Irish Fest 2002 Entertainment Lineup
Delivers Quality and Variety

Irish Fest organizers have again assembled an entertainment line-up that is certain to please the tastes of virtually every festival-goer. "Irish Fest has a fantastic line-up that showcases classics like Paddy Reilly and Cherish the Ladies, Clancy, O'Connell and Clancy, and fresh, new bands such as North Cregg," says Chuck Ward, the festival's entertainment coordinator. "As always, Irish Fest 2002 features a diverse Irish and Irish-American line-up that will have everyone tapping their feet, old and young alike."

With the festival just around the corner, Aug. 15-18 at Milwaukee's Summerfest grounds on the Lake Michigan shoreline, Irish Fest visitors can start planning their musical selections from a menu that features some of the very best Irish contemporary, traditional, folk and rock musicians.

The popularity of Celtic music has soared, thanks to bands like Cherish the Ladies, one of the most popular traditional Irish music groups in the world. The six women in the group have music in their blood and offer a compelling mix of jigs, reels and airs, wistful ballads, folk songs and even a bawdy tune or two.

Making their debuts at Irish Fest this year are Kila, The Commitments, The Highwaymen, Kilfenora, Shooglenifty, and North Cregg.

Kila generates a unique blend of traditional Celtic, gypsy, reggae and rock, providing audiences innovative and exciting music. The seven-member band fuses the effects of Gaelic lyrics and Irish folk instruments, such as whistles, fiddles and pipes with instruments like the congas, mandolin guitar and flute for a truly unique sound.

The Commitments, well known not only for their musical act, but their huge movie hit as well, will perform their foot-stomping, heart-pounding show. Everyone can sing along to their classic hits like, "Try a Little Tenderness," "Mustang Sally," "Chain of Fools," "Take Me to the River" and many more.

The Highwaymen, who hit the top of the charts in the 1960s, are together again to perform their timeless classics. They are most well known for their hits "Michael" and "Cotton Fields," and they are certain to lure audiences both old and young.

The exhilarating live performance of North Cregg, or "Creggies" as referred to by fans, will have listeners on their feet. The band's distinctive sound earned the "Best Traditional Newcomers" award in the Irish Music Magazine Millennium Poll in 2000. North Cregg enthralls audiences with some of the finest, freshest and liveliest traditional Irish music around.

Making a well-deserved return to Irish Fest is Leahy, a nine-member band made up entirely of brothers and sisters with a musical style all their own. Some may call it Celtic, folk or rock, while others call it country, pop or classical. No matter how the band's style is defined, listeners appreciate the deep musical tradition and unique sound.

Other entertainers to look forward to include Patrick Steet, The Clumsy Lovers, Carmel Quinn, Leahy's Luck, The Tracy Sands Band, Blarney, Barachois and many more. For a complete listing of this year's line up, check the Irish Fest web site: www.irishfest.com.

Irish Rock Exhibit
Adds to Lure of Irish Fest

An exhibit on the history of Irish rock music will expand the already broad range of Irish knowledge and heritage touching visitors to Irish Fest this year. The exhibit, produced by Irish Fest's Ward Irish Music Archives, will examine the history of Irish rock through displays and artifacts in the festival's archive tent.

The exhibit includes artifacts such as tour programs, tickets to events and concerts from around the world, sheet music, posters, books, LPs, tapes, eight-tracks, rare tour itinerary books, buttons, pins, badges, photos and many other items to document these groups. The exhibit already has proven its appeal, having been booked at the Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival in mid-July and the Dublin, Ohio, festival in early August.

The exhibit begins in the 1950s with the Irish showband phenomena. The Irish showband was a unique mix of the popular American Big Band sound and the Irish Ceili Band. They were extremely popular in their heyday and still exist today. Unfortunately, most of the showband music was covers of American or British top 40 hits. This left some of the better musicians frustrated. Out of this frustration, the beat bands developed and solo artists broke away from the showband scene.

For the showbands, the exhibit examines the genre of the Irish beat bands and roves on through to the current dominance of Irish rock in the world market today.

