The Irish Snug Podcast
Pull up a stool and settle in. The Irish Snug Podcast is your dedicated corner for the stories, history, and characters that make Irish pub culture legendary. From the storied wood of Manhattan’s iconic bars to the hidden gems of the Irish countryside, we sit down with the people who keep the tradition alive. Whether it’s a deep dive into family legacies or a chat with a local regular, we’re capturing the spirit of Ireland, one pint and one story at a time. (Formerly the Pubs & Pints Podcast).
Rooted in the Irish tradition of
great storytelling, each episode invites listeners to pull
up a stool and enjoy tales that range from laugh-out-
loud funny to deeply moving.
The Irish Snug Podcast
Why Irish Traditional Music Is More Powerful Than You Think | Dawn Doherty
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Welcome back to The Irish Snug! In this episode, host Tim Grant sits down with his cousin, the incredible Dawn Doherty. From being an All-Ireland tin whistle champion to her current role as a master music therapist, Dawn’s journey is a masterclass in keeping Irish culture alive and thriving in the modern world.
Born in NYC and raised in Castlebar, County Mayo, Dawn shares her unique perspective on the "bridge" between Ireland and New York. We dive deep into:
The Healing Power of Trad: Dawn’s work using Irish music to unlock memories for dementia patients and providing a vital outlet for children with autism at the Aisling Irish Community Center.
The Art of Teaching: From the "Music Munchkins" (ages 3–4) to the McLean Avenue Adult Singing Club, Dawn breaks down her philosophy on mentoring the next generation of musicians.
The Road to the Fleadh: Why song selection is everything in competition and how she prepares her students for the world stage at the Fleadh Cheoil.
The Gaeilge Revival: The modern "spark" in the Irish language and the importance of teaching Gaeilge in a fun, accessible way.
Whether you’re a musician, a fan of Irish history, or just looking for a bit of "craic," this episode is for you.
🎓 TEACHER’S SPOTLIGHT: DAWN DOHERTY
Dawn is a pillar of the New York-Irish music scene, offering a wide range of programs for all ages and abilities:
For Kids: Tin whistle, singing, and "Music Munchkins" classes at the Aisling Center.
For Adults: Private online whistle lessons and the popular McLean Avenue Adult Singing Club.
Specialized Therapy: Private music therapy sessions for elderly patients and scholarship-based programs for children with special needs.
🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Dawn Doherty’s Official Website: https://dawndohertymusic.com (For music lessons, music therapy inquiries, and performance dates).
The Aisling Irish Community Center: https://aislingcenter.org/
Kneecap (Amhrán Na Scadán): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=323QYC9XHY0
🎵 RECOMMENDED LISTENING:
Dolores Keane: The Voice of Ireland
Seán Keane: Traditional Master
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Welcome to the Irish Snug Podcast. Alright, welcome to the Irish Snug. Today we're joined by a woman who truly embodies the bridge between New York and Ireland. Born in New York City and raised in Castlebar, County Mayo, she is an all-Ireland champion, a master of music therapy, and the 2023 Mayo Woman of the Year. Whether she's performing at Lincoln Center or mentoring nearly 100 students at the Ashling Community Center in Yonkers, New York, her mission is the same: keeping our culture alive. Dawn Doherty, welcome to the Irish Snug.
SPEAKER_02Thank you, Tan. How's everything going? Good.
SPEAKER_00I'll have to add, I have to also add that uh we are cousins. Now you've you go back to Ireland quite often. Yes. Right. Do you how long have you been in New York?
SPEAKER_02About twelve years.
SPEAKER_00Twelve years now.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. I moved over about 12 years ago, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So you were born in New York City, but you're what what at what point did you go back to Ireland?
SPEAKER_02So I was born here in New York, and then my mom and dad wanted my brother and I to go to school at home. So we moved home when I was about four. So went to school in Castlebar and then went to college and uh worked at home for a couple of years before I moved out of here. So yeah, here about 12 years.
