New Beginnings
Farewell Introductions
Welcome dear friends to our new website
It was almost 30 years ago when Maura De Freitas (McCay) and her mother Catholine Butler launched the first edition of The Celtic Connection and it’s been an interesting journey. Despite all the ups and downs it has been one of the most exciting and rewarding adventures of our lives. You can read our stories here.A message from some friends…
Looking Back
We are inspired by the words of Irish writer John O’Donohue who wrote: “Anam is the Irish word for ‘soul’ and Ċara is the word for ‘friend’. In the Anam-Ċara friendship, you were joined in an ancient way with the friend of your soul. This was a bond that neither space nor time could damage. The friendship awakened an eternal echo in the hearts of the friends; they entered into a circle of intimate belonging with each other.
Past Issue Highlight
The following is a selection of highlights of our issues from 1991-2020. These issues are filled with interviews and news of Celtic groups and organizations across North America. It is our hope they will continue to be reviewed and serve as an historical archive for generations to come.
Featured Issue: #1
FRONT COVER of our first issue dated October 1991 was the start of our Celtic wave spanning almost three decades. Our goal was to reach out and bring together Celtic communities across Western Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The issue was filled with mythology, sports, personal stories, and a calendar of upcoming events. As with every journey, it begins with the first step....this was ours!
ViewFeatured Issue: #23
THE WORK of Irish/Canadian artist Deirdre Keohane featured on numerous front covers over the years. Her work was often accompanied by wonderful mythological tales written by Cynthia Wallentine, another long term contributor. This October 2014 front cover is a reflection on the wheel of life – from birth to death and all the magic in between.
ViewHighlights 1991-2000
Highlights 2001-2010
Highlights 2011-2020
A Memorial To Our Friends
TO EVERYTHING there is a season....a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
Over the past three decades we have been blessed to know so many wonderful and talented people – friends – and in that time we have said farewell to far too many. So much laughter shared, so many songs and dances enjoyed together over the years.
It’s still hard to believe some of them are no longer with us, but they will never be forgotten by those of us who have known and loved them. We have listed below the names of some of those who have now gone before us to their eternal rest:
- A
- ABBOTT, Dave
- AIKEN, Robert
- ALLAN, Sgt. Maj. John (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- B
- BARRETT, Tom Dr.
- BARRON, Allan
- BENNETT, Eamon Bennett (Okanagan Irish Club)
- BOGGAN, Clare
- BOLAND, Rev. Brendan
- BOYCE, Lena
- BOYLAN, Angela O’Neill (Edmonton / Belfast)
- BOYLE, Pat (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- BRADY, Seamus
- BRAY, Danny (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- BROWNE, Dave
- BRUCE, George
- BUCKLEY, Sean Buckley (Okanagan Irish Club)
- BURNS, Bridget (Bridie)
- BURNS, Danny
- BUTLER, Ed
- BUTLER, Tom
- BYRNE, Annie (Stage Eireann)
- BYRNE, Sean (Stage Eireann)
- BYRNE, Tom (Stage Eireann)
- C
- CAMERON, Vern (Irish Club of White Rock)
- CARBIN, Jim
- CARVER, Graham
- CHARLES, Mary (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- CLEARY, Ira
- CLYDE, Bill
- CONNELLY, Paddy
- CONSIDINE, Donny (Irish Sporting and Social Club Vancouver)
- COOKE, Lee ((Irish Sporting and Social Club Vancouver)
- CORRIGAN, Mairead (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- COX, Jim (Liffey Players Calgary)
- CROTHERS, Billy (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- CUDDY, Father Joe
- CURRAN, Mike (Okanagan Irish Club)
- CUSSEN, Myrna
- CUSSEN, Noel (Irish Club of White Rock)
- D
- DALY, Francis (Fran)
- DALY, Mary
- DENNISON, Wally (Okanagan Irish Club)
- DUNCAN, Bill
- DUGGAN, Johnny (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- DUNCOMBE, Ita (Okanagan Irish Club)
- DUNNE, Frank (Irish Sporting and Social Club Vancouver)