These stories and many more will be told through the Irish rock exhibit. Besides the artists noted above, others in the exhibit include Barry McGuire, The Bachelors, Elvis Costello, Chris de Burgh, The Boomtown Rats, Bob Geldof, U2, Sinead O'Connor, Clannad, The Cranberries, The Corrs, The Poques, Stiff Little Fingers, Paul Brady, Gary Moore, The Commitments and many more.

To date the Ward Irish Music Archive has put together exhibits on George M. Cohan, John McCormack and The Music of Notre Dame. Next year, the Ward Music Archives will put together an exhibit on Irish-American Bing Crosby to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birthday. The Ward Irish Music Archives is home to the largest public collection of Bing Crosby recordings outside of his alma mater at Gonzaga University.

Summer School Leads
Into Milwaukee's Irish Fest

Irish culture, crafts and heritage will come together during the 16th annual summer school program of Irish Festivals Inc. to be held at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The weeklong program will begin with a reception at 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, in the Wisconsin Room at the UWM Student Union building. The classes, from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m each day, begin Monday, Aug. 12, and conclude Thursday, Aug. 15. For those unable to make the four days of classes, a special "sampler" session is available on Friday, Aug. 16.

Milwaukee's Irish Fest first established the summer school program due to the high level of interest in the organization's festival. The program has expanded over the years to include classes in Irish dance and music, crafts, lectures, Gaelic language instruction and a historical overview of Irish heritage. The school draws established instructors from Milwaukee and around the world. Among the music instructors are Seamus Connolly on fiddle, Paddy O'Brien on button accordion, Jacqueline McCarthy on concertina, and Sue Richards on harp The classes, offered at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, are intended to entertain while teaching.

The Summer School will also feature Irish rocker Ian Whitcomb, who will be teaching a course on the history of Irish Rock. Ian has written many books on music history. His song "You Turn Me On" reached #6 on the U.S. charts in 1965.

There are separate workshops for various age groups, one for children 6 to 12, with a new group being added this year for those 13 to 18, and an additional program for adults.

A children's day camp at $195 for the five.days, include classes in music, performance arts (leading to a presentation of a play on the festival grounds), crafts, dance, Gaelic, and a bit of magic. The day camp offers supervision for children between class and during the lunch break. Children may also sign up for single classes if they wish.

The school's genealogy offerings are being expanded this year to add a third class to cover ancestral ties to the Province of Ulster. Fintan Mullan of the Ulster Historical Society will teach the course. Dr. James Ryan will conduct two other genealogy classes.

The school also will offer lectures on exploring the nationalist and unionist view of Irish history through Northern Irish wall mural paintings and other symbols.

Registration information and class schedules are available on the Milwaukee Irish Fest Web site, www.irishfest.com, or by e-mailing joheidt@uwm.edu. Mail registration is being accepted until Aug. 3, and can be sent to Barb Breed-Heidt, Center for International Education, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI, 53201. Walk-in registration is available Aug. 4, at the UWM Union Wisconsin Room Lobby. For more information, call Barb Breed-Heidt at (414) 229-5879.

Summer School Ceili

Wednesday, August 14, 2002: The 16th Annual Irish Fest Summer School, held each year at the UWM Campus, invites people of all ages to learn Irish Ceili and Set dancing at UWM's Memorial Union, Wisconsin Room on the 2nd floor. This family event is great for all ages and is affordable at only $3 per person. Dance instruction by Gail Clark and live music provided by Ceol Cairde (Music of Friends). Music and dancing 8-10:30 p.m. For further information, please call Kristina at (414) 372-3060. All proceeds benefit the Irish Fest Summer School, a yearly week of classes in "All things Irish" the week before Irish Fest (August 11-16, 2002). For a complete listing of classes, please visit www.irishfest.com or call 414-229-5879.

Ballyfest Brings Bit of
Emerald Isle to Milwaukee

The Emerald Isle comes to your back door with Ballyfest, the renowned Cultural Village at Irish Fest. Shop for handmade Irish gifts, learn a note or two on the tin whistle, satisfy your appetite with authentic Irish snack food, and wet your whistle at the Irish pub. It's all at Ballyfest!

