The second annual Interceltic Festival of New York

Hats off to Charles Kergaravat and his crew for another great night of music and dance in New York City. Around 300-400 people attended last Saturday and the session continued on until 3 am.

BZH New York is a not-for-profit organization composed of Bretons and friends of Brittany dedicated to promoting the culture, economy, history, tourism, and language of the Celtic nation of Brittany, France. 

It was started in December 2006 and has since organized numerous events involving Celtic culture.

Anne-Sophie Zegers, Jacky Faucheux, Xavier Benferhat, Michele Moreau,

Charles Kergaravat, Laurent Corbel, Eric Thoby

The 2nd Annual Interceltic Festival of NY presented by BZH New York was again an evening of music and dance celebrating the common heritage, traditions, culture, and story of immigration of Celtic peoples in New York City.

Thirty musicians locally based or from abroad, created a ceilidh or fest noz like atmosphere highlighting the dancing nature of Celtic music. 

Last year’s edition set a standard as one of the most convivial and lively on the New York Celtic music scene, while at the same time exploring and expanding musical horizons by representing lesser‐known musical traditions from Celtic ethnic minorities. 

The evening was also an opportunity to promote the regions, culture, economy, language, tourism and uniqueness of each individual Celtic nation. 

Niall O'Leary and dancers from the Niall O'Leary School of Irish Dance

Sean-nos dancer from Dublin: Mary Beth Taylor 

The performers were:

Tony DeMarco and Friends incl. Ivan Goff, Eamon O'Leary and Anna Colliton.

Fergus Begley, Thomas Moisson, Charlie LeBrun, Nosa Terra,

Duo Tangi Saout/ Samuel LeHenanff

Niall O'Leary and dancers from the Niall O'Leary School of Irish Dance

Sean-nos dancer from Dublin: Mary Beth Taylor

Galician dancers from Casa Galicia in Astoria, Queens, NY

Also Fergus Begley, Thomas Moisson, Charlie LeBrun, Duo Tangi Saout/Samuel LeHenanff and Nosa Terra.

Tony DeMarco and Friends incl. Ivan Goff, Eamon O'Leary and Anna Colliton.

In December 2006, Charles joined a handful of individuals to help build BZH New York from the ground up. We shared the common desire of presenting Brittany to New York City. Presenting its culture, economy, tourism and doing so in a positive fashion. I also believed that it was important to recognize the large contributions of La Grande Tribu, as Youenn Gwernig called them, for over the last 50 years. Just as the Stade Breton had rallied the Breton community in the past I felt it was important to do the same. But I also feel great satisfaction in being able to introduce everything Breton to public in NY that has generally poor knowledge of Brittany and its culture. The task can at times be a challenging one because Brittany fails to enter into one category. The standard question by some is how it exists? As a region, state, or country? I like to say that Brittany is not a state but a state of mind. The project that is BZH New York has been able to grow with the dedication and passion of its active members, and Charles is excited by the opportunity to again work with current and new members in promoting the culture that he feels deserves to be seen and heard by all.

BZH New York's vision has led to NYC witnessing and sampling many of the different flavors that la Bretagne has to offer. From marching in the St. Patrick's day parade with the Bagadou D'Auray and St. Nazaire, to Festou Noz featuring Breton bands like Skolvan, Red Cardell and Ag Ar Cheoj, to Breton product stands for Bastille day, sailing, ski weekends, Fancy Food Shows, petanque, Breton author book signings, belote, business networking, Breton dance courses, to the formation of the Bagad of NY. The vision, energy and passion of this group has led to our initial success and Charles counts on this same group and new member energy and ideas to generate their future advancement. 

Galician dancers from Casa Galicia in Astoria, Queens, NY

Around 300-400 people attended last Saturday the session went on until 3am.

A Great Start To A New Year, Feis 2011

IRISH DANCE NEWS 2011

Pender-Keady Charity for Brain Aneurysm Foundation

Charity Dance off over 14 won by Kendal Griffler ( Early McLoughlin School)

As we start another new year on the competitive circuit, dancers jumped right back into competitive mode, keeping up with their workouts and practice over the Holiday break.

Gearing up for the 2011 season, competitive dancers must be physically fit because even short dances can be physically demanding. Also, dancers must continuously train to maintain and improve their technique, balance skills, strength and flexibility. Competitive dancing requires dedication, as many months may be spent practicing dance and developing dance steps.

Feis’s started all over the country, opening with Feis Na Cara 2011, the Pender-Keady Feis 2011 and Feis na Blian Nua 2011 in the Mid Atlantic region. There is no doubting the atmosphere, was electric. The coordinators of each Feis worked hard to bring the Irish Art of Dance and Music together. Musicians, with their spectacular music filled the rooms. Adjudicators, Tabulators and Vendors round off the inner workings of a feis

Erin Pender, Kathleen Keady and Erin Kennedy put on another spectacular Pender-Keady Feis. A great big congratulation, to all of their families and their volunteers.

The Pender-Keady Academy Feis dedicated one of their competitions in the memory of one of their students Annie Bashlow Curtin, on Sat. Jan. 15th, 2011.

The goal was to RAISE $10,000 FOR THE BRAIN ANEURYSM FOUNDATION! With the DONATE ONLINE or the TREBLE REEL FOR CHARITY COMPETITION!

Thanks to all the generous outpouring of love, support and passion, they were able to present a check for $16,000.00 to a representative, Mrs. Brady from the Brain Aneurysm Foundation.

Charity Dance Off under 14 won by Sean Crosby ( Hagen School )

"A Dancer's Prayer"

Dear angel, ever at my side

Be there today, my feet to guide.

Help me dance high, and light, and free,

So everyone will be proud of me.

May the judges be fair and the stages be spacious.

In winning and losing let me be gracious,

So that every dance I'll remember with pride.

And angel, please keep my shoelaces tied.

Judge Results

For Pender-Keady Feis 2011

Pender-Keady Feis 2011 As Tabulated by Jim Montague, FeisWeb.Com on Sat Jan 15

Overall ReCap: There were 513 PC & OC Champions registered for the feis and 453 danced. 242 were awarded (53.4%).

Champion regular events ended shortly after 6:47 PM when last regular event was tabulated. There were 2 rounds PC and 3 rounds for OC, with special "round" medals awarded.

I congratulate Kathleen, Erin, their Committee as well as all the friendly, knowledgable volunteers involved with this success.

My special thanks to Jim & Amy Lucey as well as John Murphy for another year of tabulating assistance. I apologize to Amy for forgetting to recognize her help last year.

Thanks to the committee for asking me back!

.

12:21 PM

Event #400 Preliminary Boys and Girls Under 8

Judged by Kate O'Connor-Rea, CA, Jonathon McMorrow, ENG & Jen Nagle McGovern, NJ

11 Registered, 10 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 5 Finishers ( 50% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #597 Sarah Sam-Zee-Moi ( O'Rourke )

2 <> … #863 Alice Nickles ( Harney )

3 <> … #190 Meghan Sheridan ( Petri )

4 <> … #240 Kathleen Messer ( Smith Houlihan )

5 <> … #733 Sarah Cannia ( Dunleavy Shaffer )

.

12:29 PM

Event #401 Preliminary Boys and Girls Under 9

Judged by Kate O'Connor-Rea, CA, Jonathon McMorrow, ENG & Jen Nagle McGovern, NJ

18 Registered, 17 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 9 Finishers ( 53% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #55 Bridget Ritchie ( Pender Keady )

2 <> … #358 Emma Johnson ( Hagen )

3 <> … #253 Erin Schaefer ( Mulvihill Lynch )

4 <> … #564 Bridget Keary ( Lenihan )

5 <> … #405 Madison Brower ( Hagen )

6 <> … #716 Meagan Keefe ( Harney )

7 <> … #742 Briidget Lary ( Stillson )

8 T <> … #503 Annika Clarke ( Goulding )

8 T <> … #161 Lily Bruer ( McElligott )

.

