September & October happenings, including live Irish music

September 15, 2021 by admin in E-Newsletters

Our next Lecture: Oct. 25

September 15, 2021 Dear Fellow Members. It was a personal delight to see so many of you at the Wayfinder Hotel on Monday night for the first lecture of our 20th Annual Michael F. Crowley Lecture Series – a wonderful talk given by John Quinn and Keith Stokes. We are most grateful to John and Keith for their compelling presentation, “Shared Spaces: The Irish and African Heritage Experience in Gilded Age Newport,” and to Ginny Pittsley for so generously sponsoring the event in memory of her husband, Bill, and son, Jay. If you missed the talk, a link to the recording will appear on the “Lectures” page of our website in a few days. We are also grateful to you, our membership, for understanding that during these challenging times we are compelled to host far fewer in person than in pre-covid days. We were delighted to have so many members and non-members, from from near and far, enjoy the lecture ‘virtually’ via Zoom. We anticipate continuing to live-stream our popular lectures for the foreseeable future. Speaking of Zoom, a very special “thank you” to Museum board member, Dan Titus for all his technical wizardry on this event, our first lecture presented simultaneously to an in-person and virtual/Zoom audience. Now, on to upcoming happenings that we feel will be of interest to you, with a focus on “Live & Local” traditional Irish music! With gratitude for your continued support, Mike Mike Slein President, Board of Directors farmags@cox.net (401) 855-5097 – mobile Our friends from the Newport Saint Patrick’s Day Parade Committee will be hosting a fundraiser brunch for the March 2022 parade, dubbed “Green Eggs & Ham,” at Hibernian Hall at 2 Wellington Avenue, Newport, on Sun. Sept. 19 from 9am to 1pm (brunch donation $10 per person with family pricing available at the door). The brunch will be followed by complimentary, family-friendly, live music by the group “Shannachie” who will play from 1 pm to approximately 5 pm (the group’s name is the Irish language word for “storyteller”) Questions? Please write the Committee at dennis@newportirish.com Irish balladeer, Danny Ringrose, will return by popular demand to Hibernian Hall, 2 Wellington Ave., Newport, Thurs. Sept. 23 from 6-9 pm. Danny has shared the stage with Tommy Makem, Paddy Reilly, The Saw Doctors and Dublin City Ramblers. His appearance is part of AOH Newport’s new “3rd Thursday of the Month Irish National Music Series.” All are welcome! No cover charge, but donations to AOH Newport will be greatly appreciated in support of Irish heritage and culture and this terrific new music series. For more info: David Kerins at dpksen@aol.com As many of you know, local institution and Museum member, Rick Kelly, hosts the “Irish Hour” every Sunday at 8am on WADK, as he’s done for decades. Rick bring us the best of traditional and contemporary Irish and Irish-influenced music on WADK 1540AM. The recent storm knocked out the AM1540 transmitter, but you can still listen on 101.1FM or on-line at https://wadk.com/ Sleeping in? The show will be repeated at 6pm! We are also please to share that the long-running traditional Irish session at The Fastnet Pub, #1 Broadway, Newport, is again taking place. Check out the recently published article from The Newport Daily News. about the re-launch of popular session which had a nearly 15-year run each Sunday evening from 6-9pm, before the pandemic. It’s now back every two weeks! No cover charge. Note: If you are unable to read the online version of the article, click HERE for a PDF of the print edition. Looking ahead to October, please “save the date” for the next lecture in our 20th Annual Michael F. Crowley Lecture Series, Mon., Oct. 25 at 6pm. Logistical details to follow, but the topic will be Irish immigrants in domestic service with a spotlight on the Irish working in the Newport mansions. Guest speakers will be Dr. Margaret Lynch-Brennan, author of “The Irish Bridget: Irish Immigrant Women in Domestic Service in America, 1840-1930,” and Leslie B. Jones, Director of Museum Affairs & Chief Curator of the Preservation Society of Newport County. Museum Members will receive a flyer with details in the U.S. Mail and a follow up via e-newsletter. Members will have priority for limited seats at the in-person presentation we hope to host on Oct. 25. If necessary, we will again revert to 100% Zoom as in the 2020-2021 Crowley Lecture Series. Margaret Lynch-Brennan Leslie B. Jones Lecture Series Questions? Please contact Ann at tpm1@earthlink.net Finally, a number of our members with Annual (vs. Life) memberships remain lapsed in their membership for the current Membership/Fiscal year, which runs Apr. 1, 2021 to Mar. 31, 2022. We understand that many of you are accustomed to paying your dues at in-person events, but we have fewer opportunities to meet in person during these challenging times. If you have not paid your dues for the current Membership cycle, please consider doing so at this time by clicking the below “Membership” button. Not sure of your status? Please reach out to Ann to inquire and she’ll get back to you swiftly. Email her at tpm1@earthlink.net Thank you for your continued support of our Mission! Museum of Newport Irish History Mailing Address: PO Box 1378, Newport, RI 02840 Interpretive Center Location: 648 Lower Thames Street, Newport RI 02840 Email: NewportIrishHistory@gmail.com  Museum Board of Directors: Click Here The MISSION of the Museum of Newport Irish History is to tell the story of the Irish immigrants and their descendants in Newport County and the surrounding area from the colonial era to the present. It also seeks to preserve artifacts and mementos relating to their experiences and facilitate research on Irish history and heritage. ‌ Visit our (NEW!) Website Membership Renewals

