Cultural Tent Presentations
Inside our Cultural Tent, we will have many different presentations, discussions, and interactive
learning sessions on Irish and Gaelic traditions, history, and Cultural interests.
Casey at the Bat: The Irish in Baseball visual exhibit
An exhibit presented by the Ward Irish Music Archives and Milwaukee Irish Fest. This exhibit uses photos,
baseball cards and sheet music from the Library of Congress and the Ward Irish Music Archives collections to
document the contribution the Irish and Irish Americans made to our national pastime.
Instruments and the Sounds of Ireland Fri 6:30 • Sat 12:30
The bodhrán and tin whistle produce a characteristic sound in most traditional Irish music. The Bodhrán (bowrawn), an ancient frame drum, traditionally made with a wooden body and a goat-skin head, and is played with a
double-headed stick. Although the tin whistle is used in many other types of music, but not to the extent that it
could be called characteristic, as with Irish music. Listen to some of our musicians talk about these wonderful
instruments. Leading the discussion will be local musician John Ceszynski.
Hurling – The Sport of the Ancients Sat 1:00
Hurling is believed to be the world’s oldest field game and forefather of many of today’s most popular sports.
When the Celts came to Ireland as the last ice age was receding, they brought with them a unique culture, their
own language, music, script and unique pastimes. One of these pastimes was a game now called hurling. It is
chronicled as a distinct Irish pastime for at least 2,000 years. Representatives from the Fox Valley Hurling Club
will share with us this exciting sport. Join them by the hurling cage for your opportunity to swing the hurley.
Gaelic – The language of Ireland Sat 1:30
You’ve hopefully already heard about the Irish language (Gaelic). It’s a beautiful language, and encapsulates
Ireland’s real culture spanning several thousand years. Today we will have this topic presented by Dineen
Grow, a Gaelic language instructor who has taught across the Midwest, “The language itself is incredibly poetic–
when they say ‘I’m falling asleep’ in Irish, they do it with an image; they say, “My eyelids are falling together.”
The Majestic Irish Wolfhounds Sat 2-6 roving the grounds
The Irish Wolfhound is a giant-sized dog with a commanding appearance, one of the tallest breeds in the world,
reaching the size of a small pony. An old Irish proverb describes them perfectly: "Gentle when stroked, fierce
when provoked." Learn about this Irish breed from their owners along with the dogs who promise not to be shy.
Genealogy – Searching for those elusive Irish Sat 2:00 • Sun 12:30
Oshkosh Irish Fest welcomes back Barbara Scanlon who heads up Genealogy at the KC Irish Fest. She’ll be
bringing her Irish genealogy display with her too. If you are curious about your family name, stop by the Cultural
Tent’s genealogy area and let Mrs. Scanlon get to work! She’ll start with your closest known relative and work
her way back to start filling out your Family Tree. If you have most of the work done but need some additional
help, you’ve come to the right place. Be sure to stick around for her presentation too on all things “Genealogy”.
So You Want to Join Riverdance Sat 3:00
If you want to know more about Irish dance and maybe even learn an Irish jig or two, don’t miss some of our
festival dancers as they show us some basic steps: One-Two, Hop-Hop back Two-Three-Four! We can’t
guarantee you’ll be as good as the pros, but we can guarantee that you’ll have great fun.
Uilleann Pipes Vs Highland Pipes – A Friendly Competition Sat 3:30
The Irish Uilleann Pipes are technically bagpipes, but they have very little in common with the famous Highland
Bagpipes, which everyone associates with kilts and parades and all the paraphernalia. John Ceszynski along
with Martin Gillespie from Skerryvore will share with us some of these apparent differences.
Eternal Echoes: The Wakes, Wedding & Funeral traditions of Ireland Sat 4:00 • Sun 11:10
You don’t want to miss this entertaining, humorous and informative presentation on “tying the knot” and other
truly Irish traditions. “Seanchai”, the Irish word for storyteller would be the best way to describe the presenter
Julianne Stanz. Hailing from the Wicklow Mountain area of Ireland, Julianne now resides in Green Bay as the
Director of New Evangelization with the Diocese of Green Bay. Join Julianne for a talk as the wakes, wedding
and funeral traditions of Ireland are explored through song, art, burial tombs, customs and traditions. Not to be
missed!
Travel to Ireland: An Experience of a Lifetime Sat 4:45
Representatives of Harp & Eagle Limited will present what a trip to Ireland would be like as their guest and not a
tourist. No lifetime of travel is complete without a sojourn to Ireland. If you cannot make the presentation be
sure to stop by their booth in the Cultural Tent.
Murphy’s Troubles – Rex Owens (author) Fri 7:00 • Sat 5:00 • Sun 12:00
Listen to author Rex Owen’s talk about himself, his book and how it came to be. The book is about Ian Padraic
Murphy, a popular Irish author who harbors a scandalous secret. Propelled by insatiable grief, patriotism, and
youthful naivety into a decades-long double life, his secret ties to the Irish Republican Army finally implode in
Murphy’s Troubles, Rex Owen’s soulful political thriller.
Sean-nós Irish dancing Sat 5:30
Brian Cunningham is one of the most exciting and popular sean-nós dancers to have emerged from Ireland. He
has brought one of Ireland’s oldest dance forms to the world stage. A performer who is made for the stage,
Brian has won all the major sean-nós dance competitions in Ireland, and has performed frequently with some of
the biggest names in Irish music. In this presentation Brian will give you an in-depth and close-up look at his
skills, discussing with you everything you want to know about sean-nós Irish dancing.