1:54 PM

Event #402 Preliminary Boys and Girls Under 10

Judged by Kate O'Connor-Rea, CA, Jonathon McMorrow, ENG & Jen Nagle McGovern, NJ

29 Registered, 26 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 13 Finishers ( 50% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #383 Audrey Purins ( Hagen )

2 <> … #574 Caitlin Lynch ( Mulvihill Lynch )

3 <> … #908 Olivia DiManno ( Smith Houlihan )

4 <> … #33 Ava Namar ( Marie Moore )

5 <> … #486 Ashling O'Connor ( Flynn )

6 <> … #828 Emily McIntyre ( Ardmore )

7 <> … #760 Fiona Hickey ( Pender Keady )

8 <> … #179 Gwen VanIngen ( Pender Keady )

9 <> … #915 Emma Conneely ( Goulding )

10 <> … #416 Caroline Harten ( Harney )

11 <> … #875 Tara Coelho ( Ryan Academy NY )

12 <> … #882 Jillian Scanlon ( Verlin )

13 <> … #278 Katie Hackett ( Pender Keady )

.

4:28 PM

Event #403 Preliminary Boys and Girls Under 11

Judged by Roger Casey, NY, Gail Casey, NY & Sean Flynn, NY

22 Registered, 18 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 9 Finishers ( 50% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #770 Lauryn Anthony ( Goulding )

2 <> … #974 Maggie Donaghue ( Maeve )

3 <> … #519 Sarah Wozniak ( Petri )

4 <> … #122 Hugh Grennan ( Peter Smith )

5 T <> … #504 Catherine Clarke ( Goulding )

5 T <> … #851 Shannon Fogarty ( Harney )

5 T <> … #786 Grace Kelley ( McInerney )

6 <> … #325 Maggie Connolly ( McInerney )

7 <> … #14 Riley Cronin ( O'Rourke )

.

5:27 PM

Event #404 Preliminary Boys and Girls Under 12

Judged by Breda O'Brien, IRE, Caitlin Allen, NY & Ann Johnston, NY

34 Registered, 29 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 15 Finishers ( 52% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #790 Clare Hulseman ( Peter Smith )

2 <> … #777 Mary-Kate Bane ( Mulvihill Lynch )

3 <> … #693 Mary Lynch ( Lenihan )

4 <> … #615 Siobhan Salani ( Dunleavy Shaffer )

5 <> … #111 Kylie Strzelczyk ( An Rince Mor )

6 <> … #45 Shannon Quinlan ( Rince Na Tiarna )

7 <> … #646 Natalie Gorman ( Pender Keady )

8 <> … #29 Bridget LaSala ( Lenihan )

9 <> … #146 Jillian Clements ( Pender Keady )

10 <> … #307 Caitlin Reid ( Pender Keady )

11 <> … #377 Deirdre Lynch ( Donny Golden )

12 <> … #364 Mia Zang ( Marie Moore )

13 <> … #541 Cassie McKiernan ( Gray Gillan Owens )

14 <> … #330 Ciara Flynn ( Pender Keady )

15 <> … #422 Keara Meyerson ( Pender Keady )

.

4:00 PM

Event #405 Preliminary Boys and Girls Under 13

Judged by Peggy Woods, MA, John Cunniffe, MA & Elicia Greenway-Folmar, MA

43 Registered, 40 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 20 Finishers ( 50% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #174 Nicole Greco ( Gray Gillan Owens )

2 <> … #473 Carolyn Caminear ( Lenihan )

3 T <> … #332 Victoria Cabrera ( Pender Keady )

3 T <> … #539 Megan Stella ( McInerney )

4 <> … #384 Sarah Purins ( Hagen )

5 <> … #955 Tara O'Keefe ( Hagen )

6 <> … #767 Bridget Leake ( Hagen )

7 <> … #286 Emma Connolly ( Pender Keady )

8 <> … #192 Mikayla O'Brien ( Petri )

9 <> … #213 Anneliese Troidle ( Lenihan )

10 <> … #153 Lauren Vivenzio ( An Rince Mor )

11 <> … #367 Larisa McGovern ( Goulding )

12 <> … #837 Jordan Barto ( Hagen )

13 <> … #236 Doug Lyon ( O'Rourke )

14 <> … #901 Sinead Flanagan ( Verlin )

15 <> … #624 Emma Chilelli ( Petri )

16 <> … #800 Molly Vadala ( Johnston )

17 <> … #66 Caitlin Lynch ( McInerney )

18 <> … #58 Celia Rogers ( Pender Keady )

19 <> … #168 Ella Vicedomine ( Bracken )

.

4:19 PM

Event #406 Preliminary Boys and Girls Under 14

Judged by Breda O'Brien, IRE, Caitlin Allen, NY & Ann Johnston, NY

38 Registered, 37 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 19 Finishers ( 51% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #128 Shannon Svitek ( Petri )

2 <> … #207 Jillian McManaman ( Petri )

3 <> … #969 Siobhan Densmore ( Stillson )

4 <> … #732 Caroline Parsons ( Dunleavy Shaffer )

5 <> … #561 Sarah Durso ( McAleer )

6 <> … #909 Tara Slattery ( O'Rourke )

7 <> … #261 MaryKate Carolan ( Early McLoughlin )

8 <> … #623 Delia Thornton ( Petri )

9 <> … #492 Ashley Harten ( Donny Golden )

10 <> … #361 Megan Shugrue ( Donny Golden )

11 <> … #698 Erin Loftus ( Drumcliffe )

12 <> … #864 Kathleen McGauley ( O'Dwyer )

13 <> … #21 Tess Fox ( Pender Keady )

14 <> … #394 Regan Wind ( Pender Keady )

15 <> … #106 Eileen McAleer ( Smith Houlihan )

16 <> … #460 Aubrey Harris ( Murray )

17 <> … #505 Clara Hannigan ( Murray )

18 <> … #46 Katie Quinlan ( Rince Na Tiarna )

19 <> … #316 Ava Sackett ( Petri )

.

3:37 PM

Event #407 Preliminary Boys and Girls Under 15

Judged by Roger Casey, NY, Gail Casey, NY & Sean Flynn, NY

30 Registered, 29 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 15 Finishers ( 52% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #389 Emily Bartone ( Dunleavy Shaffer )

2 <> … #226 Meghan Duffy ( Heavey Quinn )

3 <> … #60 Meaghan Carey ( McDermott )

4 <> … #791 Anna Hulseman ( Peter Smith )

5 <> … #378 Ciara Lynch ( Donny Golden )

6 <> … #423 Mary Panzetta ( Rince na Sonas )

7 <> … #346 Erin Konanez ( Petri )

8 <> … #360 Jessica Wilson ( Smith Houlihan )

9 <> … #59 Emilie Braun ( Coyle )

10 <> … #429 Sarah Wicks ( Kerry Dance )

11 <> … #376 Nicole DeSouza ( Petri )

12 <> … #723 Brigid Meagher ( Marie Moore )

13 <> … #223 Claire Sheen ( Rince na Sonas )

14 <> … #833 Kailey Komosinski ( O'Rourke )

15 <> … #112 Ehlana Strzelczyk ( An Rince Mor )

.