September Happenings – 20th Annual Crowley Lecture Series Kick-off

September 2, 2021 by admin in E-Newsletters

September 2, 2021 Dear Members, This is a follow-up to the September 13 lecture announcement and cover letter all members received in the mail last week. We’re also writing to invite to you to our September 18 happenings, the flyer about which began arriving in members’ mailboxes today. We hope to see many of you – either in person or “virtually” via Zoom – for the first lecture of our 20th Annual Michael F. Crowley Lecture Series, featuring special guest speakers, John Quinn and Keith Stokes. Dr. John F. Quinn Mr. Keith Stokes Shared Spaces: The Irish and African Heritage Experience in Gilded Age Newport Monday, September 13, 6:00 pm The Wayfinder Hotel & Virtually, via Zoom This lecture has made possible by a generous gift from Virginia Pittsley, given in memory of her husband, Bill Pittsley, and their son, Jay Pittsley. Please click the below buttons to access copies of the details about this lecture you received in the mail, and which is also posted on our website “Lectures” page: Talk overview & bios Cover Letter As touched on in the cover letter, we are not able to host as many members in person on Sept. 13 as we could have pre-pandemic. At this time, we have about a dozen seats available. If you would like to join us in person at the Wayfinder Hotel please reserve now. We can accommodate hundreds more via Zoom, which allows you to participate virtually from home, via a desktop or laptop computer, tablet or smart phone. To attend the lecture either in person or via Zoom please click the appropriate RED button, below. There is a $5 fee/donation requested of those who will be joining us in person; there is no fee to participate via Zoom. ALL are welcome to join us via Zoom, Museum members and non-members alike from the community at-large, both near and far. Feel free to refer friends to the “Lectures” page on our website for event info. and to reserve to receive the Zoom login information. Attend In-Person (limited availability) Attend via Zoom Those who are not able to join us “live” on Sept. 13 at 6pm, either in person or via Zoom, can enjoy the presentation later. We’ll post a video of the lecture and Q&A on the “Lectures” page of our website a few days after the event. Important Info. for ZOOM Participants ‌ SEPT 18: RECEPTION TO HONOR RETIRING BOARD MEMBERS Please join fellow members for our first social of 2020-2021, Saturday, Sept. 18 from 5-7 pm at Ancient Order of Hibernian Hall, during which we will honor these two retiring members of our Board of Directors and thank them for their many years of dedicated service: Jack Curran Peter Martin Click the below button to visit the Sept. 18 event webpage for details, contact info. for the event coordinator, Kathy Papp, and to reserve: Sept. 18 Reception Details & Reservations Reservations are requested by September 11. Tickets ($10) may be purchased online or by check, mailed to our PO Box and received by Sept. 11. ALSO ON SEPT 18: DEDICATION OF NEW HISTORICAL INFORMATION SIGN AT THE BARNEY STREET CEREMONY You are also warmly invited to join members of the Board of Directors and the Lepley Family for the unveiling and dedication of a new historical information sign at the Barney Street Cemetery. Through text and graphics, the sign discusses the importance of this site, central to the history of the early Irish in Newport. The new sign has been made possible thanks to a generous gift from Carol Lepley, given in memory of her husband, Steve Lepley, a member of our Board who passed away in December 2017. The ceremony takes place 4 pm on Sept. 18 at the corner of Barney and Mt. Vernon Streets, behind the Newport Historical Society headquarters. RSVP for this outdoor ceremony not required. Questions? Please contact Mike Slein at (401) 855-5097 or at farmags@cox.net Photo: The historic Barney Street/St. Joseph Cemetery. Restored in 1999 by the Museum of Newport Irish History, which continues to maintain and beatify the site, through the generosity of our members, including a dedicated team of volunteers, under the direction of Board Member, Jack McCormack. Museum of Newport Irish History Mailing Address: PO Box 1378, Newport, RI 02840 Interpretive Center Location: 648 Lower Thames Street, Newport RI 02840 Email: NewportIrishHistory@gmail.com  Museum Board of Directors: Click Here Visit our (NEW!) Website Membership Renewals