SPEAKER_00Okay, so now growing up in Mayo, this is where you you were um, I think you were an Irish dancer and you also did music. Tell us a little bit about that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so I started off doing Irish dancing in Castlebar with Dot Redmond, who has since passed away, but they had the Redmond School of Irish Dancing. And I did dancing for a good while. Um and I would spend my summer is here in New York, so we would go to all the dancing fashions everywhere, and then I kind of got into it a little bit more, and my parents would, you know, bring me to Florida and bring me to Canada and was doing the nationals and all that.
SPEAKER_00So you did the uh I guess the mid-Atlantic Arractus?
SPEAKER_02Um, yeah, I think I mean it's been a really long time, but I remember going to n Florida for the nationals, and I did well in that. And then when the new costumes were coming out, the whole you know, craziness with all the designs and you know, more intricate designs and all that. My mother went and bought me a beautiful new costume, and then a few weeks later I was like, Yeah, I'm not doing this anymore. I decided no.
SPEAKER_00Oh boy, yeah.
SPEAKER_02So she was none too pleased, so I had a choice. You either keep your music and your singing, and then you can give up the dancing, but you can't give up both. So I think I made the right choice I think I made the right choice.
SPEAKER_00I was that before all the wigs, or did you have wigs?
SPEAKER_02No, we had to um curly hair. It's actually awful. We had to my mother would roll my hair in these horrible little rollers the night before and put a little hat thing on your head, like a net, to hold it all together, and um you have to sleep in it. And it was just so uncomfortable. It was horrible. Yeah, a lot of work. A lot of work.
SPEAKER_00My daughter was a my daughter Jessica was uh Irish dancer for many years, and but the those were the wig years.
SPEAKER_02Oh, with the okay, that's yeah, I mean it's much handier now that they wear the wigs and all that, but I think some of the some of the dancers, I think it depends on there's a lot to it, I think.
SPEAKER_00I from what I understand, you know, I'm just a lay person, I don't know what about anything about Irish dance, but I think depending on a girl's posture and different things, there are some schools now that are their their girls are dancing without a wig.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00They're doing it uh I guess it you know it depends on the dancer, I think.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Well, I think river dance changed everything, you know what I mean? When that just Irish dancing just kind of took a took to a new level then after River Dance, you know. But I just, you know, I mean I love watching Irish dancing and enjoy seeing all the kids dance and everything, but I just yeah, yeah, I I loved it.
SPEAKER_00I wish it was still, you know, Jess is she's older now, so she's re uh they call it retired from from dancing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um so then so music became your music, yeah.
SPEAKER_02I started off in Castlebar with uh John Klekenny um doing the tin whistle and um then I continued with tin whistle and then my dad and mom was like, Oh let's try some other instruments. So I did piano and you know my grandmother was from Belmollet and you know kind of introduced me to the Shano singing and um call tune in, God rest her soul, lived across the street from me and taught me an awful lot of my um Irish singing and grail gat and everything. So um yeah, I tried different instruments the baron, tin whistle, uh did a little bit on the flute, uh tried the piano accordion, the button accordion. I tried everything. I think the tin whistle is the most handy, so you just put it into your bag and away you go.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02For me, yeah.
SPEAKER_00I can't I play the bagpipes and it's not quite that easy.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so yeah, I I just became immersed in the Irish music scene at home, and we were very involved in our local branch of Kyultus at home at Castlebar, and um we used to do straw boy events, we used to, you know, uh do um perform at all sorts of events throughout uh the county and you know did tours went to um France and Germany with Kyotus, and so you know I had a great time growing up in Castlebar um with my music and my singing. It took me a lot of places and met an awful lot of friends through that and um yeah, some great times at home with the music and singing for sure.