5:35 PM

Event #408 Preliminary Boys and Girls Under 16

Judged by Roger Casey, NY, Gail Casey, NY & Sean Flynn, NY

14 Registered, 14 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 7 Finishers ( 50% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #682 Courtney Westermann ( Early McLoughlin )

2 <> … #433 Helen Schmidt ( Gray Gillan Owens )

3 <> … #11 Kaitlyn Richards ( Broesler )

4 <> … #269 Samantha Mastrogiacomo ( Smith Houlihan )

5 <> … #115 Hayley Cerimido ( Peter Smith )

6 <> … #263 Molly Fallon ( Heavey Quinn )

7 <> … #265 Megan MacIsaac ( Clifden )

.

6:25 PM

Event #409 Preliminary Men and Ladies 16 & Over

Judged by Roger Casey, NY, Gail Casey, NY & Sean Flynn, NY

27 Registered, 23 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 13 Finishers ( 57% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #607 Jennifer Castellano ( Petri )

2 <> … #497 Cecilia Arechiga ( O'Grady Quinlan )

3 <> … #85 Rose Muldoon ( Hagen )

4 <> … #484 Mark Therriault ( Dunleavy Shaffer )

5 <> … #820 Elizabeth Crouse ( Marie Moore )

6 <> … #796 Victoria Bergeron ( McFadden )

7 <> … #846 Shannon Serafin ( Gallagher )

8 <> … #507 Fiona O'Connell ( Lenihan )

9 <> … #228 Ashley Sabourin ( McDermott )

10 <> … #324 Shannon Leiner ( Goulding )

11 <> … #794 Ashlyn Rockwell ( McGonagle )

12 T <> … #131 Tara O'Neill ( Gray Gillan Owens )

12 T <> … #234 Maddy Hanrahan ( Pender Keady )

.

10:10 AM

Event #500 Open Championship Girls Under 9

Judged by Des Bailey, IRE, John Carey, ENG & Brendan Brady, MA

5 Registered, 5 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 5 Finishers ( 100% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #379 Bridget Abraldes ( Mulvihill Lynch )

2 T <> … #950 Aine McIntyre ( Johnston )

2 T <> … #103 Charlotte Sulger ( Pender Keady )

3 <> … #306 Brigitte Reid ( Pender Keady )

4 <> … #569 McKayla Boyd ( O'Rourke )

.

11:06 AM

Event #501 Open Championship Girls Under 10

Judged by Des Bailey, IRE, John Carey, ENG & Brendan Brady, MA

13 Registered, 12 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 6 Finishers ( 50% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #71 Farran Dougherty ( Broesler )

2 <> … #970 Casey Nethven ( Broesler )

3 <> … #163 Emma Fitzpatrick ( Stillson )

4 <> … #639 Delia Duran ( Petri )

5 <> … #826 Ciara Foley ( Forbes )

6 <> … #917 Ciara Blomberg ( Goulding )

.

12:10 PM

Event #502 Open Championship Girls Under 11

Judged by Des Bailey, IRE, John Carey, ENG & Brendan Brady, MA

20 Registered, 18 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 9 Finishers ( 50% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #876 Bridget Mosher ( Petri )

2 <> … #960 Shannon Woods ( Woods )

3 <> … #468 Claire Goode ( Broesler )

4 <> … #441 Moriah Hajduk ( Stillson )

5 <> … #413 Ciara Young ( Harney )

6 <> … #138 Lauren Bunke ( Broesler )

7 <> … #510 Megan Ferrara ( Harney )

8 T <> … #885 Emily Augello ( Johnston )

8 T <> … #183 Hannah Sullivan ( Verlin )

.

12:55 PM

Event #503 Open Championship Girls Under 12

Judged by Des Bailey, IRE, John Carey, ENG & Brendan Brady, MA

21 Registered, 20 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 11 Finishers ( 55% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #500 Caroline Leeber ( Pender Keady )

2 <> … #822 Clare MacRitchie ( Murray )

3 <> … #715 Paidin Wilson ( Forbes )

4 <> … #807 Gianna Cheeseman ( Broesler )

5 <> … #457 Amanda Hansen ( An Rince Mor )

6 <> … #572 Grace McCaffrey ( Forbes )

7 <> … #890 Marissa Gallotto ( Forbes )

8 <> … #836 Jenna Barto ( Hagen )

9 <> … #447 Kylie Woo ( Petri )

10 T <> … #216 Bryn Sconzo ( Smith Houlihan )

10 T <> … #714 Kendall Woodcock ( Harney )

.

11:56 AM

Event #504 Open Championship Girls Under 13

Judged by Kate O'Connor-Rea, CA, Jonathon McMorrow, ENG & Jen Nagle McGovern, NJ

35 Registered, 31 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 16 Finishers ( 52% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #212 Melanie Valdes ( Petri )

2 <> … #923 Ciara Stillson ( Stillson )

3 <> … #967 Kaela Gray Milewski ( Gray Gillan Owens )

4 <> … #314 Ciaran O'Brien ( Hagen )

5 <> … #927 Caitlin Pyle ( Hagen )

6 <> … #255 Ciara Murphy ( Petri )

7 <> … #959 Mary McKenna ( Woods )

8 <> … #888 Rebecca Flanagan ( Johnston )

9 <> … #942 Kate Babcock ( Murray )

10 <> … #585 Saoirse Healy ( Harney )

11 T <> … #793 Kelli Devlin ( Broesler )

11 T <> … #903 Brianna Genthe ( Peter Smith )

12 <> … #427 Jamie Rush ( Lenihan )

13 <> … #197 Aoife Mannion ( Smith Houlihan )

14 <> … #886 Colleen Augello ( Johnston )

15 <> … #24 Aigneis Frey ( Pender Keady )

.

5:05 PM

Event #505 Open Championship Girls Under 14

Judged by Des Bailey, IRE, John Carey, ENG & Brendan Brady, MA

34 Registered, 29 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 15 Finishers ( 52% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #104 Anna May Sulger ( Pender Keady )

2 <> … #121 Erin O'Gallagher ( Petri )

3 <> … #200 Katie Roszyk ( Broesler )

4 <> … #440 Mairead Dougherty ( Smith Houlihan )

5 <> … #958 Delia Doherty ( Woods )

6 <> … #252 Fiona Kiernan ( Petri )

7 <> … #20 Anna May Fitch ( Shea Jennings )

8 <> … #642 Julia Murphy ( Gray Gillan Owens )

9 <> … #292 Farrell Granath ( Pender Keady )

10 <> … #586 Elizabeth Gallary ( McInerney )

11 <> … #749 Brynn Contois ( Smith Houlihan )

12 <> … #114 Katelyn Luck ( Smith Houlihan )

13 <> … #659 Caitlin Ennis ( Petri )

14 <> … #548 Megan Ward ( Pender Keady )

15 <> … #415 Aine Varden ( Forbes )

.

6:47 PM

Event #506 Open Championship Girls Under 15

Judged by Des Bailey, IRE, John Carey, ENG & Brendan Brady, MA

24 Registered, 23 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 12 Finishers ( 52% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #395 Paige Turilli ( Inishfree )

2 <> … #530 Kellyn Berrigan ( Pender Keady )

3 <> … #824 Emma Stone ( Dunleavy Shaffer )

4 <> … #689 Kelly Niessen ( Pender Keady )

5 <> … #97 Mary Thayer ( An Rince Mor )

6 T <> … #400 Taylor Collins ( Petri )

6 T <> … #668 Courtney Crawford ( Harney )

7 <> … #553 Olivia DePalo ( Pender Keady )

8 <> … #391 MaryKate DiChiara ( Inishfree )

9 <> … #829 Erin Gonzalez ( Inishfree )

10 T <> … #345 Ashley Konanez ( Petri )

10 T <> … #898 Jillian Rothweiler ( Stillson )

.

