“’T’isn’t it everyone, who wants for a drop of Irish blood in their veins,” the old man murmured as he bent into his pint. One might imagine that he spoke true, for is it not everyone, at least a wee bit, who is enthralled by the spirit and wit of the Irish? If you have ever traveled to Ireland, you know the sense of magic in the air.
St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, and the days leading up to it are a once-a-year opportunity to celebrate the winsome fun of Irishness. To that end, Story Bard Cecilia Farran, herself no stranger to the magic and mirth of the Emerald Isle, will share the cleverness of Irish wit and poignant story at two venues in the River Valley.
Spring Green Senior Center: At 1:30 p.m. March 15, Cecilia will be offering a community performance at the Spring Green Senior Center building, 117 N. Washington St. Engaging stories will whet the imagination as you gather with your friends for a winsome journey too far away and long ago. Refreshments and cookies will be served. It is free and open to the community with stories appropriate for all ages. A free will donation to the center is appreciated.
This event is the first in a series of monthly community events/activities co-sponsored by the Spring Green Senior Center and The Meadows Assisted Living and Memory Care. (See story here.) For more information about March 15 performance, call (608) 588-4392.
Plymouth UCC Church: On Sunday, March 17, the actual High Holy Day of St. Patrick’s, all are welcome to the Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, 115 W. Merrimac St., Dodgeville, as Cecilia offers “The Woven Knots of Celtic Grace.” Using excerpts and adaptations from W.B. Yeats, Dylan Thomas, Arthur O’Shaughnessy, Patrick Kavanaugh, Tommy Makem and other Celtic authors and poets, Cecilia invites us on a journey into the Celtic mind and spirit using the interweaving threads of knot work as our way map. Candles lit from the eternal flame of St. Bridget in Kildare Ireland will be given to all as a keepsake.
Following worship the congregation invites everyone to a traditional corn beef and cabbage luncheon in the fellowship hall for a free will offering to the church. For more information, call (608) 935-5727 or see www.PlymouthUCCDodgeville.org.
However you choose to celebrate the whimsey of the Irish, just remember this: The Irish are the only people on the face of the earth who can argue both sides of a question … at the same time.
May the “luck of the Irish” be with you.
For more information, contact Cecilia at cecilia.farran175@gmail.com.