A special message from board president, Mike Slein

July 25, 2021 by admin in E-Newsletters

‌ July 25, 2021 Dear Fellow Members, With a heavy heart, an optimistic outlook on the future, and my sincerest gratitude to each of you, I am stepping down as President effective 30 November.  Before stepping down, I wish to see to fruition key initiatives underway, including the Walking Tours of Irish Newport and the Barney Street Cemetery signage, which the Lepley family is so generously donating, and to provide adequate time for a search committee to identify my successor. As you all know, I have loved working with and am indebted to each of our board members, all of our treasured docents, and the membership of this fine organization, who have contributed so much over the past eight years of my tenure as your president. You are very special folks and I have always tried to keep in the forefront of my thoughts that you are all volunteers who promote our mission with little expectation of recognition. Our membership growth and your support are a testament to the attitude that you bring to the table each day. We have made great strides in many areas over the past eight years through your efforts. The organization is now in fine shape fiscally with a robust membership base. There is still much to do. No position is permanent and I feel the time is right to permit another the opportunity to work with you and lead the Museum to the next level.  You all have my sincerest thanks. Mike Mike Slein President, Board of Directors farmags@cox.net (401) 855-5097 – mobile Museum of Newport Irish History Mailing: PO Box 1378, Newport, RI 02840 Interpretive Center: 648 Lower Thames Street, Newport RI 02840 Email: NewportIrishHistory@gmail.com Click Here for Museum Board of Directors Contact Info. The Mission of the Museum of Newport Irish History is to tell the story of the Irish immigrants and their descendants in Newport County and the surrounding area from the colonial era to the present. It also seeks to preserve artifacts and mementos relating to their experiences and facilitate research on Irish history and heritage. Visit our Website