4:41 PM

Event #507 Open Championship Girls Under 16

Judged by Kate O'Connor-Rea, CA, Jonathon McMorrow, ENG & Jen Nagle McGovern, NJ

29 Registered, 20 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 10 Finishers ( 50% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #251 Sarah Oldam ( Peter Smith )

2 <> … #656 Katie Ryan ( Hagen )

3 <> … #256 Maeghan Murphy ( Petri )

4 <> … #594 Lauren Beadle ( Pender Keady )

5 <> … #681 Kendal Griffler ( Early McLoughlin )

6 <> … #929 Rosalie Caracciolo ( Petri )

7 <> … #209 Maureen Fitzpatrick ( Fitzpatrick )

8 <> … #91 Emma Gruber ( Pender Keady )

9 <> … #129 Jenna Giffard ( Pender Keady )

10 <> … #436 Caolinn McSwiggan ( Harney )

.

6:01 PM

Event #508 Open Championship Girls Under 17

Judged by Kate O'Connor-Rea, CA, Jonathon McMorrow, ENG & Jen Nagle McGovern, NJ

15 Registered, 12 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 6 Finishers ( 50% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #621 Colleen Byrnes ( Francis )

2 <> … #317 Gabriella Klein ( Hagen )

3 <> … #965 Taylor Smyth ( Pender Keady )

4 <> … #445 Brigid Rosendale ( O'Grady Quinlan )

5 <> … #454 Cassie Fitzgerald ( Lenihan )

6 <> … #700 Gabriela Bloomgarden ( Inishfree )

.

6:11 PM

Event #509 Open Championship Girls Under 18

Judged by Breda O'Brien, IRE, Caitlin Allen, NY & Ann Johnston, NY

14 Registered, 11 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 6 Finishers ( 55% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #869 RyanAshley Moran ( Early McLoughlin )

2 <> … #199 Moira Cahill ( Coyle )

3 <> … #65 Brianna Treacy ( Davis )

4 <> … #107 Mary Lafferty ( Coyle )

5 <> … #705 Molly Kallaway ( Lenihan )

6 <> … #856 Kim Schindler ( Petri )

.

5:48 PM

Event #510 Open Championship Ladies 18 & Over

Judged by Peggy Woods, MA, John Cunniffe, MA & Elicia Greenway-Folmar, MA

19 Registered, 16 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 9 Finishers ( 56% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #580 Alana O'Brien ( O'Shea Chaplin )

2 <> … #344 Cassidy Luebbers ( Broesler )

3 <> … #926 Mairead Stillson ( Stillson )

4 <> … #611 Molly Makem ( Murray )

5 <> … #470 Kellyanne Farrell ( Inishfree )

6 T <> … #579 Claire O'Brien ( O'Shea Chaplin )

6 T <> … #88 Erin Duffy ( Golden Harp )

7 T <> … #951 Keira Murphy ( Mulvihill Lynch )

7 T <> … #727 Elizabeth Mello ( Harney )

.

9:56 AM

Event #513 Open Championship Boys Under 12

Judged by Des Bailey, IRE, John Carey, ENG & Brendan Brady, MA

8 Registered, 5 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 5 Finishers ( 100% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #940 Sean Crosby ( Hagen )

2 <> … #726 Patrick Mello ( Harney )

3 <> … #327 Griffin Wilkins ( Harney )

4 <> … #962 Colin Vecchiariello ( Gray Gillan Owens )

5 <> … #839 Eamon Reagan ( Inishfree )

.

9:50 AM

Event #514 Open Championship Boys Under 14

Judged by Des Bailey, IRE, John Carey, ENG & Brendan Brady, MA

2 Registered, 2 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 2 Finishers ( 100% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #343 Owen Luebbers ( Broesler )

2 <> … #840 Conor Reagan ( Inishfree )

.

9:44 AM

Event #515 Open Championship Boys Under 16

Judged by Kate O'Connor-Rea, CA, Jonathon McMorrow, ENG & Jen Nagle McGovern, NJ

4 Registered, 4 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 4 Finishers ( 100% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #26 Lockie Nidds ( Broesler )

2 <> … #159 Martin Bradshaw ( Heavey Quinn )

3 T <> … #712 Thomas Murphy ( McInerney )

3 T <> … #515 Seamus McGorray ( Smith Houlihan )

.

9:32 AM

Event #516 Open Championship Boys Under 18

Judged by Kate O'Connor-Rea, CA, Jonathon McMorrow, ENG & Jen Nagle McGovern, NJ

4 Registered, 1 Entered, 0 Withdrew . . . Awards To Top 1 Finishers ( 100% )

Place . . . . Dancer ( School )

1 <> … #53 Nicholas Paulson ( Broesler )

An Evening of Music and Dance Celebrating the Story of Immigration of Celtic People in New York City, Saturday, January 29th, 2011

Relive the magic or see what you missed,

CELTIC

NATIONS

Interceltic in New York

An amazing time was had by all who braved the freezing temperatures on a Saturday night last year in January 2010

The Interceltic Session was really something and certainly something you don't see all that often. The club was packed with people out for a night of music, dance, and fun."ceol agus craic"

I have been at several events and none to compare with the electric atmosphere of this event. It was nice to see so many people socializing and enjoying themselves. The room was packed and the floor was shaking with everyone joining in to learn the dances of the night. It was great to see Breandan O’Caollai, Deputy Consul General of Ireland, at one of his last events before moving back to Ireland, an informal gathering kicking off his shoes and having a pint, and the crew from Irish Network New York, Tara O’Grady and Una Moran.

Tara O’Grady & Una Moran

Irish Network New York

There were people from France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Ireland, England, and Scotland and of course our fellow New York Clan. What made this a great event was the support of the many groups that came to support and spread the word about the event, such as Denis, and his assistants Rebecca and TJ from the New York Celtic Music Meetup Group

Brendan O’Caollai & T.J of New York Celtic Music Meetup

NY, Ireland Deputy Consul General of Ireland 2009/2010

Many thanks to Charles, Oliver, Leon and the rest of the gang from BZH New York for putting on such a terrific party--and for making us feel so welcome. For those of you who want to relive the magic or see what you missed,

2nd Annual Interceltic Festival of New York

BZH New York

A not‐for‐profit organization composed of Bretons and friends of Brittany

dedicated to promoting the culture, economy, history, tourism, and

Language of the Celtic nation of Brittany, and France.

The 2nd Annual Interceltic Festival of NY presented by BZH New York will again be

an evening of music and dance celebrating the common heritage, traditions, culture,

and story of immigration of Celtic people in New York City. Thirty musicians locally

based or from abroad, will create a ceilidh or fest noz like atmosphere highlighting

the dancing nature of Celtic music.

Last year’s edition set a standard as one of the most convivial and lively on the New

York Celtic music scene, while at the same time exploring and expanding musical

horizons by representing lesser‐known musical traditions from Celtic ethnic

minorities.

Who:

Tony Demarco and friends, Fergus Begley, Thomas Moisson, Charlie LeBrun,

Nosa Terra, Niall O'Leary School of Irish Dance, Duo Tangi Saout/ Samuel LeHenanff

and many more…

The evening will also be an opportunity to promote the regions, culture, economy,

language, tourism and uniqueness of each individual Celtic nation.

Where: Tribeca Loft @ Bowlmor Times Square

222 West 44th Street (between 7th and 8th avenue)

When:

Evening of

Saturday, January 29th (7pm – 3am)

Celebrating the music of Brittany, Galicia, Scotland and Wales in addition to the music of Ireland at the Interceltic Fest Noz was a unique event and having a large turnout was a spectacular success. The list of performers for the event was pretty impressive with over 40 musicians representing all the Celtic nations. So come out to the second celebration of song, music and dance 2011****************

For the dancer - A dedication and memorial to those we have loved and lost in 2010

2010, was a great year, we struggled through the tough times with the economy and everything that life has to offer, and we made the best of it!!! We are a strong people and we are a strong country so we will get through this.

