MALACHY MCCOURT – LOVING LIFE AND LAUGHING AT DEATH

Friday March 9^th at 8:00PM at South Orange Performing Arts Center–DISCOUNT OFFER to IAWA Members!

Throughout his rollicking life, Malachy McCourt has held a multitude of careers, from dish washer, longshoreman, and pub keeper to actor, writer, radio and TV host, and candidate for governor! He’s done everything he’s ever wanted to do in his life and encourages others to do the same. McCourt will share his experiences through poetry, song, and outrageously hilarious stories in his one-man show Loving Life and Laughing at Death at the South Orange Performing Arts Center on Friday, March 9^th.

Malachy in performance in NJ

Malachy McCourt was born in Brooklyn, and from the age of three was raised in Limerick, Ireland. He returned to the U.S. at the age of twenty and continued his work as a laborer working such tasks as longshoreman, truck loader, and dishwasher.  Soon after, he became an actor, and then established the first singles bar in America. He then began a radio career in 1970. He was one of the first radio talk show hosts on WMCA and also worked at WOR, WNYC and WABC.

McCourt has appeared on stage in plays such as DA, The Hostage, Mass Appeal, Inherit the Wind and A Child’s Christmas in Wales. On television he was a semi regular on “The Tonight Show” with Jack Paar and Merv Griffin. He appeared in the soap operas “Ryan’s Hope,” “One Life To Live” as well as “The Dain Curse” (mini-series) and other made-for-TV movies. On screen he can be seen in She’s the One, The Devil’s Own, Reversal of Fortune, Greencard, The Field, The Molly Maguires, The Guru, and ‘Edward Burns’ film Ash Wednesday.

Various organizations have presented Malachy McCourt with awards, including City Club of New York (Gadfly Award), New York Magazine (Best of New York Award), Turning Point Inc. (Humanitarian Award), World of Hibernia (Super Irish Award), Irish America Magazine (Top 100 Irish Award), NYCLU (Florina Lasker Civil Liberties Award).

McCourt has written articles published in many periodicals including New York Newsday, National Geographic, Conscience Magazine and New York Times.  As well as being the co-author of the play A Couple of Blaguards with his brother Frank, Malachy has written his own New York Times bestseller memoir, A Monk Swimming, published by Hyperion Press. His memoir, Singing My Him Song, now out in paperback is published by Harper Collins. Running Press recently published four of Malachy’s books: the history of the song Danny Boy, a history of The Claddagh Ring, Voices of Ireland, an anthology, and Malachy McCourt’s History of Ireland. Recent books, Harold Be Thy Name and Bush Lies in State, are published by Welcome Rain. In the works is I Never Drink When I’m Sober for Harper Collins.

See Malachy McCourt at the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) on Friday, March 9th at 8pm. Tickets are $35 & $45. A short 35-minute train ride from Penn Station on NJ Transit, SOPAC is located adjacent to the South Orange train station at One SOPAC Way in South Orange, NJ.  For tickets visit SOPACnow.org or contact the SOPAC Box Office at 973.313.2787 (ARTS).

Special Offer: Mention code ‘IAWA10’ and receive $10 off each ticket purchased. Discount offer is not valid for prior purchases and cannot be combined with any other offer.  

 

South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC), One SOPAC Way, South Orange, NJ

http://www.sopacnow.org/405/malachy-mccourt-living-life-and-laughing-at-death

 

Ashley Davis CD Release Concert – Special Discount for IAWA Members!

Please join your fellow IAWA members for a special evening of Celtic/World music as Ashley Davis (IAWA board member) debuts her new CD Songs of the Celtic Winter. Ashley will be playing with a full band including Dublin harper (of Moya Brennan’s band) Cormac De Barra. This will be a great opportunity to meet and mingle with fellow members and have a great night out at a beautiful intimate venue.

Ashley has created a special discount code for IAWA members to use for a discount on ticket purchase. Follow this link to the ticket purchase page Joe’s Pub and enter JPTIXA2 at check out!