This year, the Cultural Tent will feature Ireland's Gaeltacht regions. An area of the tent will focus on the rich culture and heritage of these regions, including Gaelic, one of the oldest living languages of Europe. You can also browse through photo and art exhibits and interactive craft exhibitors, including wool tapestry, fiddle making, wood and basket craft, and the song, dance and folklore tradition of the Gaeltacht regions.

The remaining area of the Cultural Tent will include the exhibit "Turas - the Irish Sacred Landscape." This area will also feature secret places of stone and water ritual. Padragin Clancy, the noted Irish folklorist, will provide guided tours throughout the weekend.

While you're enjoying Ballyfest, you'll also want to wander through O'Brien's Irish grocery store for a treat, and stop to pick up a good Irish book at Kenny's of Galway, a world-famous bookstore. If you're in the mood for music - and who wouldn't be? - stroll through the genealogical and musical archive displays or stop and listen to the beautiful sounds of the harp. For a more hands-on approach, visit Walton's music and learn the art of the bodhran or the tin whistle.

Shop for handmade Irish crafts and artwork at Moore Street Markets, or just watch and enjoy the artisan demonstrations. If you prefer theater, tragic or comical, you can delight in Ireland's drama in many short plays performed throughout the weekend. For the sport enthusiast, Ballyfest also offers traditional Irish tug-o-war, currach racing and hurling.

And when it's time to rest and partake in hospitality and refreshment, visit the Village Pub for a drink, some ceol agas craic and lively entertainment.

New at Irish Fest!

LITERARY ROW

The new Literary Row, which will feature Irish publications that inform and delight readers, will be found in the Cultural Village. The Literary Corner will give visitors a chance to browse through publications such as the Irish Echo and the Irish American Post while enjoying a sip of Bewley's tea or coffee and snacking on authentic foods. Literary Row will also feature the Hedge School, where visitors can listen to lectures on a variety of topics. New this year will be Kenny's Bookshop of Galway, with a selection of over 1000 books.

COTTAGE MARKET

Festival-goers now will be able to step into the Cottage Market for an Irish treat. The Cottage Market, just inside the main gates, will offer O'Brien's Market selling Irish groceries and serving cheese and fruit sticks. Kerry Gold Cheese, an Irish original, will serve samples of their Irish cheese, is perfect accompaniment to the wine bar. Stop by and enjoy the refreshing delicatessens of Ireland!

CASTLE GARDEN STAGE

New in 2002, the Castle Garden Stage will be found on the walkway just south of the Aer Lingus Stage. Stop by to hear the sounds of some favorite local entertainers, including La Belle et Les Betes, Ian Gould, and Fiona Molloy. Don't miss the energetic performance of Siucra, straight from New York. On Sunday, catch the highlight performance by the Milwaukee Festival Brass Band. The Castle Garden Stage also will offer open music sessions on Saturday and Sunday.

Out Going Milwaukee
President's Message

This final message to the membership from me as President is supposed to look back on our accomplishments of the past year. I believe the Board's hard work and accomplishments speak for themselves, however, and so I will just write about my hopes for the future of our Club.

We are on the right track by being more open and involved with the other Celtic groups in the area. Standing with them by volunteering and monetary sponsorships will make the Irish Community stronger and more inviting to prospective members of the Club. We need these individuals and families in order to continue to be a relevant organization. I am very heartened by the steadily rising numbers of new members.

With a larger and more high profile parade than we have had in the past, and the other events we sponsor, these events are a perfect opportunity to show Southeastern Wisconsin what we are all about - Culture, Social, Charity.

Thanks again to the outgoing Board who through diversity did the hard work needed to advance the Club's successes and security. To the new Board I look forward to the continuing trend of loyalty to the Shamrock Club.

Respectfully Submitted,

Milwaukee President's Message

Ladies, Gentlemen, Irish All;

August is a busy month indeed, a Shamrock Season onto itself, some may even point to certain very special "engagements."

The Shamrock Club Color Guard, Pipes and Drums combines the best of summer with a parade and show at Sheboygan Brat Days.

The Shamrock Club Picnic follows on August 4 - Live at the Lakefront. Warming up for Irish Fest with live dancing, live music, live food, beverages and games for young and old. Plan to bring the whole family, and a friend or three to introduce them to the Shamrock Club.

