{"id":14886,"date":"2020-05-27T18:52:04","date_gmt":"2020-05-27T22:52:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=14886"},"modified":"2020-05-28T15:57:21","modified_gmt":"2020-05-28T19:57:21","slug":"outabout-75","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=14886","title":{"rendered":"Out&About"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Eavan Boland<\/figcaption><\/figure>By Paddy McCarthy<\/em><\/p>\n

We are having it tough with this coronavirus as it is still affecting us very badly after almost three months. It will come to an end and we can all get back to normality and continue with our lives as we always did.
\nNow for some good news with an update on the Slainte 2020<\/strong> campaign. I have to say that they make my job easier because it is hard for me to be Out&About. To date they have raised over $350k and dispersed just shy of $300k to over 250 recipients, many, if not most, are families with children.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They are also raffling\u00a0off two Aer Lingus Round Trip Tickets from New York to Dublin.\u00a0Tickets were kindly\u00a0donated by Aer Lingus, thru the good graces of Helen Maguire, Director Aer Lingus North American Sales<\/strong>. Thank you Helen.\u00a0Raffle tickets for the Aer Lingus Tickets\u00a0\u00a0are $100 each. There are only 100 raffles tickets being sold in this raffle. So your chances are not bad.\u00a0They also have 2 grand stand tickets\u00a0for the 2021 All Ireland Football Final. Raffle tickets for these are $20 a head. The All Ireland tickets are donated\u00a0by Paul Flynn, CEO of The Gaelic Players Association<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

They were able\u00a0to arrange this through the good graces of Dublin Society member Eddie Dowling of The Padded Wagon<\/strong>. Thank you Ed.\u00a0If anyone would like to purchase either Aer Lingus Raffles or All Ireland, please contact Shane Humphrey<\/strong> at (347) 739-0390 or online at\u00a0www.slainte2020.org<\/a>. <\/p>\n

With a complete shutdown of the New York region\u2019s economy, Paul Finnegan, Director of New York Irish Center<\/strong> suggests, \u201cWe can only expect the number of people experiencing hardship in our community to grow rapidly in the weeks ahead, as whatever savings they have are rapidly depleted. This is especially true in the construction and hospitality trades, which employed so many of the Irish community. Sl\u00e1inte 2020 is a way of harnessing the goodwill of the community and distributing aid efficiently to those who need it.\u201d <\/p>\n

New York GAA Chairperson, Joan Henchy<\/strong> emphasized that the New York GAA family, Senior, Minor, Ladies and Gaelic for Girls boards collectively felt that collaborating with other community groups to form Sl\u00e1inte 2020 was vital: \u201cThrough Sl\u00e1inte 2020, we will be in a stronger position to offer financial support to our members and the broader Irish and Irish-American community in the tri-state area by assisting them with food, rent payments and utility bills, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Michael O\u2019Reilly, First Vice-President of United Irish Counties<\/strong>, \u201cThe UIC Association is proud to be working closely with other Irish organizations in this very worthwhile endeavor. Slainte 2020 will bring economic help and assistance where it is needed most, at the individual and family level. This continues the long history of the Irish in New York always stepping up when needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to reach out to anybody willing to support Sl\u00e1inte 2020 because there\u2019s going to be a lot of hardship out there,\u201d Aisling\u2019s Director\u00a0Sandra Feeney-Charles<\/strong> maintains. \u201cThere is a wonderful Irish expression, \u2018Ni neart go cur le cheile\u2019 – There\u2019s no strength without unity.\u201d<\/p>\n

To make a donation, please visit: www.Slainte2020.org<\/a>, or mail your donation to:\u00a0Sl\u00e1inte 2020-COVID-19 Fund, 990 McLean Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10704.<\/p>\n

As I have been saying for the last 10 weeks, I am still quarantined but I hope it will be fully over by the time we get into July, I hope. It is not fun as I miss being Out&About so you can see I am giving you a little bit of gossip that goes viral, ha ha. <\/p>\n

Here is something I hope will interest you on Eavan Boland<\/strong>, a special transatlantic tribute to the poet and teacher, presented by Poetry Ireland<\/strong>, the Irish Arts Center<\/strong> and the Embassy of Ireland to the United States<\/strong> which is all happening this Wednesday, May 27 at 1pm EST. <\/p>\n

Revered as perhaps the outstanding Irish poet of her generation, Boland\u2019s artistic imprint was truly global. But nowhere is it more keenly felt than in the United States, where she was professor of English and director of the creative writing program at Stanford for a quarter century, contributor to the\u00a0New Yorker\u00a0for more than thirty years, and holder of numerous other influential roles on both sides of the Atlantic. Contributors include\u00a0former President of Ireland,\u00a0Mary Robinson<\/strong>;\u00a0Mayor of Seattle\u00a0Jenny Durkan<\/strong>;\u00a0Ireland\u2019s Ambassador to the US,\u00a0Daniel Mulhall<\/strong>,\u00a0and Permanent Representative to the UN,\u00a0Geraldine Byrne Nason<\/strong>;\u00a0Kevin Young<\/strong>,\u00a0poetry editor of the New Yorker; novelists and short story writers\u00a0Tobias Wolff<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Belinda McKeon<\/strong>;\u00a0poets\u00a0Paula Meehan<\/strong>,\u00a0Alvy Carragher<\/strong>,\u00a0Marie Howe<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Solmaz Sharif<\/strong>;\u00a0musician\u00a0Loah<\/strong>; and Poetry Aloud winner\u00a0Michael Tient<\/strong>\u00a0among its many guest speakers and readers from across the United States and Ireland. <\/p>\n

The event will be hosted by\u00a0Maureen Kennelly,\u00a0of the\u00a0Arts Council of Ireland<\/strong>;\u00a0Rachael Gilkey<\/strong>,\u00a0of the Irish Arts Center; and\u00a0Christina Ablaza<\/strong>,\u00a0of Stanford\u2019s Creative Writing Program. It is FREE. You can get more information by emailing info@irishartscenter.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now I knew you would all be excited by me telling this news!<\/p>\n

The Irish Repertory Theatre<\/strong> is going like gang busters online and passed on this news to me: \u201cWe miss our crowded lobby on 22nd Street, but since you cannot come to our house, we have decided to come to yours… we are very proud to announce\u00a0our first-ever Online Summer Season! Our season will kick off on Wednesday, May 27 with\u00a0The Gifts You Gave to the Dark<\/strong>,\u00a0a World Premiere production written by Darren Murphy<\/strong> specifically for digital media in reaction to the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis. We will then host a special online celebration on June 8:\u00a0The Irish (Rep)\u2026and How We Got That Way<\/strong>\u00a0featuring a screening of the 1998 Irish Rep World Premiere production of Frank McCourt\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThe Irish\u2026and How They Got That Way\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Finally, following the success of last week\u2019s\u00a0Molly Sweeney<\/strong>,\u00a0the season will feature three of our most beloved recent productions reimagined for the screen and filmed remotely as part of\u00a0A Performance on Screen:\u00a0Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom<\/strong>\u00a0starring Aed\u00edn Moloney<\/strong>,\u00a0The Weir\u00a0by Conor McPherson<\/strong>,\u00a0and\u00a0Love, No\u00ebl: The Songs and Letters of No\u00ebl Coward<\/strong>\u00a0starring Steve Ross<\/strong> and KT Sullivan<\/strong>. All performances are free, with a donation suggested if you can afford it. More details for all events and performances are online at\u00a0irishrep.org<\/a>!\u00a0<\/p>\n

I hope to be back live soon and I hope to see you all again WHEN I\u2019m Out&About… <\/p>\n

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