I haven’t posted anything in a while because life through a curve that was very sad and hard to understand. A very close family friend’s grandson Brian Fallon, 13 died from a brain aneurysm on Christmas Eve and buried on New Years Eve.

Christmas After the Loss of a Child

Amid all the Christmas shopping, decorating, caroling, pageants, anticipation and excitement, there is also a very real sadness that Christmas evokes in some people. For families in financial stress, you hear, "Oh, they won't get to have a Christmas this year." And what about celebrating the holidays when a loved one has died? Christmas just won't be the same."

While grief certainly affects our emotions as we experience the holidays, and while feelings of deep sadness are definitely expected and natural , we do not have to remain in a state of despair. Grief and tragedy do not dictate whether or not Christmas happens. Christmas is not something that happens if we have money for it and if all is "right" in our world and if we are emotionally stable and if we are not walking in the midst of broken-heartedness. Christmas already happened- period. And in fact, it happened BECAUSE of our broken world. Christ was born to save us from the hurt and tragedy and despair that He knew we would face. And with Him came promises of unimaginable hope and unspeakable joy- for everyone.

This was not the first in 2010 that we were saddened with a tragedy like this, two of our colleagues and teachers from England Sheila Hayes, and from Ireland, Sheila O’Conner-Rea, both dedicated their life, time, expertise and passion of Irish Dancing, passing on the steps of their heritage to the next generations. They will both be greatly missed by the Irish Dancing and Music Families and Community.

Also a special dedication to all the teachers that lost a parent or love one and the same for all the dancers and musicians families that lost someone close and dear to them. I don’t want to mention one and leave someone out, so we will say an extra little prayer for everyone.

It is very sad when a child is taken from us at a young age, it makes us question our faith and we all ask why? Why? Why? We are thought that they are in a better place and feel no pain. I hope this is true, and I hope that the immediate families find the strength and the faith to go forward.

The Pender-Keady Academy Feis is dedicating one of their competitions in the memory of one of their students Annie Bashlow Curtin, on Sat. Jan. 15th, 2011

I hope you can make it, but if not, you can still send a donation in the memory of Annie, Sheila, Brian or any loved one in your family.

Live life to the fullest, hug your child, hug your parents, hug your loved ones, life is so short and you never know what the next day will bring, so cherish every moment

Thank you all for your generous outpouring of love, support and prayers for All Families during this difficult time. Let's not forget to keep supporting them in the days, weeks, months, and years to come.

Annie Bashlow Curtin, March 10, 2004 - August 2, 2010

Think of Annie: 
When we think of happy things, 
The sound of a chirping bird that sings, 
A beautiful, big bright butterfly, 
A colorful rainbow in the sky, 
A firefly, a ladybug, 
A teddy bear for you to hug, 
Building castles in the sand, 
Someone to always hold your hand. 
When these happy thoughts appear, 
Think of Annie because she is here. 
Annie is all of these happy things, 
She is the first snowflake that winter brings, 
She is the first light of every sunrise, 
She is the angel that over you flies. 
So never stop thinking your thoughts fine and dandy, 
And when you do, smile, and think of Annie


PENDER-KEADY FEIS 2011

FEIS 2011

PENDER – KEADY ACADEMY FEIS

January 15th, 2011

Saxe Middle School – 468 South Avenue, New Canaan, CT 06840

PLEASE HELP US RAISE $10,000 FOR THE BRAIN ANEURYSM FOUNDATION! DONATE ONLINE OR SUPPORT OUR TREBLE REEL FOR CHARITY COMPETITION!

http://bafound.donorpages.com/IndividualFundraiserDonorpage/AnniesChair/

Please note the following (also written in syllabus):

· $15 pre-admission fee must be included with entry fee or entry will not be accepted

· Any entries postmarked after 12/18 will not be accepted without $10 late fee

· Checks should be made payable to “PENDER – KEADY FEIS”. Please do not make your check payable to Sheila Keady!

· Entries for the Treble Reel for Charity will require a separate check payable to BAF, please do not include this in your entry/admission fee check.

· We will be having a dress for sale room again at the feis, more info to follow

Adjudicators:
Brendan Brady, Massachusettes
John Carey, Birmingham England
Gail Casey, New York
Roger Casey, New York
John Cunniffe, Massachusettes
Ann Johnston, New York
Des Bailey, Ireland
Caitlin Allen, NY
Elicia Greenway-Folmar, MA
Jonathon McMorrow, Manchester England
Jen Nagle McGovern, New Jersey
Breda O’Brien, Galway Ireland
Kate O’Connor-Rea, California
Sean Flynn, New York
Peggy Woods Doherty, MA

Musicians:
Karen Conway, New Jersey
Felix Dolan, New York
Kevin Forde, New Jersey
Billy Furlong, New York
Dan Gibney, New York
Conor McGuirk, New York
Chris McLoughlin, New York
Patty Moriarity Morrissey, New York
Ann Marie Acosta-Williams, New York

Irish Dancing World Champions Mind Coach - tools for life

From the bright lights of New York to the arid desert of Las Vegas, West Belfast native Sean Connolly is a man in demand across America.

The 43-year-old, a specialist in maximum performance enhancement and confidence building, has been utilized by Irish dancing and sports troupes the length and breadth of the US and Canada.

Over the past five years the father of four has worked with some of the best dancers in the world Amateur and Professional, delivering incredible results in their personal performance in the process.

It seems there is an enormous appetite for Sean’s methods to enhance performance across the Atlantic and his Diary for 2011 is already filling up with speaking engagements, sports and dancing workshops. Also a public speaker at corporate events Sean has been requested

As a guest speaker for the Irish Businesses of New York.

However, it’s not simply medals or titles Sean adopts as a barometer for success, there is much more to his unique philosophy.

“In my opinion the workshops are all about making individuals feel like champions rather than simply being champions. Titles come and go but if you feel like a champion in your everyday life then that is the most important thing. When you feel like a champion you will think, behave and perform like one, and when you perform like a champion you will tend to become just that.”

I have worked all over the US and Canada and the teachers are always surprised at the performance results I get. This is because a lot of Athletes and performers put up roadblocks in their minds unintentionally at a sub conscious level, which are equivalent to driving a car with the handbrake on.”

Having worked closely with Irish dancers of all abilities, Sean has developed a reverence for their talent and dedication.

“Before I ever worked with Irish dancers I would have associated them with wigs, make-up and dresses now I would put them up there with professional athletes,” admitted the former boxer and Martial arts teacher.

“They train two to three hours a day. They are so disciplined. I have watched dancers perform with broken bones and torn ligaments in their feet and ankles through immense pain. It’s incredible. They also travel to compete all over the world at competitions where you can start at 8.30am and then have to wait to perform at 5.00pm then 12.00pm, mentally draining for anyone.

The teachers within the art who are all former competitors seem to take those resources and put them into their business lives, they are very sharp self-driven individuals who are very competitive and result based. If I was not delivering results they would have scraped me long ago.”

It’s not just dancers who have benefited from Sean’s ‘Tools for Life Program.’

Only last weekend 35-year-old Ciaran Healy landed the Irish light-heavyweight title in Castle bar, Mayo following a thrilling fifth round knockout of the highly fancied John Waldron.

While Ciaran’s physical preparations were better than ever, thanks to his coaches Gerard McCafferty and Alec Doherty, his mental approach was fine-tuned by Sean’s methods to enhance physical strength through the sub conscious mind.

