cross, like all symbols, has different interpretations that aren’t widely recognized.  Images of the Celtic cross date back to ancient Egyptian times and continue to evolve even today through tattoos, stone memorials and cemetery markers, and Irish dance costumes so many step dancers wear to shows and feiseanna.
Celtic culture is reflected in symbols: the shamrock represents St. Patrick’s explanation of the Holy Trinity to the pagans; step dancing with arms held tightly at one’s side is often attributed to religious oppression, or the strict influence of the British in Ireland; animals in the Books of Kells reflect characteristics of saints and Bible figures; and the Celtic cross symbolizes Jesus’ death and resurrection.  These examples support the strong influence of Christianity on Celtic culture, but they also allow us a glimpse into our culture’s more pagan past.
Just as the shamrock was used to convert the Celts to Catholicism, the Celtic Cross also predates Jesus’ teachings in Ireland, Wales and Scotland.  Author of The Celtic Cross, Nigel Pennick, compares early cross-like pillars in Ireland to omphalos, or mid-points that “express the relationship of human beings to the divine.” Omphalos date back to ancient Egypt where an elliptical stone on a pillar or alter was placed at what was believed to be the center of the world.  Later omphalos were decorated with swirls and images of bearded men —the same themes later adorning similarly-shaped pillars in regions of Ireland.  Pennick concludes that “these omphalos-pillars are the model from which the later designers of the Irish high crosses took their inspiration.”
The Irish high cross, Pennick believes, can also be viewed as a replication of natural phenomena like sunlight, ice crystallization, solar and lunar patterns.  Rock-carvings depicting an early version of the Celtic cross (or “quartered circle”) date back as early as 1500BC.  Etched into the stones are are “wheels” with four spokes.  Wheels were important in pagan times because they were essential to transportation, sometime buried with the dead so that the deceased could travel to the other side.  Gods were thought to travel on chariots, thus reinforcing the power and “other-worldliness” of the wheel.  When Christianity was introduced to the Druids, the image of Jesus riding a donkey-led cart on Palm Sunday grew increasingly popular because it easily translated to the pagan belief that gods traveled by wheel.
Around the seventh century pagan stone carvers began etching crosses on flat-laying gravestones.  Sometime in the eighth century deceased Pictish warriors were being buried, and erect stone slabs marked their graves.  Like the stone carvers of the seventh century, these Picts of Northern Britain decorated gravestones with crosses, but it wasn’t until Catholicism was introduced that these cross monuments began depicting the crucifixion or Jesus.  Stephen Walker, a metalsmith from Rochester, NY, describes these pre-Christian crosses as insular or Hiberno-Saxon because the style “combined heritages and innovations of several cultures.”
When Roman Catholicism reached the isles, churches began adopting images of the cross, mixing in Celtic remnants of the “quartered circle.”  It was a time of intercultural experimentation and the remnants of crosses reinforce this.  The crucifixion of Jesus was now more readily included on Celtic crosses.  Still in places like the Isle of Man, Pictish influences continued to influence the cross style.  Christian and Pagan elements now co-existed on crosses, as they do today in modern representations of the Celtic cross.
Metal Smith Stephen Walker concludes, “most people who know about Celtic art as part of their personal heritage have the sort of knowledge that the academic cannot cite as fact since the source is mainly oral tradition.”  Such a basic design, the cross has survived since before written word.  Its true origins cannot be known, but its influence on our ancestors is obvious, and its evolution can be traced through the evidence left by our predecessors.
Tattoo artist Pat Fish continues in the footsteps of her ancestors by researching Celtic crosses and knots, then incorporating authentic Celtic elements in her art.  “Celtic crosses, with their distinctive ring, are universally recognized as an ethnic symbol showing pride in Celtic heritage,” says Fish who tattoos approximately four Celtic crosses on clients each week.  Fish derives designs from direct sources like the Book of Kells, and grave-rubbings she’s done in Ireland and Scotland.  The tattoos
Unlike the jogger with the Celtic cross tattoo mentioned previously, Fish is a connoisseur of all things Celtic and stops at nothing to understand her heritage — a heritage unknown to her throughout her Childhood.  As an orphan Fish felt a strong connection to Celtic art.  Later in adulthood she learned that she was in fact a descendant of the Scottish Clan Campbell.  A specialist in Celtic art, she says her work as a tattoo artist draws clients with whom she feels a kinship.  Pat Fish’s art transcends tattoos; her designs can be accessed at www.luckyfishart.com.
The “quartered circle” is usually a welcomed symbol of peace and cultural pride, but variants such as “Odin’s Cross” represent quite the opposite.  Odin’s Cross is recognized as a symbol of hate and is associated with white supremacists.  Some believe this cross bears a resemblance to the swastika, which also has historical roots preceding its Nazi affiliation.  The swastika, like early depictions of the Celtic cross, was a common motif among ancient cultures.  Even into the early 1900s the symbol reflected a positive message — it was thought to be a good luck charm, especially among aviators.  It wasn’t until the Nazi’s adopted this equilateral cross with bent arms that it was associated with racism, intolerance and hate.  Even today variations of the swastika are found in India, and have absolutely no connection to white supremacists or neo-Nazi groups.
The beginnings of the Celtic cross will never be known, probably because the basic design occurs in nature and cannot be traced to any one specific culture.  Any meaning behind the Celtic cross (or “quartered circle”) is determined by the individual, ensuring the its evolution for future cultures and societies.