Ashley Davis Plays Joe’s Pub
February 23rd
7:30 pm

For more info visit: www.daisyrings.com or email: Ashley@daisyrings.com

Start 2012 with the Salon at the Thalia

Holidays over? Time for sober reflection? Nah! It’s time for the next IAW&A Salon, Tuesday, Jan 3 at the Thalia Cafe.

7P start, but swing by early for happy!

 

November IAW&A Salon Presents Eclectic Mix

James Joyce didn’t read from The Dead, Angelica Houston didn’t perform as Greta, and Susan McKeown didn’t sing the “The Lass of Aughrim,” but a talented group of writers, performers and musicians were in attendance at Tuesday night’s Irish American Writers and Artists’ Salon.

Honor Molloy began the All Soul’s Day proceedings with a wonderful childhood memory, a tale she calls “Bedtime Story.” Kevin McPartland followed with a work of  “flash fiction,” a style of writing that is extremely brief, entitled “D Train,” a harrowing depiction of aliens invading the NYC subway system.

Singer, musician songwriter, Michael Sheahan was next up. Michael, who first appeared at Salon II and sang the very beautiful “Pages of Time,” sang the title song from his awarding winning Book/DVD/CD titled “Mr. Holidays Presents the Rooftop Hop.”

The spontaneous nature of the proceedings leaves the audience wondering how one performer’s work is going to segue into the next. The juxtaposition of Michael’s song about Santa Claus, followed by Mark Butler’s riotous romp of sexual debauchery, “Cool and Clean and Crisp,” was the perfect example of the “one never knows, does one,” segue. Mark’s very funny story was published in the book “Best American Erotica 1994.”

Award winning screenwriter, Martha Pinson, concluded the first half of the evening’s performances with two moving poems, “Garden of Eden,” and “The Cool Room,” and an inspiring haiku, which she calls “The Wedding.”

Kathleen Hill, whose book, “Who Occupies This House” received an “Editor’s Choice” from the New York Times, began the second half of the evening with a tender reading from her book. Peter Quinn, the IAW&A President, was in attendance and of Kathleen’s work he said, “It’s prose that constantly trips into poetry.” Perfect description.

Mary Gannon read from her novel in progress, “Sacred Street,” an engaging, romantic coming-of-age tale of a young girl and John Kearns read a finely constructed and thought provoking poem from his play “Sons of Molly Maguires.” John’s poem was published in the November 2011 issue of  ”Poetry for the Masses“  The last reader was Kevin Holohan, who exhibited his brilliant reading and writing skills with an arresting tale of abuse and retribution from his book “The Brothers’ Lot.”

Sarah Fearon leant her keen sense of humor to the proceedings with a skit called, “A Microwaved NYC Moment,”  a laugh-out-loud, fall-on-the-floor-funny scene of  hilarity. This lady has a great ear for the sights, sounds and voices that are NYC. 

As has become the Salon’s tradition, Michael Sheahan ended the evening with a song he wrote called “The White Strand.” The tune, motivated by his Irish-born wife Barbara’s hometown, and Michael’s first trip to the west of Ireland, captures the rugged beauty of Ireland’s west coast, and in the great tradition of Malachy McCourt, ended the evening with an Irish flair.

The next Thalia Salon, which is located at Symphony Space on 95th Street and Broadway, will be held on December 6th. There will be an announcement in a day or two of an additional Salon, which will be at The Cell Theatre on West 23rd Street on November 15. More on that soon. For additional information on becoming an IAW&A member and participating at a Salon, contact Charles Hale at chashale1@yahoo.com

IAW&A member Michael Sheahan wins two Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards for Best “Holiday Book” & “Children’s Book with Music / Theatrical”

For millions of people around the world, the love of reading and singing was born with a Christmas story or carol.

That’s the all-in-one idea behind the ultimate new Christmas package, Mr. Holidays Presents The Roof Top Hop. Through the merry character of Mr. Holidays, Michael Sheahan tells children an instantly classic new Christmas story, performs the title song on a sing-along CD and has his friend, Broadway’s own Michael Balderrama of the hit Broadway show, In the Heights, teaches kids the new roof-top-hop dance steps, ones step at a time.

