{"id":21566,"date":"2021-05-26T12:53:29","date_gmt":"2021-05-26T16:53:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=21566"},"modified":"2021-05-26T12:53:29","modified_gmt":"2021-05-26T16:53:29","slug":"outabout-122","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=21566","title":{"rendered":"Out&About"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"By Paddy McCarthy<\/em><\/p>\n

Rockaway Beach<\/strong>, here I come and yes, I did last Sunday with temperature of 90 degrees of heat and sunshine. Now, now, I was Out&About early to beat the rays as I was watching out for sunburn. Yes! I did go in for a dip and the water was cold, so cold, but I got down in that beautiful ocean for a few minutes; only a few minutes I can tell yea. From my time there my advice is giving it a visit as you won\u2019t be disappointed and the beach was exceptional clean. The beach is a great place for families especially those who cannot travel abroad. For all those living in Queens and Brooklyn it\u2019s just a hop, skip and a jump to get there and the only advice I can give, again, is get there early. <\/p>\n

The Rockaway Hotel<\/strong> (108-10 Rockaway Beach Drive, Rockaway Park; (718) 474-1216) is your urban beach getaway with a new view of New York City. It\u2019s unparalleled focus on boutique-style service and recreational activities creates a laid back respite whether you are a lifelong New Yorker looking to escape the city or just in Rockaway Beach for a visit. I will visit it the next time I am at the beach because from what I am told it\u2019s got everything you might need to have a pleasant time. Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, make the most of your stay with their exclusive offers. You can visit therockawayhotel.com for more information. <\/p>\n

\"\"We here at The Irish Examiner would like to pay tribute by honoring all the falling hero\u2019s on this Memorial Day<\/strong> weekend. So to kick things off here is a brief history of this day and what it means. Memorial Day\u00a0(previously, but now seldom, called\u00a0Decoration Day) is a\u00a0federal holiday in the United States\u00a0for honoring and mourning the military personnel who have died in the performance of their military duties while serving in the\u00a0United States Armed Forces. The holiday is\u00a0observed\u00a0on the last Monday of May. The holiday was formerly observed on May 30 from 1868 to 1970. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day to honor and mourn those who died while serving in the U.S. Military. Many volunteers place an American flag on graves of military personnel in\u00a0national cemeteries. Memorial Day is also considered the unofficial start of\u00a0summer\u00a0in the United States, while\u00a0Labor Day, the first Monday of September, marks the unofficial start of\u00a0autumn. Two other days celebrate those who have served or are serving in the US military:\u00a0Armed Forces Day\u00a0(which is earlier in May), an unofficial US holiday for honoring those currently serving in the armed forces, and\u00a0Veterans Day\u00a0(on November 11), which honors those who have served in the\u00a0United States Armed Forces. <\/p>\n

The history of Memorial Day in the United States is complex. The U.S. Department of Veterans\u2019 Affairs recognizes that approximately 25 places claim to have originated the holiday. At\u00a0Columbus [Georgia] State University\u00a0there is a\u00a0Center for Memorial Day Research, and the\u00a0University of Mississippi\u00a0incorporates a Center for Civil War Research that has also led research into Memorial Day\u2019s origins. The practice of decorating soldiers\u2019 graves with flowers is an ancient custom. Soldiers\u2019 graves were decorated in the US before and during the\u00a0American Civil War. Many of the origination claims are myths, unsupported by evidence, while others are one-time cemetery dedications or funeral tributes. In 2014, one scholarly effort attempted to separate the myths and one-time events from the activities that actually led to the establishment of the federal holiday. Now as I said from the beginning this is just a brief history and will always be remembered for centuries to come. <\/p>\n

Some great news as you will see, it\u2019s all happening at The Irish Repertory Theatre<\/strong>\u00a0who have announced the performers and presenters for\u00a0The Indomitable Irishry: An Online Celebration<\/strong>, this season\u2019s Gala benefit production, which will stream online on\u00a0Monday June 14 at 7:30 pm. The evening will honor Tony Award winner\u00a0Bill Irwin<\/strong>\u00a0(On Beckett) and best-selling author and marketing powerhouse,\u00a0Mary Lou Quinlan<\/strong>, and\u00a0Joe Quinlan<\/strong>, former president of Time Inc. Television and senior producer of the \u201cMacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour.\u201d The Indomitable Irishry\u00a0will feature performances by\u00a0Len Cariou<\/strong>\u00a0(Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street),\u00a0Michael Cerveris<\/strong>\u00a0(Fun Home),\u00a0Kerry Conte<\/strong>\u00a0(Irish Rep\u2019s\u00a0Meet Me in St. Louis),\u00a0Melissa Errico<\/strong>\u00a0(On A Clear Day You Can See Forever), Jay Aubrey Jones<\/strong>\u00a0(How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying),\u00a0Donna Kane<\/strong>\u00a0(Meet Me in St. Louis),\u00a0Kylie Kuioka<\/strong>\u00a0(Irish Rep\u2019s\u00a0Meet Me in St. Louis),\u00a0Ciar\u00e1n Sheehan<\/strong>\u00a0(The Phantom of the Opera)\u00a0and\u00a0Max von Essen<\/strong>\u00a0(An American in Paris).\u00a0\u00a0The gala will feature special appearances by\u00a0Matthew Broderick<\/strong>\u00a0(The Seafarer),\u00a0Gabriel Byrne<\/strong>\u00a0(Long Day\u2019s Journey into Night),\u00a02020 Recipient of Irish Repertory Theatre\u2019s Visionary Leadership Award\u00a0Loretta Brennan Glucksman<\/strong>,\u00a0Ireland’s New York Consul General\u00a0Ciar\u00e1n Madden<\/strong>,\u00a0John Douglas Thompson<\/strong>\u00a0(The\u00a0Emperor Jones),\u00a0and\u00a0Riverdance\u00a0composer\u00a0Bill Whelan<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0The evening will be directed and arranged by Artistic Director\u00a0Charlotte Moore<\/strong>\u00a0(Meet Me in St. Louis), produced by Ciar\u00e1n O\u2019Reilly<\/strong>\u00a0(A Touch of the Poet) and feature music direction by\u00a0John Bell<\/strong>\u00a0(Meet Me in St. Louis).\u00a0Join Irish Rep online for an evening of music and songs celebrating their thirty-two years of bringing the best Irish and Irish American stories to the stage. <\/p>\n

Featured musicians include\u00a0John Bell<\/strong> (piano\/conductor), Janey Choi<\/strong> (violin), Jeremy Clayton<\/strong> (woodwinds), John Convertino<\/strong> (bass), Molly Goldman<\/strong> (viola), Karen Lindquist<\/strong> (harp), Suzy Perelman<\/strong> (violin), Alex Prezzano<\/strong> (guitar), Rich Rosenzweig<\/strong>\u00a0(drums) and Debbie Sepe<\/strong>\u00a0(cello) with orchestrations by Josh Clayton<\/strong>. All proceeds benefit\u00a0Irish Repertory Theatre\u00a0and will allow them to continue to employ actors and theatre artists, while producing vital new works by Irish and Irish American playwrights. For more information or to learn about event sponsorship, contact Irish Rep\u2019s Director of Development Jason Smoller<\/strong> at (212) 255.0270 or\u00a0jason.smoller@irishrep.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So, get on your bike and sign up as soon as possible because you just can\u2019t miss this streaming online Gala; it\u2019s going to be a knock out and you can watch it in the comfort of your own home. <\/p>\n

See you all again next week when I am Out&About… <\/p>\n

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