Cage fighters, professional golfers and athletes have also benefited from Sean’s recipe for success.

“These people spend thousand of hours mastering their skills I cannot give anyone the benefits of human practice, but the greatest athletes and artists in the world all seem to underperform when it matters most or magically become ill or injured before a big event. I eradicate this negative pattern in the immune system.

This is where I come into the equation. I specialize in parts of the human mind that control all the functions in the body and also control the emotional center in the brain. It is not sports psychology; America has the top sports psychologists in the world, so why do they go to the bother of bringing me over?”

Sean was recently filmed for a TV series made in California about martial arts around the world, which also featured the legendary cage fighter Tito Ortiz. After reading Sean’s statement about breaking any professional athletes strength or speed record, the producer set up a professional cage fighter where Sean had to smash his strength record on film. He produced this in one session, breaking his maximum lift by 22lb!

Sean’s basic level methods where first witnessed alongside Stephen Nolan on the BBC1 program ‘Mission Employable’ which set out to change the career prospects of six unemployed young people.

“People put limits on themselves and what they can achieve. But every human is born with a success strategy. If you weren’t you couldn’t even walk or talk. Everybody is successful it is just a matter of your own self-perception. Beliefs actually control your life at a very deep level are very powerful to the mind but they can also limit one’s growth, the frightening part is that most of your beliefs are not even your own.”

The local boy made good has travelled a varied path and is an expert in traditional Thai massage, Kinesiology, Chinese medical practices, sports rehabilitation and professional hypnosis with NLP and Advanced medical hypnotherapy.

Next on the agenda is the publication of his book ‘The P’s of Success’, which will be available in the New Year.

Sean is also embarking on a play based around the up and downs of life’s journey which is in the pipeline for 2011.

“I’m excited about the book coming out. It’s based on a strategy for human achievement that we are all born with but as we become older we forget it and look to others for the so-called “Secrets”

The play will be an emotional roller coaster. It tells the story of traveling through life in the eyes of a dancer.”

My work has become a driving force in my life now and I will continue to travel to those people who recognize its benefits for themselves and their children’s future.

For further information on Sean and his work visit www.seanconnolly.info

An Interview with Sean Connolly - Irish Dancing World Champions Mind Coach

His Biography, His Honesty And His Vision

Where did you grow up and what childhood memories do you treasure?

I grew up in West Belfast with my 2 brothers and one sister. My childhood memories to be honest are all happy, of course the troubles where in full motion but we thought that was normal and you just got on with life. Our house was on a bend which made our garden the biggest in the street and we spent a lot of time in that garden with our friends.

My strongest memory of home was my Mum always baking, bread, pancakes and apple pie. She was brought up on a small farmhouse between the village of Carnlough and Ballamena in county Antrim by my grandmother Elizabeth Mc Cambridge/Mc auley. The little house is still standing derelict in a field with no road in or out. It is one room down stairs and 2 little bedrooms above and they kept a pig in the kitchen,lol. My Grandfather worked as a sailor deep sea and died after an accident on a ship leaving my grandmother with a small farm and 6 children to rare by herself. For extra money she cleaned and prepared the dead for burial.

My grandmother was the strongest person I ever met in my life, physically and mentally, she was also one of the funniest a real character. I always spent the 8 weeks of my summer holidays staying with her and working on my granddad’s brother’s farm my great uncle Jimmy. He had no electricity or running water on the farm and he made his own bread and butter, and if you wanted milk it was straight from the cow. He never married and owned land as far as the eye could see. His passion was music and he played as well as taught all the traditional Irish instruments. After the work was all done at night he would get the fiddle or pipes out and my cousin Charlie would play the accordion. Then it was on your knees while he led in saying the rosary. Charlie would always make faces at me to make me laugh and Jimmy would cuff my ears,lol When I wasn’t on the farm I would be on the beach with my friends.

What about your dad?

Most of the memories of my Dad were how he would sleep all morning and got out of bed in the afternoon for his dinner then to work his night shift at the post office. He always worked extra hours and stayed on night shift because it paid more money so he could pay the bills. Saturday mornings were fun because he always went to the bar before he came home drunk then he would wrestle with us, sing a couple of songs and then tap dance in the kitchen before going to sleep. My Dad is 73 now and still songs with a beer but his Freddie Astair days are gone. He was brought up in north Belfast on the New Lodge Road. His mum was Bridget Connolly and his Dad was John Connolly from Rostrevor, County Down. A fluent Gaelic speaker who fiddled and danced the hornpipe. My Granddad Connolly was blown up when the Germans bombed Belfast in the World War II. My Dad was sent to the countryside with his mum and brothers, which saved them during the Blitz.

Where did you go to school and what was that like for a young boy in Belfast?

My memories of school I would say would have to be mixed. I loved the fun in the yard at break time but the classroom had become a place of discomfort and confusion mixed with a feeling of fear of failure. Two teachers programmed me for this association in class and I can say with my hand on my heart that it hindered my progress. A child must always learn in comfort and even with an element of fun involved. Stress suppresses every system in the body.

My secondary school is definitely where I left my childish life behind. Even the walk to school would regularly be interrupted by British soldiers stopping us and emptying our books on the street and taking details. The first day was mostly fistfights to separate the weak from the strong and there was also a large element of bullying from older boys if you were not lucky enough to have older relations in the school to protect you. If you were different in any way from others you were picked on, and I had signs of a small dark mustache at 13 which was the butt of many jokes and slaps around the head by older bullies. Suddenly the priority was self-protection. I joined the after school Judo club only to find out the two idiots taking the class were in fact the bullies when the head coach was not there. One of them made life hell for me.

Why and when did you get into boxing?

After two bad beatings from older boys, one that fractured my cheekbone, I got together with some friends and went to the local boxing club Oliver Plunkett, which was run by Patsy Mc Alister. Patsy’s dad was a famous boxer who fought all over the USA and was a friend of the great Sonny Liston who Muhammad Ali took the title. He fought under the name of Patsy Quinn. When Sonny was in Ireland he visited Patsy senior for dinner at his home and was surprised to be sitting at dinner with 15 kids! Contraception in those days was to sleep in another house at night.

Around 15 of us turned up at the club and Patsy put us in for a good pasting with a senior boy to sort out who would stay. The frustration of the beating and not being able to hit the boy back just made me more determined to stay for revenge, I was sick of bullies, I was going to be strong and hard no matter what.

I boxed on and off for 12 yrs and went on to coach. They were times of great fun, fear, hardship and making great friends. By this time I had been convinced that I was not academic and it was more important to be tough because life was full of bullies, which it is certainly not the case now.

Did boxing keep you off the streets and out of trouble?

Although I was never involved in any paramilitaries, we all rioted against the police and British army for a buzz, everyone did, you made your own fun. My school was beside an army barracks and every lunchtime we would throw bricks and bottles at the Army for a chase, if you were lucky they would shoot some plastic baton rounds. These could make good money off American tourists. Some of my friends ended up in Jail, either for paramilitary organized activity or robbery and theft, some died through drugs in London, suicide, and some went on to be Doctors, Lawyers and successful Business owners and a few joined the Foreign Legion. Declan was a sniper, his brother Mickey was in the Seals and Paul became a Sergeant. All 3 of them have made a career from that type of work and are in Afghanistan today. You see it all has to do with how we are programmed as children. Some people get involved with trouble for excitement and others accept it as the world they live in day to day. Some believe they will be Doctors or Lawyers simply because one or both of their parents are and some believe they will never be any good because they are told so by those around them. I never seen a difference in anyone I met as my Mum always brought us up to see the good in people. Its funny when I think back none of my friends ever asked me to join any organizations or get involved with anything illegal. I also have to thank my life in sport for that. As my grandmother used to say, “ If you lie down with the dogs you will get up with fleas.” Most of my days involved sport and when I stood at the corner with the gang at nights most of them would be drinking or playing cards, while I sipped on a coca cola.

