Durham Irish Association of Canada
Thanks for visiting the new home of The Durham Irish Association of Canada ! This is the place where you can check out all the latest news and photos. Be sure to check out the different pages on our site and sign up for the newsletter before you leave. Come back often as we will be updating the site frequently.Thanks !
Celtic Dreams in The Bronx:
Hello:
At the General Meeting last week, a couple of members mentioned seeing videos of a team of Bronx (New York) inner-city, immigrant children, whose Irish-born teacher inspired and motivated them by teaching them Irish dance, in a group called Celtic Dreams. She took them to Ireland on Aer LIngus, the first airplane trip for most of them. They received a typically warm reception in Ireland where they performed for rapturous audiences. Subsequently, as a direct result of this life-changing association, many of the students escaped their neighbourhoods and went on to higher education and prospects of a better life. It is a very heart-warming and inspiring story. If you would like to view several videos of this group of children, click on the following link. The first video is of the teacher herself, explaining the evolution of her group. I am sure you will enjoy this! Jonathan O'Mara
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZdUEnyn7_k (copy and paste into your browser's address box)
March 5th, 2011
Here is a message from a new member, Teri Normoyle, for a very good cause:
The Refugee Sponsorship Fund to bring a family of Iraqi Christians to Canada are having a St. Patrick's Dinner and Pub Night at St. Gregory's Auditorium right after the 5:15 Mass on Thursday, March 17th. We'll be having Irish stew, dessert, a cash bar, and some wonderful young musicians/dancers/singers, Colleen and Alana Jenish. They're excellent! The cost is $20 for adults, or $30 for a couple or a family with kids 12 and under. People can get tickets by phoning Teri (905) 434-3960 or the parish office (905) 723-8141.
January 10th, 2011
Hello all,
As some of you know Kathleen O'Neill has been very sick for the past few months and John has been keeping us informed on what has been happening with her. I'm afraid Kathleen passed away on Sunday afternoon January 9th. I had the pleasure of knowing Kathleen for the past several years but I know that alot of you knew her as a very close friend. She indeed was one of the best people you could meet and will be greatly missed in our community but most of all of course in her and John' s beautiful and very large family.
On behalf of Durham Irish Association we extend our sincere condolences to John and his family. As soon as I have details (there is nothing in the papers this morn. yet) I will pass on the information to you about the funeral.
Marian
We are starting off 2011 on a great note, which is that our own Jonathan O'Mara is remaining as the official DIA Webmaster and will continue to put together a website that we can all browse and is easy to follow.
Please check below for the details on this and feel free to add things that you think would be of interest to the members from time to time. Thanks,
Marian
Note to DIA members:
Any submissions you may have can be sent to me through my email address or through this site on our Contact Us page. I hope you find the site easy to navigate.
While we strive to maintain accuracy and respect for the people portrayed either in print or image, sometimes errors or omissions can occur. If you have any concerns, questions or complaints about this site, please contact J. O'Mara, website administrator @ jon.omara@sympatico.ca or go through our "Contact Us" page on this site.
I thought perhaps the DIA members might be interested in knowing that the National Archives of Ireland (in partnership with the Canadian government) has digitised the Irish 1911 census for all 32 Counties in Ireland. It is FREE for anyone to view.
Ireland is unusual among English-speaking census-taking countries in that the original household manuscript returns survived. These are the forms filled out and signed by the head of each household on census night.
I think the DIA members will find it very exciting to look up their ancestors in the 1911 Irish Census and see their grandparent's, or great grandparent's handwriting and signature. Here's the link: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/
Enjoy!
Frances
Rompin' Ronnie Hawkins hits Whitby:
I had the opportunity to meet and talk at some length with rock n' roll legend, Ronnie Hawkins, when he visited Whitby this past week. He appeared as spokesperson for Cambria, a Minnesota based company specializing in the production of quartz surfaces, at the open house for Eire Kitchens and Carpentry on Thickson Road in Whitby, on Saturday, Sept. 13th.