- DUNNE, James (Sons of Eireann, ISSC)
- E
- ERTEL, Frances (Irish Club of White Rock)
- F
- FAHEY, Jim (Okanagan Irish Club)
- KANE, Christy (Irish Cultural Society of Calgary)
- KANE, Mary (Irish Cultural Society of Calgary)
- KANE, Paddy
- FERGUSON, Jimmy (The Irish Rovers)
- FITZGERALD, Philomena
- FLANAGAN, Paul (Irish Cultural Society of Calgary)
- FLYNN, Christine
- FOELLMER, Thelma (Irish Fancy)
- FOODY, Jay
- FORBES, Bill (Stage Eireann)
- FORD, Robert (The Stoaters)
- G
- GALLAGHER, Brendan (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- GAVIN, David (Irish Sporting and Social Club Vancouver)
- GEARY, Colin (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- GIBBONS, Agnes
- GIBBONS, Dan (Irish Club of White Rock)
- GIBBONS, Liam
- GIBBONS, Tom (Irish Sporting and Social Club Vancouver)
- GLASS, Pam & Cecil (Stage Eireann)
- GRIFFIN, Ed
- H
- HARKIN, Eddie (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- HARRINGTON, John (Irish Club of White Rock)
- HARRISON, Betty
- HARVEY, Jack (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- HATCH, Paddy
- HAYES, Michael (Irish Club of White Rock)
- HENNESSY, Sue (Stage Eireann)
- HICKEY, Pat (Irish Cultural Society of Calgary)
- HORAN, Frank (Okanagan Irish Club)
- HUGHES, Dan & Myra
- HUGHES, Tom
- HYLAND, JJ (Irish Sporting and Social Club Vancouver)
- HYLAND, Mary (Irish Sporting and Social Club Vancouver)
- J
- JACOBSEN, Kitty (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- JERVIS, Norman (Okanagan Irish Club)
- K
- KANE, Christy (Irish Cultural Society of Calgary)
- KANE, Mary (Irish Cultural Society of Calgary)
- KANE, Paddy
- KAVANAGH, Don
- KAVANAGH, Frank
- KELLY, Andrew
- KELLY, Jerry (Irish Club of White Rock)
- KELLY, William (Bill) (William Kelly & Sons)
- KEMPSON McALERNEY, Lily (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- KENDELLAN, Margaret (Peggy)
- KEOHANE, James
- KEOHANE, Maura
- KIERNAN, Ian (Irish Sporting and Social Club Vancouver)
- KILGREN, Eileen (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- KING, George (Okanagan Irish Club)
- L
- LANE, Fr. Bill (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- LANGSTAFF, Lydia
- LaPOMA, Ann (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- LAVELL, Eamon (Irish Club of White Rock)
- LYNCH, Mick (aka Brian Boru)
- M
- MacINNIS, Dennis (Okanagan Irish Club)
- MacIVER, Murdo (Gaelic Society of Vancouver)
- MACKIN, Jack
- MADDEN, Micky
- MANSER, Ina (Irish Club of White Rock)
- MARSHALL, Art
- McCAFFREY, Johnny & Janet
- McCONVILLE, Babs (Stage Eireann)
- McCULLAGH, John (Irish Cultural Society of Calgary)
- McDONNELL, Barney (Irish Club of White Rock)
- McFADDEN, Kevin (Irish Club of White Rock)
- McFARLAND, Mazie (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- McGINLEY, Frank
- McGLYNN, Colm (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- McGOLDRICK, Rev. Des
- MCGREGOR, Suzanne (Irish Club of White Rock)
- McILVENNA, Hugh (Irish Club of White Rock)
- McILVENNA, Maeve (Irish Club of White Rock)
- McKENNA, Malachy
- McKENNA, Peggy
- McMAHON, James (Seamus)
- McNULTY, Derm (Irish Club of White Rock)
- McNULTY, Mary (Irish Club of White Rock)
- MEEGAN, Mary Ann (Meegan Insurance)
- MILLIKIN, Cameron (Honorary Irish Consul General Alberta)
- MOHAN, Rev. Oliver Patrick Mohan
- MONAGHAN, Matt (Irish Sports and Social Society Edmonton)
- MONAGHAN, Maureen (Irish Sports and Social Society Edmonton)
- MOORE, Des (Okanagan Irish Club)
- MOORE, Nora
- MULVIHILL, Msgr. Charlie (Okanagan Irish Club)
- MURPHY, Jackie (Wee Jackie)
- MURRAY, Hugh (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- N
- NOTTAGE, Jere (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- O
- O’BRIEN, Denis (Irish Cultural Society of Calgary)
- O’DUFFY-BRENNAN, Betty
- O’DUFFY-BRENNAN, Tony
- O’FARRELL, Sr. Meg (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- O’FLYNN, Betty
- O’FLYNN, Tom (ISSC & St. Vincent de Paul)
- O’GALLAGHER, Marianna
- O’LOUGHLIN, Eamonn (Toronto Irish News)
- O’MALLEY, Mike (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- O’SULLIVAN, Michael (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- P
- PARK, Angie
- PAUL, Mike (Scottish Cultural Society of B.C.)