Where did life take you after school?

After my boxing career I worked as a postman where I befriended a man called Michael Crawford. Michael had a degree in Politics and was an Irish language teacher. Having a beer one night after work he asked me if I wanted to learn to speak Irish. I told him I couldn’t. “Why” he asked? “ Because I am stupid,” I replied. This was my honest belief at the time and I had never questioned it before. Why would I? The so-called experts in my life had told me verbally and non-verbally.

I remember Michael getting very angry and shouting at me “who told you that crap? No one is stupid!” He then preceded the rest of the night to break down and replace that negative belief. I remember that incident very vividly and I always remind Michael that he changed my life that day. Not long after that Michael started delivering Chinese take away after work for extra money. One night he asked his Dad to cover his shift for him and while delivering to a call out the UVF walked out and shot his dad dead. This was a regular occurrence at the time. Taxi drivers were also easy targets for loyalist paramilitaries, doormen or anyone walking about in a Catholic area. If a car stopped for directions or slowed down you had to keep a sixth sense about you. Michael still lives in Belfast and is an avid Celtic supporter as well as a criminal Lawyer. He still teaches the Irish language and speaks German and Spanish also. One thing the Boxing gave us during the troubles was friends in the protestant community. Boxing was never sectarian like soccer. You could go to any part of Belfast to box during the troubles and nothing was said. I think because it is a hard game where you earn your respect, the respect was real for each other.

How did you transition from regular boxing into Thai Boxing?

Around this time I was training in Thai boxing and had hurt my shoulder. One of the class members told me to call up to where he was training people in Thai Massage therapy and he would have a look at it. When I called in he encouraged me to take part in the workshop and that was it, I was hooked. Everyday I would practice on anyone I could get my hands on. I became obsessed with it and became very good with practice.

Who was your mentor and guided you scholastically back to College?

A Doctor who I befriended on the course told me that I should really go back to college and learn anatomy and physiology. Being eager for knowledge I did just that. After completing a diploma in anatomy, physiology and massage, I went on to complete diplomas in sports injury management and rehabilitation, acupressure, Chinese physiotherapy, chi gung and applied kinesiology. I flew through it all and it was easy because I loved it. I still wanted more knowledge and knew there had to be more.

How did you get involved with the Singapore, Fire Walking Festival in Asia?

The kinesiology introduced me into how the mind could affect the body and I had also started travelling to London to practice an old system of Kung Fu, which trained one to reduce pain by using the mind. It was around this time I was invited by one of my seniors to travel to Singapore and take part in one of the toughest fire walking festivals in Asia. I had to get soaked down with a hose and role in grit then roll a quarter of a mile with my arms above my head so that the grit would stick into me like thorns on the tiled temple floor. The next night there was no sleep as we waited for the fire to be lit at the Mariamam temple. A gravel pit 20 foot long and 2 and a half-foot deep with 5000 burning compressed hardwood logs. We had to walk 6 miles in the mid day sun around all the temples and church’s over the black tiled pavements which felt like hot plates. I even witnessed some locals taking lifts. My feet blistered badly and most of the skin had come off my left foot before I even walked on the fire. I had to be helped to my feet to enter the temple to walk on the fire, totally exhausted and in pain. The heat blew off it like a furnace as Indian men on both sides with sheets soaked in water raked the barbequed wood.

I remember thinking I am doing this even if it kills me, total abandonment, and I knew if I didn’t do it I would regret it the rest of my life. This fire is intense, it is not like those corporate fires walking gimmicks every Tom Dick and Harry takes part in. A lot of Indians backed out when it came to face it and the previous year a man fell on it and had to be rushed to hospital, it is unstable and deep. After the first two steps my brain wanted to shut down and I had to fight it. When I got to the end I was relieved and thought thank God that’s over.

Suddenly I could feel the heat of the fire running up the bones in my legs to the top of my thighs like two blowtorches. “What’s happening?” I shouted to an Indian man beside me. He said this was good as God was cleansing me of my sins. I remember wishing I could leave my body, I had enough, there were many ambulances outside but my group would not let me go to them but instead made me walk a mile to my lift, a pickup truck. The Indians got into the back and I sat in the front with the driver where I occasionally banged my head off his dashboard with pain. I started going into convulsions about 2 hrs later and was given a tablet to knock me out. In the morning I awoke with no pain or burns for that matter. The Singapore Hindu papers had printed the next day a westerner walks on the fire for Shakti for the first time in its history from 1848. I was proud of this as in my head I was representing the Irish.

How did people receive you when you went home?

When I got home a lot of people kept asking me how I could endure so much pain, but to me it was only a day. You get used to pain, I have broken ribs twice sparring heavy weight cage fighters, fractured my nose and check bone, dislocated shoulders, thumbs and broke most of my toes, I also chopped off the top of my index finger, but a lot of people have had worse. I watched my children being born, and I don’t know any man that would go through that.

Real pain is a parent watching a child slip away everyday in the hospital or not being loved by abusive parents. What I did in Singapore we can all do, we are no different really. It only lasted a day.

Most people want to hide a family crisis, but you endured, you have shared your experiences good and sad to try to help others. What triggered this inspiration?

When the year 2000 came in I was manager of the royal mail fitness suite and running a sports injury clinic. I was healthy and so was my family. Then on April my office phone rang and my wife was on the other end, she told me that I better get home quick as my youngest brother Gary was in my Mums back garden where he had hung himself. The journey of five miles to my mum’s seemed like 500 miles.

When I arrived at the house it was full of neighbors and the police where in the back garden below the tree. My Mum lives for gardening and she has produced many beautiful gardens from an old piece of flat land, which was full of rocks, separating each other with trees, hedges and flowers.

Gary had jumped off the tree from about 20 foot in the air with a rope thinner than my little finger around his neck. The rope had come undone over night and he had fallen in a red rose bush behind the tree sitting propped up as if he was just sleeping. To me he just looked like a sleeping baby. I cried and an anger raged inside me, I wanted to kill God for taking my little brother, I felt so desperate and helpless, if I could have cut my beating heart out to put it in his chest I would not have gave it a second thought. In the middle of my anger I heard someone screaming and turned to see my dad and older brother holding my mum back from seeing Gary. She fought and struggled with them, then eventually broke down and collapsed with no life left in her shouting “I want to see my baby!” Something died in her that day.

My mum had to be sedated and on the day of the funeral had to be lifted from her bed. I thought she was dying from a broken heart. My brother Gary’s nick name was smiler and he was always the life and sole of the party, he had more friends than anyone I knew and had represented Northern Ireland in Gymnastics as well as that he was a keen hurler and Gaelic footballer. If you were feeling down or had a bad day and you seen him approaching you with that big cheesy grin you just laughed. All the guys that lived and drank on the street even knew him as he would always gave them cigarettes and call on him in his little shop he of course would let them stand in out of the rain. Everyone was in shock and a lot of my family went into depression after this. I took time off to help and be the strong one not taking time to grieve.

Everyone was looking for answers and even blaming himself or herself for not knowing this was coming. It is very common after a suicide in a family for people to blame themselves because not many people know the symptoms or the severity of real depression and they feel as though they should have known something or did something more to help the person who has died. There is also an element of shame because the Catholic Church preached for years it was a mortal sin. Now that there is an epidemic of suicides in Ireland they have changed their way of thinking. I began my own research into depression. I wanted to know why Doctors, councilors and psychiatrist where not getting results at dealing with depression. I found out after how my brother had requested to be taken into hospital but was giving sleeping tablets on two occasions and after speaking to others about how they lost loved ones after seeing psychiatrists in our local hospital who did not take their symptoms seriously enough. Symptom diagnosis and drug prescription is not the answer, especially for children.

