New York Irish Arts

New York Irish Arts Podcast #25 Interview with Reidin O'Flynn, artistic director of Catskills Irish Arts Week. Reidin talks to us about what's new and wonderful in this 20th year anniversary of the week, which runs from Sunday, July 13 through Saturday, July 19 (really, the 20th). Music from The Yanks, Conal O'Grada, Kevin Crawford, Margie Mulvihill, Robbie O'Connell, Oisin Mac Diarmada, Brian Conway, Matt Cranitch and Jackie Daly, and audio clips from Catskills Irish Arts Weeks past, featuring Joanie Madden, Flo Blancke, Dermot Byrne, Matt Mancuso, Brid Harper, Kieran Jordan and others.

Gavin Quinn talks about All That Fall, a production from his Pan Pan Theatre, that ran at Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival in December.

Currie talks about The Pipes of Christmas, concerts that take place in New York City on Dec. 15, and in New Jersey on Dec. 16.

Glen Hansard talks about his new album Rhythm and Repose, which came out on June 19, about writing happy love songs that do not whinge,  about not shying away from sorrow and his connection to trad. Glen is on tour now through December, check his website http://www.glenhansardmusic.com for more info!

How It’s New York: The Teetotallers are playing Joe’s Pub, NYC, on Sunday June 3rd, finishing their East Coast tour. How It’s Irish: This is a “supergroup” made up of three of the greatest players in trad: Martin Hayes, John Doyle, Kevin Crawford! Chats with awe-inspiring fiddler Martin Hayes and virtuoso flutist from Lúnasa Kevin

Paddy Moloney on The Chieftains’ new CD,Voice of Ages (50 year celebration!), Honor Molloy reads from her forthcoming novel Smarty Girl, Moya Brennan on the WLIW Special Clannad Live at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, airing Mar. 17 on WLIW, Mick Moloney on Irish influences on the American sound (and the origins of the word Hillbilly

Terence Mulligan on The Craic Festival, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh from Altan on the new album, The Poison Glen, the Irish language, and Courtly Love (the band is at City Winery March 8!); Brendan Fay on the St. Pats for All Parade, March 4 (fundraiser concert at Irish Arts Center March 2); and excerpts from Taoiseach

Joanie Madden on Cherish the Ladies, and new album Country Crossroads; Jill O’Mahony on The Willow’s Whisper, a collection  Irish and Indigenous American poem (readings from  from Ailbhe Ní Ghearbuigh  and Travis Hedge Coke); Susan McKeown on the new singer-songwriter series she’s curating, SongLives, debuting at Irish Arts Center 2/17, and Mike Farragher on What’

Mick Moloney talks about “going out on the wren” and his new album “An Irish Christmas:  A Musical Solstice Celebration,” (Concerts at Irish Arts Center (thru 12/18); Gerard Mannix Flynn talks about his show James X, running at the Culture Project (thru 12/18); Chris Layer talks about his work with The Pipes of Christmas

Mick Moloney talks about “going out on the wren” and his new album “An Irish Christmas:  A Musical Solstice Celebration,” (Concerts at Irish Arts Center (thru 12/18); Gerard Mannix Flynn talks about his show James X, running at the Culture Project (thru 12/18); Chris Layer talks about his work with The Pipes of Christmas

Gavin Quinn from Dublin’s Pan Pan Theatre talks to us about The Rehearsal, Playing the Dane.   Darrah Carr talks about her dance company ModERIN and their performances at Irish Arts Center 11-13 November, and Donie Carroll tells us about the Gala Concert, In Partnership with the Poor, which will be at Irish Repertory Theatre

Kevin May from Guggenheim Grotto (a Dublin folk-rock duo, with Mick Lynch) talks about moving to Brooklyn and songwriting (they’re playing at New York Irish Center August 27); Maire Clerkin insists that Irish Dance is as rich as any other form, following her New York fringe production of The Bad Arm:  Confessions of a Dodgy

Ray Yeates on his role as Eoin  in Dermot Bolger’s The Parting Glass; Mike Farragher disccuses Icewagon FLU, Damien McGinty and The Glee Project, and Seamus Kelleher; Druid Theatre’s Garry Hynes on directing The Silver Tassie.  Tune of the week from Icewagon Flu!

Aedín Moloney on the world premiere of Eva the Chaste and her company Fallen Angels Theatre (through July 24); Julie Feeney on her album Pages; Megan Downes and Paul Keeting on the Tradition Irish Ceili  with Catskills Irish Arts Week performers, at Lincoln Center July 13, Midsummer Night Swing.  Tune of the Week from Julie

The Quiet Man Revisited exhibit at MoMA runs through June 3rd, here is some of the discussion after the film with Gabriel Byrne.  Patrick Fitzgerald discusses playing Conn the Shaughraun at Irish Rep; Michelle Woods reviews Edna O’Brien’s Saints and Sinners (O’Brien is at Symphony Space Wednesday), and Roddy Doyle’s The Dead Republic, featuring a fictional IRA consultant on The Quiet Man (there was, in fact, a real one); and Mike Farragher tells us what’s in his mailbag.  And the song of the week!

Charles Kergaravat talks about the music of Brittany, gearing up for St. Yves Week and Fez Nost at Connolly’s on the 20th.  Underlying music by Startijenn, ‘N DIAZ KHB, Degemer.  Tribeca Film Festival Interviews:  Director/Screenwriter John Michael McDonagah talks about The Guard, starring Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle (look for it from Sony in July).

Comedian/Actress Jane Condon talks about her one woman show JANIE CONDON:  RAW&UNCHAINED, running at St. Luke’s; Irish actress Fionula Flanagan discusses her role in the new film Kill the Irishman, and the film’s composer Patrick Cassidy tells us how the score came to be.  We also hear from two trad musicians who played on the film, Michael Eskin and Athena Tergis, plus the tune of the week, co-written with John Doyle for the movie

Belinda McKeon discusses inspiration and writing her book Solace; Jim Sheridan discusses Irish-American film and culture reception– and, with Gabriel Byrne, fathers and sons, during the Quiet Man Revisited Exhibit ( Sheridan’s My Left Foot at the New York Irish Center in Queens Aug. 12); Thomas Hefferon and T..J. Hundtofte on their short film Switch

You’ve still got this weekend to get into some tartan for tartan day– so say Frank McGreal, who’s supervising the Tartan Day Parade on Saturday (and also serves on board of Directors for St. Patrick’s Day Parade!).  Margaret Kennedy and Leslie Denninger describe the 10K run in kilts on Sunday.  Aidan Connolly of the Irish

Looking ahead to Tartan Week.  First Peter Dobbins of Storm Theatre talks about Boucicault; Choreogrpaher John Scott of Irish Modern Dance Theatre describes “Fall and Recover,” a work danced by survivors of torture. Director Johnny McKnight of Glasgow’s Random Accomplice tells us about  Douglas Maxwell’s “The Promise,” and recites a little Robert Burns.  Camilla Hellman