Speaking of games ... live at the lakefront every Sunday is the Milwaukee Hurling Club ... playing Ireland's national sport. Four games every week with a fun crowd. Play-offs August 11, Championship August 25 next to the "Old" Coast Guard Station.

The 16th Annual Irish Fest Summer School ... dance, music, story telling, and that's just in the evenings. Register to discover the history and culture of the Emerald Isle. Classes for children and adults. August 11-16. Call (414) 476-3378.

IRISH FEST ... Four days and 15 stages of the greatest Irish and Irish American entertainment. A special welcome to Milwaukee's new Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, this year's celebrant at the Irish Fest Liturgy for Peace and Justice 9:30 a.m. Sunday, August 18. From the Gathering to the Scattering, Irish eyes from around the world will be focused on Milwaukee.

The Shamrock Club Annual Family Golf and Dinner Outing, August 25 at Lakeside Country Club is a great way to finish off the summer season. Call (Fore-One-Fore) 462-4673.

A special Thank You on behalf of your new Shamrock Club Board of Directors to the Past Shamrock Club Board of Directors. Sue, Jean, Mary, Bob, will be missed for their energy and integrity.

We have some new faces around, on the Board and in the General Membership. The Shamrock Club will continue to grow and be a dynamic presence in the Milwaukee and Wisconsin Irish Community.

Live at the Lake Front

Milwaukee Shamrock Club Picnic

St. Patrick's Help Fund

St. Patrick's Help Fund needs non-perishable foods. Please place in container at each meeting. Questions? Call Katy Voss (414) 352-6479.

Help Needed at Milwaukee Irish Fest

We need help at Milwaukee Irish Fest. If you would like to volunteer for a shift, either in sales or the Shamrock Club volunteer booth in the Cultural Village, please contact us.

For working in the sales booth, please call Noreen Barclay at (414) 695-8563 or email at FDBarclay@earthlink.net.

For the Volunteer booth in the Cultural booth, please call Mary McAndrews at (414) 276-8779. Or contact us at our e-mail address, shamrockclub@hotmail.com

In Memory

I would like to have a list from all the chapters of the members who have passed away this year. We would like to have a column in Emerald Reflections to acknowledge their passing and offer the club's condolences.

Statewide Meeting

Milwaukee will host the next Statewide Meeting of the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin on Saturday, August 17th, during the run of Irish Fest. A 10:30 a.m. breakfast at the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center (2133 W. Wisconsin Ave.) is available for $7 per person. For information call Cate Harris at (414) 321-5153.

Hurling Club Update

Officers for the Milwaukee Hurling Club are as follows:

Operations Coordinator - Dave Olson
Administrative Coordinator - Matt Larsen
Project Officer - Joe Carroll
Financial Officer - Dan Lapke
Trainer - Steve Gilson

STANDINGS AS OF JULY 3

Black Division:
McBob's: 6-0
Milwaukee Ale House: 4-2
County Clare: 3-3
Axel's: 2-4

Blue Division:
Champion's: 3-3
Derry Hegarty's: 2-4
Hanley's: 2-4
Shamrock Club: 2-4

Milwaukee Board of Directors

The 2002-2003 Board of Directors for the Milwaukee chapter follows. Their term is from July 1 until June 30, 2003.

President: Joe Hughes
Vice President: Jack Suit
Treasurer: Sharon Murphy
Secretary: Tom McAleese
Sergeant at Arms: Jim Dickmann
Membership Chair: Tom Smith
Parliamentarian: Tim O'Brien
Past President: Sue Dundon
Trustees: Robert Hamill, Mike Payne, and Noreen Barclay

Rock County

UPCOMING EVENTS

• August 20 - Club Picnic; 5:30 p.m. at Sweet-Allyn Park in Shopiere.

• September 11 - Board Meeting at the
Fred McCann residence; 7 p.m.

• September 17 - Regular Membership Meeting
at Senior Center; 7 p.m.

Our annual Club Picnic will be a potluck so bring your own table service and beverage and a dish to pass. The club will furnish the coffee. We will eat at 6 p.m. If you can, get there at 5 p.m. and enjoy visiting with other club members and guests. Guests are always welcome at any of our functions.