Irish-American Night at Cardines Field with the Newport Gulls on July 7

June 28, 2021 by admin in E-Newsletters

June 28, 2021 Join members and friends of the Museum of Newport Irish History, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and game sponsor, the Irish American Athletic Club, for a fun & festive ballgame at historic Cardines Field in Newport! Bring the kids and grand-kids the evening of July 7 for some old-fashioned, Irish-infused family fun, and cheer on our beloved team, the Newport Gulls, as they face the Mystic Schooners. A limited number of FREE tickets will be available for members of the Museum of Newport Irish History and their guests. Identify yourself as a member when checking in at the Gate, which will be staffed by Museum member-volunteers. Tickets can also be purchased at the Gate (see prices in the above graphic). Also, the Museum will be giving away FREE US-Ireland flag pins to the first 200 game attendees. The Gulls have terrific entertainment planned, including step-dancers, bagpipes and the Ancient Order of Hibernians Men Singers. Gates open: 5:00 pm Festivities Begin: 6:00 pm First Pitch: 6:35 pm Parking available across the street from the ballpark in the Newport Visitors Center lot at 23 Americas Cup Ave. Only $2 for the night when you show your Gull’s game ticket! If you are planning to attend only one baseball game this summer at Cardines, which has been called – “a small urban gem of a ballpark” – this is the one not to be missed! Learn about Historic Cardines Field Newport Gulls Website ‌ QUESTIONS? Contact us at newportirishhistory@gmail.com The Museum of Newport Irish History congratulates the Newport Gulls on 20 years of “Raising the Bar in Summer Collegiate Baseball.” ‌ This this e-news with your friends on Social Media via these links: ‌ ‌ ‌ Museum of Newport Irish History Mailing: PO Box 1378, Newport, RI 02840 Interpretive Center: 648 Lower Thames Street, Newport RI 02840 Email: NewportIrishHistory@gmail.com Click Here for Museum Board of Directors Contact Info. The Mission of the Museum of Newport Irish History is to tell the story of the Irish immigrants and their descendants in Newport County and the surrounding area from the Colonial era to the present. It also seeks to preserve artifacts and mementos relating to their experiences and facilitate research on Irish history and heritage. Visit our Website Membership Renewals

Interpretive Center reopens for the 2021 Season on Fri. May 28

May 26, 2021 by admin in E-Newsletters

Interpretive Center Opens for the 2121 Season Photo by Allan Millora. May 26, 2021 Dear Members, We are pleased to announce the reopening of our Interpretive Center for the 2021 Season after a lengthy hiatus, due to the pandemic. Opening day is the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend, May 28. Regular public hours are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, from 12 noon to 5 p.m., through Sunday, October 31. (closed Mon.-Thurs.). Admission is free for Members and by donation for others. We especially encourage our new members to stop into the Center at 648 Lower Thames Street, just south of Narragansett Avenue. Please check out our website, newportirishhistory.org, for more information. Masks will be required to enter, and docent and visitor safety will continue to be our top priority. Can’t visit the Interpretative Center in person? Enjoy a 4 minute “virtual visit” with Mike Slein, Museum Board President, who hosted NBC10 WJAR’s Meghan Kayata in March 2020 (pre-lockdown) for a segment that aired on St. Patrick’s Day (of course!). To play the video, CLICK HERE. Many thanks to our wonderful Interpretive Center member-volunteer docents for their service to the Museum and visitors from near and far. You are the face of the Museum to the public, and without you we could not operate. If you are interested in becoming a docent, we’d love to hear from you! To learn more, please contact Board Member and Interpretive Center Manager, Steve Marino, at (860) 995-7367 or at enzoteach@aol.com. Historic Irish Cemetery Maintained by Dedicated Museum Volunteers Volunteers at work at the cemetery in June 2019. Photo by Joan Galvin. Speaking of volunteers, we are very grateful to the small team of folks who, under the direction of Board Member and Cemetery Committee Chair, Jack McCormack, have donated their time this spring to prepare the historic Barney Street Cemetery for the season ahead. A big “thank you” as well to PDC Landscaping and Patrick Carlisle for the generous donation of mulch which beautiful the flower beds and help keep the weeds at bay. This beautiful site is the final resting place of many of Newport’s earliest Irish residents and where the first Catholic church in R.I. once stood. Stop by the corner of Barney and Mt. Vernon Streets to see this important site in the history of the Irish in Newport. The Museum of Newport Irish History restored the cemetery in 1999 and continues to maintain and beautify the site under a special arrangement with the Diocese of Providence. Interesting in volunteering at the cemetery this summer? Please contact Jack at (401) 835-3243 or johnrmccormack@cox.net. Can’t visit the cemetery in person? Enjoy our 5-minute “virtual tour” of the cemetery, hosted by Steve Marino and filmed by Allan Millora last spring. It provides an introduction to this site, so central to the early history of the Irish in Newport. To play, the video, click the below GREEN graphic. Finally, if you missed our last members’ e-newsletter which went out on May 1, you can access it by clicking the below “Newsletter” graphic: Do we have your preferred email address?  If you would prefer to receive these e-newsletters at an alternative address or at additional address, please send a note with your request to Ann at tpm1@earthlink.net. Please do not use the below “unsubscribe” link to change your email address. Thank you! This this e-news with your friends on Social Media via these links: ‌ ‌ ‌ Museum of Newport Irish History Mailing: PO Box 1378, Newport, RI 02840 Interpretive Center: 648 Lower Thames Street, Newport RI 02840 Email: NewportIrishHistory@gmail.com Click Here for Museum Board of Directors Contact Info. The Mission of the Museum of Newport Irish History is to tell the story of the Irish immigrants and their descendants in Newport County and the surrounding area from the Colonial era to the present. It also seeks to preserve artifacts and mementos relating to their experiences and facilitate research on Irish history and heritage. Visit our Website Membership Renewals