SPEAKER_00Great. Yeah. Um and then you decided to go to college for music as well, right?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I went to um the University of Limerick because that was a four-year course. And that was great fun. We're playing a lot, um met a lot of friends, still friends today. Um did a lot of performances, I guess, you know. Um, and then I came out to New York and did a semester with Mick Maloney down at NYU. That was a lot of fun. And then after that, I did a master's a two-year course in the University of Limerick. I stayed to do a master's in music therapy, which I loved. And I did like uh work in Cherry Orchard Hospital in Dublin with patients with neurological disabilities and patients with Alzheimer's and dementia. And I really I really kind of zoned in on that and I I really loved you know working with um the people that I worked with in Dublin. It was just it was it was amazing, amazing experience.
SPEAKER_00Let's talk a little about the music therapy. What um the patients with dementia, the there's like um does does Irish traditional music this is what I've read that that it kind of uh it seems to unlock memories and emotions for these people, right?
SPEAKER_02Absolutely, yeah. I mean, every patient um is different um and you know present presents with a different diagnosis, and you know, there's assessments that are done with each patient and stuff, but in just in speaking with you know their families, um families that I uh worked with up in Dublin, you know, they would tell me about kind of songs or music that would have been you know played in their house growing up, you know, when they were being raised or whatever in Dublin, and um so those songs were incorporated into the music therapy sessions, and also the families were allowed to sit in on the sessions if they uh chose to, and they just found it amazing that you know, like one lady in particular, um, she didn't know her who her family were, um, couldn't tell you the time of day. Um, and certain songs would uh bring her back and would trigger like a memory, we'd sing a song that she would have recognized from her childhood, and then she would, you know, recall a certain memory of that time, and the family just thought that that was just amazing, you know?
SPEAKER_00And it really I totally can see that, I totally could understand that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I actually did a music, I do music therapy um here in New York with patients um privately, and um one lady had told me we were singing a particular song, and she said to me, Well, that's where I met my husband was on the ocean um in in Massachusetts. So she this brought a whole big conversation then after the song that she remembered she she had met uh her husband when she was 16 and that um they went on a date a couple of days later. Like it just it was just amazing. It was a lovely, it was a special moment that she just recalled meeting her husband through the lyrics of this song, and that she was able to recall that's amazing.
SPEAKER_00It's amazing how the brain works like that. And I had a one of my podcast guests, uh his name was Dermot. He told me about there was a man who had dementia terribly, spoke fluent English, uh, you know, his whole life, but he also was Irish speaking. And when he went fell into this dementia, nobody could communicate with him. But then somebody came in the room that spoke Irish and he was able to have a conversation. Now, this is a person that spoke spoke English his whole life, but didn't understand a word of it at this point, but he was able, as soon as somebody came in and spoke Irish, he was able to speak the Irish. I think that's pretty amazing.
SPEAKER_02Amazing, yeah. And it definitely, you know, um my own grandfather, excuse me, he had um dementia and um he was you know, he would become very um agitated and and aggressive at times, and it just became to the stage where it was very unsafe to have him in the house and he had to be put into a nursing home. Um but music therapy also, you know, promotes like relaxation, and the patients would, you know, uh just kind of get into um almost like a like like a state of like that they're just completely relaxed or even falling asleep. But during that, while they're resting, like this one particular person that I had during the week, you know, the eyes are closed, resting, they're not sleeping, they're still very much aware of what you're singing, and then will join in in the words, you know. You I I would stop during in the middle of the song or in the middle of the verse of the song, whatever, and then she will just join right back in with the words of the song. It's quite it's quite amazing, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that is it is now. Do is that something that you offer um through your website?
