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.