Ronnie Hawkins, 74, is a very funny and charming Southern gentleman, and is no doubt familiar to most readers, having been a strong presence on the Canadian music scene since the late 1950's, when he moved up here from Arkansas and became a permanent resident. Even before he settled here, he was already a teen idol by 1958 with hits such as, "Hey, Bo Diddley" and "Marylou". He has received many awards including Junos, and a SOCAN award for outstanding contribution to music in Canada, as well as being a member of the Canadian Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. He has played for every Prime Minister since Diefenbaker and has played for U.S. President Bill Clinton's inauguration, and Polish solidarity and government leader , Lech Walesa.
Having been a part of the very beginnings of rock n' roll, he knows most of the people who started it all. He told me intimate stories about Johnny Cash (a failed car salesman!) , Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, The Band (which he was responsible for forming and who backed Bob Dylan before branching out on their own), former Beatle, John Lennon and Yoko Ono (who stayed on his Mississauga farm with him for a week in 1969 and who sent him to China as a peace emissary), DJ Alan Freed, Hank Williams and his son, Hank Williams Junior, Bo Diddley (whom he really loved), Canada's Bobby Curtola, Stompin' Tom Connors, Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, and Neil Young, former Beatle, Ringo Starr, whom he appeared with in Martin Scorcesie's film about The Band called "The Last Waltz", President Clinton, a fellow citizen of Akansas, and so many more. Ronnie Hawkins was instrumental in bringing much Canadian talent into the open by promoting and, in some cases, giving exposure through his band to people like David Clayton Thomas, Burton Cummings of The Guess Who, producer/composer David Foster, Jeff Healey, Lawrence Gowan, and Janis Joplin's Full Tilt Boogie Band, to name just a few. Ronnie appeared in several movies and even hosted his own television show in Canada. What a wonderful opportunity it was to talk to someone who was a pioneer of rock n' roll himself and who knew and interacted with so many of the seminal artists! He was very forthcoming and generous with his time. Ronnie Hawkins says he has slowed down somewhat and only plays about six concerts a year now, but you can catch him this October at Kitchener's Oktoberfest. Jonathan O'Mara
Sept. 13, 2009
On behalf of the DIA, I would like to thank the owner and staff of Eire Kitchens and Cabinetry for a wonderful open house and BBQ which they hosted today. Rock n' roll legend, Ronnie Hawkins, was on hand to talk and sign autographs. He was very charming and extremely generous with his time, regaling us with tales of his association with the likes of Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, John Lennon and Ringo Starr of The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and countless other luminaries. He is a fine southern gentleman. Everyone on hand had a wonderful day. The food and drink were exceptional. We had a chance to go into the showroom and see the very intricate and beautiful cabinet work that Brad and his staff produce. Any of you who are thinking of remodeling your kitchen or need cabinetry of any sort, you would do well to drop in on Eire Kitchens at 108 Thickson Rd. in Whitby. This fine business will be featured on our "Links" page very soon. If you would like to see some photographs of the day, please visit our "Photos" page on the website. 'Bye for now. Jonathan O'Mara
Dear Irish Friend,
As Founder/Publisher of Irish America Magazine and Irish Voice newspaper, I wanted to let you know that IrishCentral.com was launched on St.Patrick’s Day and is now the largest and fastest growing Irish community portal on the web. We had well over 250,000 readers on our first day. It was an extraordinary performance from a standing start. Among those who picked up IrishCentral stories were The New York Times, Washington Post, People, Huffington Post, ABC News and Yahoo News.
We believe we are creating the first ever attempt to link the Irish family from sea to shining sea and we would love you to be part of it. Suggestions, submissions and Irish videos are all welcome. A luxury trip to Ireland, valued at $10,000, is also on offer for one of our lucky first viewers. You can click here to enter our Irish Getaway contest.
Niall O'Dowd, Founder, IrishCentral.com
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