Our officers for the coming year are as follows:

President: Mary Ann Venable
Vice-President: Tom Kennedy
Secretary: Mike/Rosie Hughes
Treasurer: Fred/Kaye McCann
Sergeant at Arms: Dave Bickle
Parliamentarian: Helen Close
Membership: Dave/Mary Bickle
Trustee (3 ry): Nell McGinniss
Trustee (2 yr): Fran Brien
Trustee (1 yr): Tom Brien

We hope to see all of our members on August 20 at our picnic and on Sept. 17 at our first meeting this fall. Come and show your support for our new officers. If you have any ideas or suggestions bring those along to this meeting.

Color Guard News & Notes

Continuing their Award Winning Tradition, the Shamrock Club Color Guard, Pipes and Drums were the recipients of two more performance awards; 2nd Place Musical Unit from the Pewaukee parade and 1st Place Special Marching Unit from the Waubeka Flag Day Parade.

As in the past, July saw the Unit perform in four 4th of July parades with the final performance seeing the group return to march in the East Troy parade. Filling out the month's appearances the Unit performed at Bay View, Port Washington, Heritage Days in South Milwaukee, and Random Lake.

August is our Special Month! Besides performances scheduled for Sheboygan, Richfield and St. Francis, the Unit is hard at work preparing for Irish Fest. We will be leading the parades Friday the 16th at 7 p.m. and Sat/Sun 17th/18th at 4 p.m. Additionally, the Unit will appear at the Sunday Mass, 9:30 a.m. and "Check the Festival Schedule" as your Shamrock Club Color Guard, Pipes and Drums will be making Special Performances at the Crossroads venue on Sat./Sun. You don't want to miss the unique and thrilling program we have prepared!

We hope you will come and show enthusiastic support for your Color Guard, Pipes and Drums!

UPCOMING APPEARANCES

AUGUST
3 - Sheboygan Brat Fest.; 9:30 a.m.
16 - Irish Fest, 7 p.m. Parade
17 - Irish Fest, 4 p.m. Parade and Special Performance TBA
18 - Irish Fest, 9:30 a.m. Mass; 4 p.m. Parade; and Special Performance TBA.
25 - Richfield Days; noon
31 - St. Francis Labor Day; 11 a.m.

SEPTEMBER
2 - Janesville Labor Day; 1 p.m.

OCTOBER
5 - AOH Mass, St. Rose's Church; 5 p.m.
19 - Sister Bay Fall Festival; 11 a.m.

For further information regarding parade performances, special events/occasion appearances or if you'd like the join the Unit, please contact:

Jim Dickmann: Director/Commander
Shamrock Club Color Guard, Pipes & Drums
Telephone (262) 377-2601
Fax (262) 377-3901

Dane County

Ed Jaeger, Reghan O'Day Walsh, Jennifer Bocher and Casey Fitzrandolph presenting check to U.W. Children's Hospital.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• No Board meeting in August and October

• AUGUST 16-18: Milwaukee Irish Fest

• AUGUST 17: State Advisory Meeting in Milwaukee during Irish Fest.

The July summer picnic brought us together at the Knights of Columbus Hall for food and fun. The Irish music of the Kissers filled the summer air and gave a lilt to the evening. Even the kids' viewing of Christopher Kunkel's magic show filled their eyes with wonderment of " how did he do that trick?"

A milestone for our Club was the presentation of a $3,000 check to the U.W. Children's Hospital on Monday afternoon, June 24 2002, by Casey FitzRandolph, Olympic gold medalist, who was the Grand Marshal of the St. Patrick's Day parade. The money for the check was secured by the sale of pins and shirts upon which was emblazoned the theme for the year "Proud to be Irish and American, St. Pat's Parade 2002."

Reghan O'Day Walsh and Ed Jaeger, co-leaders of the Parade Committee, as well as members of our Club thanked us for the merger of the Parade Committee and the Dane County Shamrock Club in helping to make the parade a great success. Ed even mentioned the snowflakes added to the event. The U.W. Children's Hospital personnel thanked all of us for the check which will go to providing needed assistance to the U.W. Hospital's program.

Another Club member, John Gallagher, designer of the logo for the 2002 "Proud to be Irish and American" shirts, is already thinking up a theme for next year's parade.