SPEAKER_02Like, do you um well so I work I work with um children with special needs, which I have a class at the Ashley and Irish Community Centre, and people can contact me on my website. The um work that I do with um elderly patients, people can contact me um you know directly. My number is on the website as well. Um so that that's um that would be private work, but the classes for the children that I do at the Ashley Centre that's on a weekend, and I work and that's all music and singing, right? Yeah, music therapy for children with autism. Um, the majority of the children um are non-verbal and they you know just in speaking to their parents, how music therapy um just really really helps them and how they are after a class. When they come into a class, they're in a certain way, and when they come out they're leaving more relaxed, happy, and how they just love coming to music once a week. So unfortunately, music therapy is not available in many schools. You know, children with um autism they receive their speech therapy, their occupational therapy, physical therapy, um, but music therapy is not always available. So I do um fundraisers actually for my children with special needs, and all of these children receive scholarships to attend weekly music therapy sessions, and you know, just as I say in speaking to the parents, it just means so much to them that they can access this resource outside of school and that their children just love music so much and just love coming on a weekly basis. So I'm just delighted that my fundraisers can um offer this kind of assistance to parents because even outside of school, if children are getting uh speech, OT, physical therapy, it's very expensive and it's can be a financial burden on parents. So my fundraisers offer these scholarships to the families that they can reserve these are uh get these services um for free.
SPEAKER_00And they can find all that information on your website.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, they can contact me through the website.
SPEAKER_00You also have music lessons for uh uh younger kids and um just regular music lessons not not associated with uh like therapy.
SPEAKER_02Right. So um my music school, I teach music at St. Mark's uh Lutheran school. I'm the music teacher there, and then outside of that I have my own separate music school, and we have a music munchkin's class, which is for the tiny tats, the three and four-year-olds, which is very cute. Um, that's at the Ashton Center on a weekend as well. Then we have like the older kids, um, so they're all kind of in different classes. So then we have tin whistle and singing classes combined, we have guitar classes, classes for piano, then Frankie McCormick teaches banjo and mandolin classes. Um, then uh we have uh a singing group which is called the McLean Avenue uh Singing Club for adults, which um is a great class, it's on a Wednesday evening, and it's a lot of fun. And then um we teach the Ashton Irish Centre Katie Band and Ballet Group, which is held in the Ashton Centre during the week. So the Cady Band classes have actually been opened up to adults now as well, so adults can come and uh join that class as well, and um yeah, then do um I teach online as well, uh private classes for adults, um, whistle classes and singing classes. So there is a lot going on.
SPEAKER_00So um I had tried uh to get a bunch of the FDNY bagpipers to start taking tin whistles with you, and we did have a few lessons there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it was fun.
SPEAKER_00It got a little logistically because uh everybody in our band lives so you know, we have people from upstate New York and people out on Long Island, so it was just a little bit logistical. Uh it was a little tough. But I think that you have this online. I that's something I'm interested in. I want to do the online lessons. So so we're definitely talking about that later. I definitely want to get back into doing the tin whistle again.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you were doing really well at it. Yeah, that's right.
SPEAKER_00And remember, I was the star, I think I was the star student, wasn't I?
SPEAKER_02I think you were, I think you could have been. Yeah, it's definitely a busy time. There's so many classes. I just it's just you know, there's so much going on. Um, it's it's hard to to if there was, you know, maybe eight days in a week, nine, that would help.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that would be better, right? Yeah, never enough time.
SPEAKER_02There's a lot, there's a lot going on. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Never enough time. Yeah. So uh how about sessions? Do you do you with your students, uh children or adults, do you have like regular dates that you actually meet up maybe in Woodlawn or something like that for a session?
SPEAKER_02I mean, I I I I would honestly love to play more sessions than I'm able to, to be quite honest. I just I just don't have the time. Um, you know, I have m my own uh little boy who's very active and doing his own lessons and a hundred different activities going on, but um it's it's a lot. But um I wish I could do more sessions, but the session that I do uh get to is at the Tavern on McLean with your buddy uh Denny McCarthy and Frankie McCarthy.