Lavishly illustrated by Douglas Wright, Mr. Holidays Presents The Roof Top Hop is an inviting storybook/CD/DVD package that invites young readers to read, sing, and dance as they share a never-before-revealed secret about Santa. As Sheahan proclaims, it’s “hip-hop . . . be-bop . . . rock n’ roll . . . that brings joy and happiness to every soul.”

Michael Sheahan, a highly decorated retired NYPD detective, is an accomplished singer, songwriter, and musician.

Mr. Holidays Presents The Roof Top Hop is available on-line at www.MrHolidaysSongs.com, www.BarnesandNoble.com, www.Amazon.com & www.FinestEntertainmentStore.com.

More Views from Monday–Celebrating the Irish Rep at the O’Neill Award

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Many thanks to photographer James Higgins — higginsphotonyc@yahoo.com

A few views of the 2011 O’Neill Award Celebration

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New opportunity to attend O’Neill Award

If you are a working artist (writer, musician, actor, filmmaker, etc.) and would like to attend our annual fundraising event but are unable to pay the full fee, you may be eligible for our Starving Artist Discount – funded by a generous donor. Please contact: IAwritersandArtists@gmail.com for more information.

Gabriel Byrne to Present Eugene O’Neill Lifetime Achievement Award

to Irish Repertory Theatre

 

What:

Irish American Writers & Artists will present their annual Eugene O’Neill Lifetime Achievement Award at a festive evening of literary libation. The event comes one day after what would have been O’Neill’s 123^rd birthday and is held a few blocks north O’Neill’s Times Square birthplace.

 

Who:

• Gabriel Byrne will present the O’Neill Award to Irish Repertory founders Charlotte Moore and Ciarán O’Reilly
• City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is scheduled to present the honorees with an official New York City proclamation
• Malachy McCourt will be the evening’s emcee.
• The Irish American Writers & Artists celebrates the achievements of Irish- American writers and artists, past and present, and works to highlight, energize and encourage Irish Americans working in the arts.

 

When:

Monday, Oct. 17, 2011 from 6 PM to 10 PM

 

Where:

The Manhattan Club, upstairs at Rosie O’Grady’s, 800 7th Avenue at the corner of 52nd St., north of Times Square.

 

Other Info:

For more information about Irish American Writers and Artists, Inc, and to purchase tickets, please go to http://www.i-am-wa.org.

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Strong Salon Opens a Big Month for the IAW&A!

We no longer have Ronnie Drew and Luke Kelly to sing, “Fine Girl You Are,” but thank the Lord we have Malachy McCourt to sing it for us. Another grand evening at the Salon, which features artists, playwrights, storytellers and writers performing both published works and works in progress. 

Kevin Holohan opened the evening with a reading from his recently published book “The Brothers Lot.” Kevin’s book, which is both provocative and humorous, takes aim at the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church and the repressive nature of  Catholic schools in post WWII Dublin.

Contemporary Irish artist Roisin Fitzpatrick showed a work from her Artist of the Light collection, which is currently appearing through November 30 at the Irish Consulate on Park Avenue and 51st Street. Roisin’s art has been critically acclaimed by Forbes, Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, and has been called inspiring by Deepak Chopra.

There were three playwrights present: Sheila Walsh, with the assistance of Honor Molloy and Sarah Fearon, performed a scene from a play in progress, “Mister Tweety’s Neighbors”; Bill Cunningham read from his work in progress, a one man play about the life and times of Senator Pat Moynihan, and Salon newcomer, Brendan Conellan, who has written and performed in a number of one act plays at the Manhattan Theatre, read from his novel in progress.

