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NEW IRISH CONSUL GENERAL IN SAN FRANCISCO
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On behalf of the Irish Network, we would like to welcome Donal Denham to San Francisco and wish him well in his new position as Irish Consul General. Donal is responsible for the states of California, Arizona, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana,Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii.

Donal was born in Dublin on 15th August, 1950 and was educated at Terenure College Dublin and John Fisher School, Surrey. He obtained an MA in History & Political Science from Trinity College Dublin. He joined the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs in 1974 and has served in posts abroad in Paris, Lusaka, Brussels (Irish representation to the EU), Washington DC, Geneva (Irish Mission to the UN) and most recently as Chargé d’Affaires in Ottawa.

He has extensive experience in the areas of economic policy formulation and trade promotion, of human rights and of humanitarian and development issues. Mr Denham was the first Irish diplomat to serve in Zambia where he oversaw the launch and expansion of the Irish Government’s bilateral aid programme. During the period 1990-1997, he achieved a number of significant advances in Ireland’s human rights track record and was closely associated in the selection of Mary Robinson as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. From 1997 to 2000, Donal served on secondment from the Department of Foreign Affairs to the Irish Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and was actively engaged in policy initiatives leading to the improvement of Irish economic performance.

Donal was promoted to the rank of Counsellor and is posted as Irish Consul General to the western United States as of September 2001. He is married to Siobhan, an EFL teacher and consultant on quality systems; they have four children, Barry, Aisling, Andrea and Deirdre.

Donal enjoys reading, gardening, most sports, walking everywhere and good wine as well as listening to other people!

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IRISH NETWORK 15TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER
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To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Irish Network, a dinner was held at the Stanford Faculty Club on June 30th. This was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, with 92 people in attendance. Guests of honor included Niamh Ryan, Consul General of Ireland, and Declan Collins, founder of the Network. Declan is currently based in Japan and we were delighted that he could be with us on the night. Other guests included all fifteen past presidents of the Network, several past committee members, and past and present members of the Network and their friends.

When we originally conceived the idea of an anniversary dinner, it was difficult to know where to begin because there was so many people to contact and so much research to do. However, several people came to our aid. In particular, Josh Hogan arranged for Declan Collins to attend, and Imelda White reserved the Faculty club for us. Brian Lysaght provided us with an array of archival material ranging from his invitation to the very first meeting in March 1986 to minutes of meetings from 1986 to 1993. Catherine Shearley, Eugene O’Sullivan and Eugene Tighe gave us Newsletters which spanned the past 15 years. And of course all the people we spoke to gave us a great insight into the beginnings of the Network and how it has evolved since then.

On the night, we had speeches from Niamh Ryan, Declan Collins, and Aine O’Donovan, followed by some very entertaining talks and quips from Gregory Whelan, Eugene O’Sullivan, Brian Lysaght, John Cullen, Donal O’Shea, Norman Doyle, and Mary O’Connor.

We would like to thank our sponsors for the evening, IDA Ireland, Trintech, Frame Photonics, and Blank, Aires and O’Sullivan. Thanks to their generous support, our guests enjoyed a champagne reception and complementary drinks during the evening. In addition, their sponsorship allowed us to print an anniversary booklet chronicling some of the events that have taken place over the past 15 years. We would also like to thank Declan Collins for providing the Network with a bound copy of the original directory (fresh from Kenny’s in Galway).

Several photos from the dinner are included in this publication. To view more photos (courtesy of Kathy Hall and Leslie Murdock), please check out the following website: http://www.cartogra.com/rs/7EAACF06-6DEA-11D5-B429-0090277A760E

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Bard na nGleann : A Tale of Two Valleys
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By Diarmaid Mac Alsándair

Bard na nGleann Teo is a computer technical writing company from West Cork, Ireland which combines some of the best qualities of traditional Irish Culture with the high tech know how from California' s Silicon Valley. Bard na nGleann which means Bard of the Glens reflects this image of connecting two very distant valleys with seemingly very different traditions. Bard is enriched in, with and by the people of Ireland's natural and inherent tradition of great learning and literature in all its forms. Ireland's literary tradition spans over 2000 years from the earliest writings on ogham stones, to the annals meticulously written by the medieval scribes and monks who then spread this enlightenment throughout Europe during Ireland's Golden Age (6th–11th century AD). This continued through Bardic schools of poetry in the 17th century right up to the Gaelic Renaissance of the 20th century and today. Successfully partnering this natural, native literary talent with the modern, advanced technological culture of the Silicon Valley, is the brain child of Bard's founder and managing director, Tom Fitzgerald.

Tom Fitzgerald is a native Irish speaker who hails from the breathtaking Dingle Peninsula, the jewel in the Kingdom of Kerry's crown. Tom has extensive experience working as a tech writer, manager and consultant with some of the technological giants of the Silicon Valley such as Nortel and Oracle. After returning to Ireland to set up Bard na nGleann in 1999, Tom set out to more permanently link these two valleys by setting up a sister company, Bard International, in San Jose in 2001. Bard na nGleann and Bard International now employs over 30 employees and contractors on two different continents.

Tom has a keen interest in the Irish language and was one of the founding board members of the Irish Network. He purposely established Bard na nGleann in the Gaeltacht (Irish speaking district) to develop a high tech resource that would enhance native scholarship and improve opportunities for Irish speakers in a modern global economy. While teaching Gaeilge (Irish) in California, Tom saw that there was a great need for Irish language books and resources. He turned this need into a business and today that venture, Litríocht.com, (literature.com) is the largest Irish language and Irish interest bookshop on the worldwide web. Litriocht.com currently has over 3000 titles of Irish language books and music available and the list keeps growing. Litriocht.com has quickly become the best resource for Irish language books anywhere in the world and provides a valuable cultural link to the over 80,000,000 strong people of Irish Diaspora worldwide. Litriocht.com's main goal is to make available every Irish language book in print available for all on the world wide web via www.litriocht.com.