How did you handle all this, did you have the strength to move on?

I decided to focus on happier things like our new baby arriving and quietly hoped it would be a boy to name him Gary. It turned out to be a girl, whom we named Holly, however she was tragically born dead.

I returned to work and had a relapse of neurotic depression (feelings of disassociating, irrational thoughts and weeping for no reason). I had seen the work doctor who told me to take time off. I was then referred to a psychiatrist who made me feel ten times worse. He kept repeating to me “ Do you know that your brother was very selfish, this was a selfish act” I wanted to punch this idiot right in the mouth. The same man dealt with a friend’s mother and she took her own life, and there were others. Let me point something out here for any one reading this from the medical society. A selfish act is a conscious act. You consciously work it out for some sort of self-pleasure. Your conscious everyday mind is rational; it does not take part in irrational behavior unless you are intoxicated on alcohol or drugs. If I asked you to put a needle in your finger now you would not do it because you analyze that it will cause pain. The highest human intention is safety and survival. SO, if someone is having irrational thoughts about self-harm or suicide, why the hell are you looking in the rational mind for irrational behavior? Your rational mind cannot control your emotions.

This man also nearly pushed me over the edge as he sent a letter to my employers of 18 years and informed them that he could not find anything wrong with me other than he thought I did not like my job. I was dismissed, lost my redundancy money and they then froze my pension. What a result!! This man is still working in the national service and still telling his patience the same rubbish.

So in the period of 1 year I had lost my brother, my job and a child, but hey, according to the psychiatrist I was fine, so why worry?

The Irish say, thing happen in Three’s. When and where did you find your inner chore to pick yourself up and get back to life and living?

I had started dealing with my own depression and anger through alcohol and anything else that would numb me up. After a while I hit rock bottom, and one morning I woke up on a street in the town not remembering how I got there. This was it, I had children and a wife to think about and I did not like what I was turning in to.

Did you get your head back into studying again?

I got my head down and studied the mind, both sides. I also through myself back into my martial arts. I received diplomas in professional hypnotherapy with Neuro linguistic programming and went on to complete an advanced diploma in Medical hypnosis, which is specific for boosting the immune system as well as causing non-drug analgesia and anesthesia.

Did working with the local community help your healing process as well?

I began working in the local community with my knowledge of therapies, which covered the mental, physical and nutritional side of health. Working on the ground with ex prisoners and their families, kids in deprived areas and in young institution centers and also in sports as well as continuing my studies and progressing deeper into my own work. Gradually I noticed the importance of the emotional side of health being more important than the physical and nutritional and my passion grew in that direction.

I started receiving requests to take my work into corporate business’s and Universities and would even see Consultants on a regular basis for stress or confidence building. From this came requests for public speaking at AGMs for the Audit office, the institute of charted accountants and I shared a platform last year with the director of Disney at a conference for the chartered institute for public finance. I also starred in a six part TV series for BBC1 Northern Ireland where I had to take 6 long term unemployed people who had issues and build them up to get back into employment.

When did you start working with Irish Step Dancers?

I had always worked closely with the Irish dancers in Belfast treating injuries and balancing their muscles before an event. I noticed that before an event high levels of stress would make them ill or injured, so I began applying my emotional work with them. This had the effect of not only lifting their performance both strengthened their body making them jump higher and lifting their endurance levels. One to ones eventually became groups and with the results I was getting with dancers the word quickly spread now I have been sharing my knowledge all over the UK, Ireland the USA and Canada. I have been privileged to see behind the scenes in the world of Irish dancing and like most have become addicted to the music and the passion expressed, there is something magical about it. They train like professionals and are more determined and dedicated than most other sports I work with. Most of the teachers have been dancing from aged 5, go on from amateur to professional then go on to teach full time and travel around the world with their students competing, as well as keeping a family. They are sharp and self-driven. I had a real passion about what they did and wanted to be part of it and help.

I realized that if I could make these great athletes jump higher and further I could make a runner run faster, a boxer hit harder and a weight lifter up his maximum. So I went on to do this and have been doing this for 8 years in a mixture of sports professional boxing, cage fighters, runners, rally drivers, swimmers but I love working with the dancers, it does not matter at what level you are at or what sport you are in I can improve on your performance. It does not matter if you are an NBA super star already I can improve what you do. I specialize with dancers simply because I have worked mostly with dancers from beginners to multiple world champions and professionals. I have worked with Over 2000 Irish dancers and Ballet schools have requested me lately.

Tell us something about your film documentary?

I was filmed recently for a 12-week series on martial arts made in California by Anaconda productions. The producer actually phoned my home and told me he thought that was a bold statement that I had made on my web site. Well the proof is in the pudding I told him. So Arne Freeman organized a film crew in Northern Ireland and I had to take a professional cage fighter and help him break his strength record. You can view it on my website.

When will your book be published?

I am putting the finishing touches to my first book, which will be printed shortly. It is a book that will remind you of the greatest success strategy that has ever been used. We have all used this strategy to master thousands of skills that we take for granted. My little book will be a reminder for you so that you can read it and teach it in your children. I have also started to investigate the option of putting my program into a musical play which I am very excited about.

Can you sum up your dream, visions and expectations?

I have always done my best in my work and will continue to do so. You, me, and all of us must continue to grow in life, because if something has stopped growing it has to be dying, and we are no different. Sure life will still kick us now and then, but that is life. The only people with no problems I know are in the cemetery. So the more problems you have the more alive you are.

I dream of my Tools for Life program being part of every child’s studies in school and a play they can take part in to learn to love themselves and be the best that they can be in life, their best not other peoples best.

I have got to a stage in my own life where I am completely at ease with myself, I look up to no one, nor do I look down on anyone. I have a passion for life and I appreciate my family and friends. I feel privileged to be able to share my work and help change the direction in young people’s lives. I learn something from everyone I meet and I still have a hunger for knowledge. I don’t think we are all great, I know it, my job is to make you feel it, then you will believe it for feeling is believing.

You can tell a child that they are great but they will not believe you until they feel it. You can also tell people to say affirmations everyday like “I am thin” or I love myself” but they will feel like a hypocrite. Because they are describing something they do not feel and the analytical mind will interfere.

Now let me explain something very important here. If you are faced with a challenge in life, whatever that is, a competition, exams, an interview or having to overcome an illness or grab a massive opportunity in life that comes along. Right away you will have a feeling that will make you feel small and helpless or you will feel confident and strong. If that challenge seems very big and you cannot change it, then you can only make it seem smaller by making yourself a bigger person.

I don’t know about you but I want my children to be confident and happy in life as well as being able to cope with adversity and change when I am gone.

My Tools for life program teaches children and young adults the origin of self-confidence in all situations in life, how to create a real self-esteem and true self-motivation as well as how to deal with life’s obstacles, internal and external. And most importantly, never look up to anyone in this life, respect them, but if you always look up to others you will always feel beneath them. Bob Hope or the Pope, James Dean or the queen, I don’t give a dam, I am as good as any of them and so are you.

I have a powerful message for the Irish, American and all people, but I am only one person and I may never meet every one of you reading this, but I hope you can read my work some day or get to see my play.

Knowing I have left something valuable to others in this world I will be a happy man when I am 6 foot under pushing up the daisies.

For further information on Sean and his work visit www.seanconnolly.info