SPEAKER_00Denny's gonna come on the show, he's gonna come on the podcast.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. I mean it's it's on a Sunday from four to seven. Um it's like it's a brilliant session. Denny and Frankie are so welcoming to the kids, and uh so if I do get to a session, that's where it is. Sometimes I play there myself. I'll be there this Sunday from four to seven. The staff are amazing there, everybody it's it's built up such a following. Denny and his and Frankie and the lads have just built up such a following. Everybody loves going on a Sunday. Um, so when my kids are around, they come in and they play a few tunes or sing a few songs, and it's such a great way for the kids to to experience a session, and that Denny and Frankie are just so welcoming to the kids, they're so encouraging, and um the kids just feel so good about themselves to get up and sing, and you know, we're just trying to do our bit to promote our Irish language and culture and heritage, and you know, uh last night we played at um where did we play? At Dunwoody golf course, excuse me, in Yonkers, and uh Chad and Mike Morley and all of the lads from the AOH, they're so welcoming to the kids. We put on a big performance there with the Ashton Cayley band and Ballet Group and kids from My Music School, and we had dancers, and it was fabulous. So I think the more performances that the kids do, to be quite honest, the the more they enjoy it. Like one of the little boys said to me yesterday, he's he just turned 12, and he said to me just before he was leaving, he was like, That was so cool, like to sing and and to play, and he was like, I really enjoy that. And I was telling his mom, Orla, who's in my adult in whistle class, and she that just made her so happy. She was like, That's what it's all about for the kids to have fun and enjoy it and make friends and go to all these performances. And you know, Sunday we were at the Eastchester Parade, and Brendan Lynch from the Eastchester Parade committee had us on a horse and cart, and the kids were loving it. We were singing a few songs and that and going through the Easchester Parade.
SPEAKER_00It was it was great it's great that you give these kids that those opportunities. We've and that's what that's what's yeah.
SPEAKER_02I mean, honestly, we've had some amazing experiences with my kids. We have um sang outside on the uh on the grounds of the Grand Home Opry, and the girls keep asking me to go back there, the singers. Um we've sang in Carnegie Hall, which was absolutely unbelievable. Uh, we've been to Mayo with the kids twice, done the home to mayo events. Um, oh, they've been up to Cape Cod, they've been so many places, and it's just it's brilliant. And you know, for a lot of kids, I I have a lot of kids that would be very shy and would be you know very intimidated getting up on stage. And now that they've done multiple performances, they're up on that stage and they love it and they want to be up there, and it's just a great, it's a great confidence boost for these kids as well, just to get up and do one or two songs, then maybe the next time they come they might do another one, you know.
SPEAKER_00I always thought that was a great thing about Irish dance when my daughter was doing is you you you know, all these girls are getting up on stage. Sometimes it's with you know another dancer when they're dancing at the same time, but uh when they get up to the higher levels, they're dancing by themselves, especially when they're doing their set dances. And it's there's there's hundreds of people in the crowd. Yeah. But they're getting up there and they're doing that, and that creates such a great uh confidence boost, you know. And they these kids take that away with them once they once they go into college and maybe they have to do public speaking and stuff like that. It all applies. So parents should know that because it is definitely a very good way of doing it. Now, do you have um how did how does enrollment seem these days? Is it is it uh the same as it's been over the last 20 years or 10 years?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it always fluctuates, you know what I mean? Like so for our Cayley band that we had, we uh lost 10 10 members of the Cayley band, they all went to college, you know. Um, but then they come back, you know, for performances, and like one of them came back last night to join the performance. Um, Patty Hennessy and play the guitar, and it's just so lovely when they come back. And uh, you know, one of my other students, Hannah, she's second year in nursing, and she's reached out to me a couple of times and said, you know, something that will remind her of the classes oh hey, I'm gonna be um uh in Galway next semester doing uh studying abroad, and you know, like where is a place to see Irish music? So it's so that to me, it's you know, if you've given these kids a foundation with the Irish music and stuff. they'll it's something that they'll carry with them through life like a dance and that's gotta make you feel that's gotta make you feel really good. It's it does and it just it just means that you know you're you're doing the right thing and we try you know what I mean we try to promote as much as we can um I I do have like waiting lists for private lessons I