The story of Bard na nGleann, Bard International and Litriocht.com is a tale of two very different valleys and traditions that serve to complement rather than conflict with each other. It shows how modern technology can enhance and be enhanced by ancient traditions and wisdom. It shows how it is possible to combine the best of both worlds to make an even better world. Nil an locht ach an laghad—its only fault is its scarcity

Four Green Fields
Stocks biscuits (Jacobs Afternoon Tea etc), chocolate (Roses etc), tea (Barry's & Bewley’s) 29 N. Santa Cruz Avenue, Los Gatos, (408) 354-55671107 Burlingame Avenue, Burlingame

British Food Store
Stocks Heinz beans, Roses etc 1800 W. Campbell Ave., Campbell, (408) 374-77701652 El Camino Real, San Carlos (415) 595-0630612 San Mateo Avenue, San Bruno (415) 873-2813

Irish Delights
Sells Irish specialty foods 77 West Portal Ave, San Francisco (415) 664 1250

Shanahan's Market & Deli
A regular supermarket that also stocks a range of Irish food stuffs 500 Kirkham St, San Francisco (415) 731 0982

Celtic Travel
Travel agent that also stocks a small selection of Irish specialty foods and gifts 3520 Geary Blvd, San Francisco (415) 386 7774

Molly Stones
A regular supermarket that also stocks a small range of Irish food stuffs 164 South California Ave. Palo Alto (650) 323-8361

Trader Joe’s
A regular supermarket that also stocks Kerrygold butter (the real thing!), Dubliner cheese and Blarney cheese Multiple locations

Cosentino’s Market
A regular supermarket that also stocks a range of Irish and English food stuffs (including Irish rashers and sausages) 2666 So. Bascom Ave. San Jose3521 Homestead Rd Santa Clara

Beverage’s and More
Stocks a selection of Cadburys chocolate Multiple locations

Cost Plus World Market
Stocks Cadburys chocolate and various other Irish and English food stuffs Multiple locations

Some on-line sources …..
www.foodireland.com
www.celticbrands.com
www.irish-breakfast.com
www.irishgrub.com

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PREHISTORIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS FROM IRELAND
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By John Cullen

It was a great pleasure to introduce Simon and Maria O’Dwyer to the Irish Network members on Saint Patrick’s Day. They had traveled from their home in East Conemara, County Galway to the US West Coast to talk about and play Irish Prehistoric musical instruments. These instruments have their origins in the Bronze Age, 3000 years ago.

Simon gave a lively talk filled with stories from Irish folklore and interpretation of modern research into the origins of music and musical instruments in the “Islands off the North West coast of the European continent.” Stone whistles, bird bone flutes, animal horns, Bronze Age horns and the Iron Age trumpets (Trumpa as gaeilge) made for a lively journey from the Stone Age through to the beginning of the Iron Age, including the coming of Christianity, writing and recorded history.

Simon’s lecture was based on his research into the original instruments in the National Museum in Dublin. Over the past 20 years several of the instruments have been painstakingly measured, allowing Simon the opportunity to fabricate replicas. He played these replica instruments with great mastery. The ancient music may be unrecoverable, but through study of the music of aboriginal peoples of the world today some playing styles can be learned.

Most of the originals can be viewed in the National Museum. The oldest bronze horns have been dated back to 1500 BC and were found in the north east of the island. It appears that the technology to make these horns spread south and west. The youngest horn, an Dord Iseal, was found in South Kerry and dates to around 800 BC. The Iron Age Trumpa Creda is by far the most memorable for any Irish person. It shows the power and sophistication of our early Celtic tradition. The fabrication of the instrument in sheet bronze is impressive and at the limits of the skill of present day instrument makers. Its curved conic shape shows an appreciation for fair lines and perfection of form rivaled with anything we design today. The Trumpa Creda was found in Loughnashade in County Armagh about 200 years ago, close to the seat of the High Kings of Ulster. It is credible that Cu Chulainn had his army lead into battle by a group of trumpet players who, by producing great blasts of sound, would intimidate the opposing forces. During the lecture Simon played several musical pieces of his own composition. These were performed accompanied by Maria O’Dwyer on the bodhran. As Tom Clancy of the Irish Hearld put it: “Ancient Winds…3,000 year-old “new” sounds of prehistoric Ireland.” The Irish Herald/The New Gael, April 2002.

Simon and Maria want to thank the Irish Network for help with organizing a venue in Mountain View and to Mary O’Connor and Imelda White who helped on the day. They also send a special thanks to Mary Morrissey, who helped with the lecture in San Francisco’s Fort Mason.

Simon is back home in Ireland right now planning a lecture trip to Newfoundland, Canada in July. I have heard from an inside source that they are highly excited by the interest shown by people here in the Bay Area and they are looking forward to a return visit. Both Maria and Simon welcome any ideas and opinions, and invitations to talk or play. They also welcome any interest to commission reconstruction instruments. Replicas can currently be found in museums in Ireland and Scotland, with several in private collections.

Part of Simon’s mission to the West Coast was to present some of his recent findings to the Music and Celtic Studies Departments at UC Berkeley. The discovery of an early Celtic instrument found in the bog in County Mayo with the cavity and dimensions similar to that of a modern day bassoon caused tremendous interest and debate.

Prehistoric Music Ireland contact information:
bronzeagehorns@eircom.net
www.prehistoricmusic.com