19th Annual Crowley Lecture Series reaches a record audience….Welcome to our new members

May 1, 2021 by admin in E-Newsletters

May 1, 2021 Dear Fellow Members, Our 19th Annual Michael F. Crowley Lecture Series concluded on April 21 with a wonderful talk by Dr. Janet Nolan in which she shared her family’s Irish immigrant experience — a story echoed in millions of Irish-American families. We thank you, our members, for your interest and support of this 100%-virtual series presented via Zoom, necessitated by the pandemic. I am delighted to share that this series of five Zoom talks between September 2020 and April 2021 attracted a record 1,105 registrations! Our pre-pandemic, in-person lecture venue accommodates 150 persons per talk, so we have reached a much larger audience than we ever thought possible — especially when you consider that a Zoom reservation might represent more than one person watching the presentation on a shared device. A large percentage of those who tuned in were non-Museum members, and many have since joined our ranks. These are the “silver linings” in the pandemic, for which we are grateful. We eagerly look to the fall when we kick off the 20th Annual Crowley Series and hope to again meet in person. We certainly all miss the social aspect of our gatherings. Our group includes a good number of longtime members who are not Internet users so, for them, Zoom was not an option. We especially look forward to welcoming these friends back in person. Our current plan is to again present in-person lectures, possibly with reduced capacity, should covid conditions require, supplemented by live-streaming and videotaping. Museum members of record will receive priority for tickets for the seats at the talks and reception that traditionally follows. Those who cannot be offered a seat at a fully-reserved lecture will be invited to join us remotely or enjoy the videotape later. Please read on for links to recordings of all five 19th Annual Series talks, for our preliminary plans for the new series, and some other important updates. Also, if you missed our last monthly members E-Newsletter, please CLICK HERE to review. Slán agus beannacht (stay well), Mike Slein President, Board of Directors farmags@cox.net (401) 855-5097 – mobile PS — Please be sure to read the last article re. Membership Renewals! ‌ 2020-21 Crowley Lecture Series Recap: April 21, 2021 When Harry Met Mary Ann: An Irish Family in an American City Guest Speaker: Dr. Janet Nolan Lecture Overview & Speaker Bio Link to Recording: HERE March 16, 2021 How Hard Wuld it be to Dig a Ditch Anyhow?: How the Irish Saved the Blackstone Canal Guest Speaker: Mr. Chuck Arning Lecture Overview & Speaker Bio Link to Recording: HERE Feb. 10, 2021 Politics, Bigotry and Nativism: Rhode Island’s Catholic Irish in the 1842 Dorr Rebellion Guest Speaker: Dr. Erik Chaput Lecture overview & Speaker Bio Link to Recording click HERE Nov. 6, 2020 Famine Memories: Terence MacSwiney’s 1920 Hunger Strike Guest Speaker: Dr. Joseph Lennon Lecture overview & Speaker Bio Link to Recording click HERE Sept. 24, 2020 Here is the Church, Here is the Steeple, Open the Door and see at the People: Newport’s early Irish community and Rhode Island’s first Catholic church” Guest Speaker: Mr. Steve Marino Lecture overview & Speaker Bio Lecture Handouts click HERE Link to Recording click HERE Learn about Lectures from Prior Series ‌ THANK YOU to our five wonderful guest speakers, the lecture attendees, and all who have made the 19th Annual Crowley Series possible. Special thanks to our board member and “Zoom Guru,” DAN TITUS, without whom we could not have brought these events into your home during this challenging time. 2021-22 Crowley Lecture Series Update: We are pleased to share preliminary plans for the kick-off of the 20th Annual Crowley Series: September 2021 Topic: Irish and Black Collaboration in Gilded Age Newport Guest Speakers: Dr. John Quinn & Mr. Keith Stokes October 2021 Topic: Irish in Domestic Service with a spotlight on Irish who worked in Newport’s Gilded Age Mansions Guest Speaker: Dr. Margaret Lynch-Brennan, author of: “The Irish Bridget: Irish Immigrant Women in Domestic Service in America, 1840-1930″ In collaboration