- PHILLIPS, Tom
- PROULX Sr., Dan & Kathy (Okanagan Irish Club)
- PYE, John (Irish Club of White Rock)
- Q
- QUINLAN, Tom (Irish Heritage Club of Seattle)
- QUINN, Wayne (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- QUIRKE, Moira (Edmonton Irish Sports and Social Society)
- R
- REID, Patrick
- ROCHFORT, Jim, (Irish Club of White Rock)
- ROGERS, Margaret
- ROWLAND, Finian (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- RYAN, Mike (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- S
- SAMPSON, Tom (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- SCANLON, Tom (St. Vincent de Paul)
- SHAVER, Theresa (Okanagan Irish Club)
- SHRIANE, Frank (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- STABLER, Veronica (Stage Eireann)
- STACK, Pydge (Co. Clare)
- T
- TALBOT, Frank (Liffey Players Calgary)
- TAYLOR, Jim & Eileen (Okanagan Irish Club)
- THOMAS, Neville (Vancouver Welsh Society)
- TINNELLY, Daniel
- TORMEY, Meagan (Irish Heritage Club, Seattle)
- TORRIE, Bill (Irish Cultural Society of Calgary)
- TOYE, Barney (Irish Cultural Society of Calgary)
- TUTT, Dave (Okanagan Irish Club)
- W
- WALLACE, Jack
- WARD, Margaret
- WARREN, Pat (Stage Eireann)
- WARREN, Vincent
- WATTERS, Mae
Community Network
The following is a listing of clubs and cultural organizations along with other community resources across Canada and the USA.
- Canada
- Canada GAA
- Celtic Studies - University of Toronto
- Ireland Canada Chamber of Commerce Canada
- Irish Canadian Immigration Centre
- Irish Consulate - Vancouver
- Irish Embassy - Ottawa
- Irish Studies - St. Mary’s University Halifax
- School of Irish Studies - Concordia University Montreal
- SFU Centre for Scottish Studies Vancouver
- Alberta
- Brady Academy of Irish Dance
- Calgary Chieftains
- Canmore Highland Games
- Edmonton Irish Sports & Social Society
- Irish Cultural Society of Calgary
- Ireland-Canada Centre for Commerce, Calgary
- Liffey Players Drama Society - Calgary
- McElhatton School of Irish Dancing
- British Columbia
- BC Highland Dance Association
- BC Highland Games
- BC Piper’s Association
- Blakey School of Irish Dance - Okanagan
- Castilla School of Irish Dance
- Celtic Festival Vancouver
- De Danaan School of Irish Dance
- Fraser Valley Gaels GAA Club
- Irish in BC
- Irish Women’s Network of BC
- Ireland Canada Chamber of Commerce Vancouver
- Ireland Canada Monument Project
- Kelowna Vernon Celtic Society
- O’Brien School of Irish Dancing - Victoria
- O’Connor School of Irish Dance
- Penke O’Donnell Irish Dance
- RC Kells Academy of Irish Dance
- Rogue Folk Club
- Royal Scottish Country Dance Society
- Scottish Cultural Centre
- SFU Pipe Band
- Sionnaine Irish Dance Academy
- St. Brigid’s Day Festival Vancouver
- Steel School of Irish Dance
- Stewart School of Irish Dance
- Storytelling for the Modern World
- Vancouver Gaelic Society
- Vancouver Irish Sporting and Social Club
- Vancouver Welsh Society
- Victoria School of Irish Dance
- Watt School of Irish Dance
- United States
- Irish Consulate San Francisco
- Irish Embassy Washington
- Seattle
- Irish Heritage Club Seattle
- Irish Network Seattle
- Seattle Gaels - GAA
SPONSORS & PARTNERS
We welcome financial support from both corporate and individual sponsors to help maintain this website. We would love to see your logo here. For more information, e-mail Catholine Butler at: cbutler@telus.net or call (604) 434-3747.