Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About What's happening. (Eugene, OR) 1982-1993 | View Entire Issue (March 13, 1986)
Irish Festival FALcARRAch —the finest of irish imports— We have everything you need for "the wearing of the green" for St. Patrick's Day 485-3882 5th Street Public Market in Eugene Discover deFrisco's During The 1986 Irish Festival deFrisco’s features an evening of poetry, drama and pub music this SATURDAY NIGHT as part of Irish Festival activities. Fiddler Tom McCreesh, dramatist Jane Van Boskirk and others provide free entertainment from 8-10:30 p.m. this Saturday in a celebration of traditional Irish culture and fun. Musicians - bring your instruments - for an Irish music session to follow the scheduled performances. Special Irish snacks and foods as well as the widest selection of imported beers on tap at deFrisco’s as well. Discover deFrisco’s as part of the 1986 Irish Festival! IAFrImee Hours: Open 8 am - 2 am weekdays Cm.” 11 am - 1 am Saturday 11 am - 12 am Sunday Tenth & Olive Downtown Eugene Kitchen closes 11 pm Don’t Forget To Stop By After The Irish Festival Parade This Sunday - Beginning At 2.-00 P.M.! St. Patrick's Day and Irish Independence 1 by Ralph McDonald Consider Eugene's celebration of Irish Independence Day, St. Pat rick's Day. Like other calendar holi days, March 17 has evolved in America to be both a time of gene ral celebration and a time of specific historical themes. On the East coast, St. Patrick's Day has more impact than in the Pacific Northwest—perhaps be cause more of America's 20,000,000 Irish live in the East, or perhaps, be ing more recent immigrants, the Eastern Irish community is more in touch with Irish history and culture. Irish citizens in America were once under cultural and economic attack in ways similar to the more recent experiences of Black citizens in this country. "No Irish need ap ply" was a common insert in help wanted listings. In this context the broadest sym bols of St. Patrick's Day—sham rocks and harps (and leprechauns, depending on how they are por trayed)—can provide a positive im age of Irish ethnicity. Green is beau tiful is the message of St. Patrick's Day parades across the country. Irish culture—including Celtic music and traditional Irish dance— was banned in Ireland periodically by British laws over the last 600 years. For generations, even the shamrock was banned. Despite Royal harassment (such as smashing fiddles), Irish artforms survived, sometimes flourished, and a healthy sampling of these artforms will be showcased in Eugene's 1986 Irish Festival. But what of the struggle for Irish independence? Is the legacy of Wolf Tone and James Connolly still rele vant to Americans and other na tionalities in 1986? During his lifetime James Con nolly worked to educate against na tional barriers and to improve the lives of working people in every country. • Consistent with both his interna tional outlook and his deep patriot ism, Connolly helped organize and then became a martyr to the Easter Rebellion of 1916. Those who proclaimed the Irish Republic on Monday, April 24, 1916 knew in advance that their up rising was premature—militarily doomed. They strategized that their sacrifice would ignite a spark that would in time lead to victory. Wounded twice on April 27, a bullet in Connolly's ankle caused him great pain as he continued to lead troops inside the General Post Office in Dublin until the end. On April 30 Connolly and Pearse com municated surrender to the British, "in order to prevent the further slaughter of Dublin Citizens and in the nope of saving the lives of our followers now surrounded and hopelessly outnumbered." Ninety persons, including all of the uprising's leaders, were sen fenced to death by British court martial. Thousands more were shipped to prison camps in England. Connolly told the court martial: We went out to break the connection between this country and the British Em pire and to establish an Irish Republic. We succeeded in proving that Irishmen are ready to die endeavoring to win for Ireland those national rights which the British Government has been asking them to die to win for Belgium. As long as that remains the case, the cause of Irish freedom is safe. Believing that the British Government has no right in Ireland, never had any right in Ireland, and never can have any right in Ireland, the presence, in any one generation of Irishmen, of even a respec table minority, ready to die to affirm that truth, makes that Government forever an usurpation and a crime against human progress. On May 12 Connolly was car ried on a stretcher to the yard of Kilmainham Jail, Dublin. Sean Mac Diarmada, crippled with arthritis, was shot first. Then Connolly was taken from the the stretcher, sat in a chair, to which he was strapped to keep him upright, and shot. Yeats's famous Easter 1916 provides a fitting eulogy: . . . MacDonagh and MacBride And Connolly and Pearse Now and in time to be, Wherever green is worn. Are changed, changed utterly: A terrible beauty is born. KNECHTS AUTO PARTS & EUGENE AUTORAMA ’86 KNECH AUTO are proud to be sponsors of the 1986 Eugene Springfield Irish Festival and the special Kick-off Event planned for Friday, March 14 in front of the Eugene Conference Center, Downtown Eugene, at 9:30 am. Join in the festivities of the Fourth Annual Eugene-Springfield Irish Festival AND come out to Eugene Autorama ‘86 in the Lane County Convention Center at the Fairgrounds—all weekend long! See some of the special cars and trucks that are in the show during the Irish Festival Kick-off Event. Call 689-3918 for additional information about Eugene Autorama '86 — a proud sponsor of the 1986 Eugene Springfield Irish Festival. KNECHTS AUTO PARTS & EUGENE AUTORAM A 86 The Eugene Irish Culture Festival wishes to thank the many area organizations and individuals who have donated time and funding to make our 1986 cultural events possible. We particularly wish to thank: Balladeer Music • Coca Cola Bottling Co. Community Center for the Performing Arts deFrisco's • Eugene Folklore Society Folklore and Ethnic Studies Program, U of O Department of English Graphics Unlimited • Hurt Center • KLCC FM Mist Covered Mountain, KLCC Sacred Heart General Hospital Spectra Physics Corporation • St. Alice's Church Tarym’s Toys • What's Happening Special thanks to the Eugene/Springfield Irish Festival committee for their cooperation and encouragement Balladeer MUSIC Eugene's finest selection of Irish records, tapes & books. St Patrick's Day Special All instruments on sale March 14-17 Buy your "Legends of Irish Music" concert tickets at Balladeer 343-8043 Located upstairs in the 5th St. Public Market Eugene Irish Culture Festival Statement of Purpose Whereas the Irish in America have con tributed greatly to the cultural heritage of the United States and to the enrich ment, both cultural and economic, of the Eugene/Springfield area, and where as traditional Celtic artforms continue as vital expressions of the genius and aspirations of both the people of Ireland and the American people but without broad awareness of this culture for most Americans, the Eugene Irish Culture Festival hereby resolves to: 1 Promote traditional Irish and/or Celtic culture and Irish/American culture in its varied manifestations including music, dance, drama and visual arts. 2. Educate our community about the Irish people, about Irish immigra tion, and about current Irish politi cal and economic affairs. 3. Dispel anti-Irish racial stereotype and caricature in our promotion of Festival events.