with a to-be-announced guest speaker from the Preservation Society of Newport County Details, including dates, venue, and format to be announced closer to the the fall, as well as additional talks in the new series. Between now and the fall, we hope to be in the position to some additional, non-lecture programs that might be enjoyed virtually. Please stay tuned! “ New Member Welcome: We extend a warm “Welcome” to the new members who joined since the beginning of 2021. A shout out, as well, to the existing members who have joined the ranks of our “Life” Members. Thank you for your generous support of our Mission! Click the below buttons to read the names. Jan. 1 – Mar. 25 Mar. 26 – Apr. 30 ‌ Interpretive Center Update: Our Interpretive Center on Lower Thames Street remains closed to the public on a walk-in basis due to the pandemic and private visits by appointment continue. To arrange a private visit for small parties, please send an email to NewportIrishHistory@gmail.com and include your name, phone, the number in the party, and preferred date(s) and time. We’ll get back to you swiftly. Masks will be required and social distancing protocols will be in place. You can also enjoy a ‘virtual tour’ of the Center by clicking HERE. Note: We hope to be in the position to return to regularly scheduled public hours this coming Season, subject to covid-19 state guidelines and the status of vaccines among our volunteer docents. Safety remains our #1 concern. Traditionally, the Center is open to the public from Memorial Day Weekend through the end of October, Thurs., Fri., Sat. and Sunday, from noon to 5pm Last but not Least: It’s Membership Renewal Season! Those with Annual (vs. Life) memberships who have not recently renewed are due for renewal at this time. Our membership year runs concurrent with our Fiscal Year, Apr. 1 to March 31. The yearly membership fee remains $20 for Individual memberships and $30 for Family/Household memberships (covering all living at the same address). THANK YOU to those who have already renewed! If you have not yet made your payment, please renew NOW by clicking the below Green button to reach the Membership page on our website where you can pay with a credit/debit card or existing PayPal account. You will receive an immediate e-receipt. Quick & easy! If you are mailing in a check to our PO Box, you need not complete a Membership Form if your contact info. has not changed. Checks payable to “MNIH” with “Membership” in the memo section. Your renewal at this time helps save time and reduce printing and postage expense associated with membership renewal letters in the mail, enabling more of your donation to support our programming and the Interpretive Center. Thanks again! Membership Renewals Questions about your Membership status? Please write to Ann at tpm1@earthlink.net or phone her at 401-841-5493 and she’ll get right back to you. This this e-news with your friends on Social Media via these links: ‌ ‌ ‌ Museum of Newport Irish History Mailing: PO Box 1378, Newport, RI 02840 Interpretive Center: 648 Lower Thames Street, Newport RI 02840 Email: NewportIrishHistory@gmail.com Click Here for Museum Board of Directors Contact Info. The Mission of the Museum of Newport Irish History is to tell the story of the Irish immigrants and their descendants in Newport County and the surrounding area from the colonial era to the present. It also seeks to preserve artifacts and mementos relating to their experiences and facilitate research on Irish history and heritage. Visit our Website

November Updates: Annual Appeal & More

November 30, 2020 by admin in E-Newsletters

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Newport’s early Irish community & RI’s first Catholic church

September 27, 2020 by kristym@moonbirdstudios.com in E-Newsletters

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Update re. Interpretive Center & first lecture of new series

September 13, 2020 by kristym@moonbirdstudios.com in E-Newsletters

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Virtual Screening of Cormac O’Malley’s New Film

August 17, 2020 by kristym@moonbirdstudios.com in E-Newsletters

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