Celebrating Irish Heritage Events at RCC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: February 20, 2015
CONTACT: Maralin Roffino
845 -574-4244
mroffino@sunyrockland.edu

Celebrating Irish Heritage Events at RCC
all events are free and open to the public
Ramapo- All are welcome to these celebrations of Irish Heritage events at Rockland Community College through the month of March. Events are free and open to the public.
Join us for the following: a fascinating first-person story of history and family, generated by the discovery of a trove of letters from County Kerry spanning the years 1900 – 1958, an old-fashioned Irish Coffee House sing-along, and the rousing celebration of a CrossRoads Ceili featuring Girsa, the famed traditional Irish band hailing from Pearl River NY. Through the month, the Cultural Arts Center Atrium will also host a display of traditional Irish creative art and crafts.
EVENTS
Irish Culture Display in the Cultural Arts Atrium
Creative and historic Irish art and craft works are displayed in the Cultural Arts Center Atrium through the month of March.

Gleasures’ Story - A presentation by Ben Naylor- Assistant to the President and Secretary to Board of Trustees at RCC
Thursday, March 12, 12:30-1:30 pm
Black Box Studio, Room 7100
An exciting discovery after the death of an elderly uncle in 2011 brought Ben Naylor in direct touch with his family’s history and ultimately re-connected him with family in County Kerry, Ireland. Hundreds of letters written to his great-grandfather Frank Gleasure, spanning the years 1900 -1958, were found hidden in an attic. Like many new Americans, Frank journeyed here in search of a better life, leaving siblings and father behind in Listowel, Ireland. Their letters paint a poignant portrait of family and small town life; people bravely struggling to persevere through times of great change, burdened by tragedy and pervasive grinding poverty.

Ben will read some excerpts of the letters and share photos and his family’s story, including clips from an Irish National Broadcasting miniseries, The Gathering, that included a profile of the Gleasure family. The 2012 miniseries was created as part of a nationwide campaign to boost tourism. The following year, Ben visited as part of this initiative and re-connected with his family in County Kerry.

Irish Coffee House
Tuesday, March 17, Noon – 1:30 pm
Black Box Studio, Room 7100
Please come and join us for some good old-fashioned Irish sing-alongs, with poetry, readings, and music. Everyone can bring their favorite Irish music and sing, dance and play during this open-mic event. Light refreshments will be served, including a wee little bit of campus-safe Irish coffee.

Celebrating Irish Culture through Music, Song and Dance
Friday, March 27, 7-9:30 pm
CrossRoads Ceili
Girsa, (gaelic for girls), a band made up of young women from the Pearl River area, will perform lively traditional Irish songs.

Video of their previous visit to RCC:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmKheumDwCM

Girsa website:
http://www.girsamusic.com

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/girsamusic

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