Good news was announced. We learned that Salon regular Honor Molloy has inked a deal with Simon and Shuster. Her book “Smarty Pants” will be published in March 2012. Honor read a section from “Smarty Girl” called Outta Goosetown, which served as an introduction to the next reader, Kate Kerrigan. Kate, a resident of County Mayo in the west of Ireland, read a passage from herwonderful novel, “Ellis Island.”  Kate joined us in the midst of a country wide tour, during which she is promoting her book.  You can catch her tonight at Paddy Reillys, on Second Avenue and 29th St. It’s an evening that is sure to be filled with story, song and music.  I’ll be there with my son, Chris, a big fan of Irish music. 

Maura Mulligan gave a spirited and humorous reading of her soon to be published memoir, “The Flight of the Lark,” and Mary Pat Kelly, whose smash success, “Galway Bay” will soon be appearing as a television miniseries, read from “Kelly Green,” a work in progress and a sequel to “Galway Bay.”

Novels in progress were a main theme of the evening: Kathleen Frazier read from her work in progress, “Silky Girl,”the first in a trilogy of historical novels. Kathleen showed off her acting skills during her reading, bringing each character vividly to life.  John Kearns read from his novel in progress, “Worlds,” adding a nice dose of humor to the proceedings, and Kathleen Donohoe read from her novel in progress, “You Were Forever.” Kathleen’s novel concerns women and their relationship with the New York Fire Department, a topic very close to my heart. My grandfather was a New York City firefighter who died in the line of the duty.

And, as always, the evening was beautifully closed by Malachy McCourt, whose ideas were the inspiration for the Salon, a place where artists can share their works in the company of like-minded and supportive folks.  Malachy’s wonderful rendition of “Fine Girl You Are” sent the spirited crowd off into the night. 

Malachy will have the emcee role for the Oct. 17 Eugene O’Neill Award Celebration, the signature event of the IAW&A.   This year the honorees are Irish Repertory Theatre founders Charlotte Moore and Ciarán O’Reilly.  Among the highlights of the festive evening of “literary libation” will be the Award presentation by actor and Irish Cultural ambassador Gabriel Byrne.   Tickets are available now at http://www.i-am-wa.org/.

The IRISH AMERICAN WRITERS AND ARTISTS’ salons are held on the first Tuesday of each month at The Thalia Café, located in Symphony Space on Broadway at 95^th Street in Manhattan. For more information on joining the IAW&A or attending the Salons you can contact Charles Hale at chashale1@yahoo.com. The next Salon will be held November 1st.

Art of New IAW&A Member Roisin Fitzpatrick on View in New York at Consulate General of Ireland

An Exhibition of artworks by Roisin Fitzpatrick – Artist of the Light, opens at the Consulate General of Ireland, New York.  The exhibition runs from 3rd October to 30th November and is in collaboration with the Irish American Heritage Museum.

This exhibition provides a contemporary interpretation of all aspects of light, from the illumination of Newgrange at the winter solstice to various aspects of light in nature including the Whirlpool galaxy, water crystals and fractal designs.  Each piece of art expresses beautiful, intricate patterns with simple elegance using natural silks and fine crystals to create entirely unique art forms.

shimmering surfaces, celtc motifs

Following a career at the United Nations, European Commission and European Bank, Roisin experienced a near death, life-changing event from a brain aneurysm which ultimately inspired the creation of the Artist of the LightÒ contemporary artwork collection. Evoking an inexplicable sense of serenity and peace, Roisin’s primary intention through this art is to introduce and share the bliss and beauty of the light and create a greater sense of well-being in both residential and corporate environments.

Artist of the Light® artwork currently features in the private and public collections of many leading European and US art collectors including Mark Burnett, TV producer of Oprah’s All Stars and The Apprentice and actress Roma Downey from Touched by an Angel.  Golfing legend Christy O’Connor Jnr has also purchased her artwork.  Roisin’s art is featured at Richard Branson’s resort near New York and the Fitzpatrick’s Hotels in Manhattan. It was also exclusively showcased at the Conscious Capitalism Conference in Bentley University 2011.  Roisin has also been invited to speak at the United Nations SRC Enlightenment Society in New York.

For more about Roisin and her art, go to http://www.ArtistoftheLight.com