THE YEATS PROJECT at The Irish Repertory Theatre

The Irish Rep’s month long Yeats Project
Charlotte Moore and Ciarán O’Reilly, Directors

THE YEATS PROJECT, a thrilling month-long festival of all 26 plays written by William Butler Yeats – the world’s most popular poet and playwright. Eight of the plays will receive fully mounted productions on the Mainstage of the Theatre. In Cycle A are: The Countess Cathleen, The Cat And The Moon, and On Baile’s Strand. In Cycle B are: The Land of Heart’s Desire, The Pot of Broth, Purgatory, A Full Moon In March, and Cathleen Ni Houlihan. The remaining 18 plays will receive Concert Readings, directed by George C. Heslin in our downstairs Studio Theatre.

In association with the W.B. Yeats Society of New York, the American Irish Historical Society, Glucksman Ireland House, and the Consulate General of Ireland New York, the festival also includes special evenings of dance with the champion step dancers of Darrah Carr Dance, poetry, films, lectures, and more, with some very special guests including Frank McCourt, Ciaran Sheehan, Marian Seldes, John McMartin, and more.

Visit www.irishrep.org for a complete schedule of events.
Call 212-727-2737 to order tickets.
The Irish Repertory Theatre
22 W. 22nd Street
New York, NY

World Irish Dancers Compete in Philadelphia

By Sarah Velasquez

Besides being glued to my seat for most of the day watching girls u15 and u14, I did conduct a few fascinating interviews with Irish dance elite! First I met up with CLRG chairperson Sean McDonagh to find out a bit about how the worlds came to be in the states.

He explained that a bunch of cities were suggested and that a small CLRG committee was charged with making the final decision based on a number of factors (venues, hotels, cost, etc.). Boston and Philadelphia were top choices for an American venue, but Philly eventually won the showdown, particularly because the Mid-Atlantic region has hosted the Oireachtas here for a number of years, and they city has always managed to accommodate the number of dancers.

Mr. McDonagh and I also talked about the changed face of Irish dance, and how schools are popping up around the world, as far as Tokyo and and Ukraine.

What surprised me was the fact that 60% of Irish dancers come from North America. And, at this year’s worlds in particular, 75% of competitors are North American. Wild, right?

After that, I spoke to some vendors about the economy’s role in buying feis gear. More of this in the next issue of Hornpipe Magazine.

I caught up with the two female Australian world champions, Fiona-Gaye Moore (won in 1980) and Nicole Zepcevski (2006). We talked a lot about Irish dancing in Australia, and the difficulty of traveling to worlds from Australia. Regardless of whether the worlds happen in North America or Europe, these Aussies have to sink a lot of money into traveling for big competitions.

Later I interviewed Dearbhla Lennon of Dundalk, County Louth. That woman is beautiful! I’d never met a lead dancer from Riverdance AND Lord of the Dance.

Rumor is Michael Flatley will also be making an appearance. Possibly tomorrow. I’ll see if I can’t manage to run into him as well.