The incorporation papers for our Club have been filed by our attorney Pat Sweeney. The Board will announce when the process is completed.

In the past few months Dane County Shamrock Club welcomed: Mary Alice Coan, Graham Counihan, John Gallagher, Michelle Quinn and Molly McDermott.

Memories from the summer picnic:
Come and take potlock with me
My hearth is warm, my friendship free

Irish News from RTE

INCREASE IN LIVE
REGISTER FIGURES

There has been a significant increase in the number of people on the Live Register. Over 9,000 people signed on in June, the biggest monthly increase in almost seven years. The Live Register now stands at 164,277. When adjusted for seasonal factors, the increase in those signing on for unemployment benefits and assistance increased by 2,300 last month, the same monthly increase as in May. The increase in June this year was particularly large, especially when compared with the same month last year when the seasonally adjusted figure went up by just 100. The numbers signing on the Live Register normally increases in June with the end of the school year and the termination of part-time contracts. At 9,333, this is the largest monthly rise since December 1995 - reflecting not only seasonal factors but also recent redundancies which have begun to feed through the system. The standardised rate of unemployment is now 4.3%. The Labour Party has described the figures as "alarming". Tommy Broughan TD said unemployment would reach over 200,000 by the end of the year if the current rate of increase were to be maintained. Deputy Broughan said the Government needs to focus more on protecting existing jobs, promoting retraining and attracting new jobs into areas hitby closures. Fine Gael employment spokesman, Phil Hogan, said the rise in the unemployment figures reflected the worsening competitiveness in the Irish economy brought about by the Government and the Minister for Finance in particular. Deputy Hogan said it was very worrying that there was no plan of action from the Government to maintain our competitiveness after five years of successful growth in our economy.

DEFENCE EXPENDITURE
TO BE REDUCED

The Minister for Defence, Mr Michael Smith, TD, has announced a reduction in Defence expenditure this year. In a statement, Mr Smith said the decision was to ensure that the overall expenditure would be in line with the original estimate for the year as a whole. Mr Smith said plans to buy medium lift helicopters would be cancelled, but that the purchase of eight fixed wing trainer aircraft would go ahead. He said it was expected that expenditure on compensation claims and overseas allowances would be about €12m less than expected.

O'DONOGHUE ANNOUNCES
INTERIM TOURISM BOARD

The Minister for Tourism, John O'Donoghue, has named the interim board that will head up the National Tourism Development Authority. The Board brings together the current functions of Bord Fáilte and CERT, the catering training agency. The decision follows the establishment of a new all-island tourism marketing body set up under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. Mr O'Donoghue said that in the current difficult climate it was necessary to reassess, reposition and reform to cope with the changing market place. The interim National Tourism Development Agency will be chaired by the former CEO of the training agency Forfás, Mr John Travers. Earlier today, CERT confirmed that employment in the hotel sector is holding up despite the poor season for the tourism industry. Seventy two per cent of those surveyed by the training and development agency said they had maintained or even increased staff levels.

HEWLETT PACKARD TO CUT
EUROPEAN WORK FORCE

A spokeswoman for Hewlett Packard in Ireland has said it will be some daysbefore it is known what impact the company's announcement that 5,900 jobs are to go from its European operations will have on its workforce here. Hewlett Packard recently merged with computer maker Compaq to make the world's largest personal computer maker.

Following the merger in May, the company said that 10% of its combined workforce would be cut. The company employs 4,200 people in Ireland and 46,000 throughout Europe. But there is no indication yet of the impact on its Irish operation apart from a confirmation at the time that some jobs will be cut. They are forecasting sales growth of 4-6% next year and 9% growth in 2004.

EXCHEQUER SURPLUS
DOWN ON 2001

Figures for the first six months of the year show an Exchequer surplus of €507 million. This compares with a surplus of €3.3 billion in the same period last year. The Exchequer returns show that tax receipts were down just over 7% on last year to over €13 billion. The budget had targeted an actual rise of 8.6%. However, the Department of Finance says that when adjusted, tax revenues are roughly the same as last year. Income tax receipts, however, are down 13.4% on the first half of 2001, and are well short of the budget estimate of a rise of just over 1%.

INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN
UNVEILED IN NORTH

The Stormont Executive has unveiled a £270m investment plan for the North's infrastructure. First Minister, David Trimble, and Deputy First Minister, Mark Durkan, outlined details of 29 projects, which will be funded over the next two years by the plan. The Department of Health is the major benefactor, with £110m going into essential improvements to a number of the North's hospitals. This includes a regional cancer centre which will be developed at a cost of £58m. The Department of Regional Development will receive £67m to improve roads and the ageing water and sewage systems. Education will be given £52.8m, half of which will go on improvements to six secondary schools. This major infrastructure investment package is the result of an initiative announced in May by British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and his Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown. Announcing details of the projects in the Stormont Assembly, Mark Durkans aid the fundamental idea of the initiative was for reform as well as re-investment.

Eerie Eire

Ireland has a long history, filled with colorful people and events. Befitting such a country, it also has a long history of quirky and eerie events and characters. A number of these stories, plus offbeat items of a historical nature, have been compiled by an Irish writer, Michael Smith. The name of the book is NEVER! Eerie Eire, Fascinating facts about Ireland. Smith examines the strange, paranormal, and unusual of Ireland. (Published by White Row Press, Belfast.)

Among the items compiled by White are:

Dermot MacMurrough, who was responsible for bringing the Normans into Ireland, rotted to death for his sin in 1173, after contracting morbis pediculosis.

The first mummy to be seen publicly outside Egypt was displayed in Belfast in 1824. It is still there.

The aristocratic Dublin rakes of the 18th century Hell Fire Club once set fire to a house and remained drinking inside it to get a foretaste of Hell itself.

Count Dracula was created by the Dublin writer Bram Stoker.

Until the 1920s, on St. Brigid's Day (February 1st) at Teltown, County Meath, couples could legally marry by simply walking towards each other. If the union didn't work out, they could "divorce" by walking away from each other at the same place exactly a year and a day later.

For centuries, an unholy ringing sound coming from a gnarled old oak tree on windy nights terrified the people of the County Down village of Kilbroney. In 1885, the tree was blown down and the source of the ghostly noise was discovered - a golden bell hidden in the hollow of the trunk by a monk hundreds of years

FAMILY GOLF AND DINNER
OUTTING REGISTRATION

Please list the names in your party who will play golf; who will play golf and have dinner; and who want dinner only.

GOLF AND DINNER PACKAGE:

Name 1:________

Name 2:________

Name 3:________

Name 4:________

Please list preferred Tee Times.
We will do the best we can to accommodate your requests.

(1)_____ (2)_____ (3)_____ (4)_____

No.______ @ $32 each=_________

Tel.#_________________________

GOLF ONLY:

Name 1:________

Name 2:________

Name 3:________

Namd 4:________

Please list preferred Tee Times.
We will do the best we can to accommodate your requests.

(1)_____ (2)_____ (3)_____ (4)_____

No.______ @ $16 each=__________

Tel.#__________________________

DINNER ONLY:

Name 1:________

Name 2:________

Name 3:________

Name 4:________

No.______ @ $16 each=___________

Tel.#___________________________

TOTAL ENCLOSED:

$_______________________________

REGISTRATION ENDS AUGUST 15, 2002

(No "AT DOOR" payments / registration on day of event can be permitted, except for "Dinner Only" - Cost $20.)

TEE TIMES WILL BE BASED ON DATE OF RECEIPT OF PAYMENT.

Make all checks payable to the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin.

Send your completed registration to

Tom Tibbals, 5761 N. 81st Street, Milwaukee, WI 53218.

Please call (414) 462-4673 if you have any questions.

**Please include daytime (______)______________________ and nighttime (______)______________________telephone numbers.

(You will be notified of your Tee Time August 19-22)

New Members

NOTE: Please send your dues to your Membership Chairperson in your chapter. All names and addresses are listed in Emerald Reflections.

Milwaukee - John and Carolyn Geason; Kyle Smith.

MEMBERSHIP REPORT MILWAUKEE CHAPTER

• May: 43 memberships up for renewal, 32 paid, 10 dropped for nonpayment.

.• June: 36 memberships up for renewal, 19 paid, 17 due

• July: 29 memberships up for renewal, 6 paid, 23 due.