just can't fit as many people in as I would like you know um but we have you know our group classes going on and it's it's definitely you know there it's definitely you know booming I guess the Irish music scene and kids wanting to learn instruments but even adults like you know but my adult singing class I have singers so too in particular um had never heard of a flaky old before and um they I encouraged them I was like come out to the flat this was last year out in Persippone and I said come out to the flat I said and you know enter the singing why not like let's learn a few Shano songs traditional songs and why not so they did and they qualified to go home to the flas last year in Wexford they'd never been to an all-irel flat before and they went over and they sang and these are two people that had never sang in a competition before but just a little bit of encouragement they said okay we'll give it a go and they had the best time and so much so that they're going to the flat this year in Belfast whether they compete or they just go for the fun whenever they're going they just had the best time. What are some of the traditional songs that are being sung god there's so many um and there's that distinction you know between songs that are acceptable for the fla and songs that are not so you know you you really just hope that when somebody is getting singing lessons that the the teachers are aware of the song selection you know you can't go in and sing like I Tell Me Ma or you know the Galway Shawl or Molly Malone like they're not acceptable fla songs you know what I mean I was it was sad to hear about Dolores Keene God yes she was an icon and she was just the voice of Ireland really and yeah she just had such a distinctive voice and you know I grew up listening to her and she was just an icon it was just unbelievable. Yeah and her brother Sean actually another phenomenal musician and singer we were so blessed the time that we took the kids home a couple of years ago for the home to mail event he gave the kids a workshop in singing and like I was just saying to them I was like do you guys realize how lucky you are to get a singing workshop from Sean Keane and he was so sweet and generous and encouraging to the kids like he was just fabulous. So yeah Dolores will be so missed but her songs are just going to live on you know what I mean would Galway Bay be one of the songs that people would sing and would that be acceptable no no Galway Bay would be um one of her iconic songs you know what I mean um but not an acceptable uh song for the flat so this little um traditional Shano songs like you know you have the age groups um under 12 under 15 under 18 and senior and you know as the uh age group uh gets higher the songs um would be at a you know a higher level you know so for the little ones that are starting out um like I have little ones that'll be starting off you know talking six seven years of age you know what I mean there is a um uh a book that uh Kyotas um have out with acceptable songs which I think I might have here so like you know for the the little ones the banks of the roses um that that would be lively so for the under 12 competition you would have two two songs the kids would have two songs a a slow song and a lively song um so this is the book here actually Munu uh haran tradition around teaching traditional singing considerations and guidelines compiled by key authors cloth the rearing that's the book okay I'll put a picture of that on there when uh and it gives like in in Irish as well the the songs but just to give you an example you know for again for the little ones like Brian O'Lyn um uh the Banks of the Roses and and it can be for like under 15th as well but there's loads of different you know the parting glass um that would be kind of a well-known the rock's a bone the shores of loch brand lock shield inside um so and you know again there's a whole big list of some that are acceptable but um you know poor go McCree Estor McCree Loch Ernst Shore there's loads don't a load and do some of the kids uh that that's one last thing I wanted to talk about was the Irish getting into the Guelga.
SPEAKER_00That seems to have a very very big revival I'm seeing at the moment.
SPEAKER_02Matter of fact my my next guest is gonna be uh are you familiar with Molly Irish with Molly Molly Goodera she she's from Dublin she teaches the Irish language uh she's got a program online and it's it's it's very very I mean she's got a lot of students um I'll s once I do the podcast with her I will send you a link to that that'd be great yeah and it's gonna be a good one and and uh we're gonna talk about how it's the language is really being there's a a big push uh a big revitalization I think with the with Guelga so I think uh and I'm trying to learn it as well yeah um yeah I mean it's you know everyone we're all so proud of our culture and our heritage and you know we want to continue to pass that on to the next generation especially when you're living away from home you know and you're trying to promote that over abroad and over here and I'm sure you know there's so many different uh countries around the world there's so many Irish people living and a lot of people will be teaching but as you say you know online classes is very helpful as well for people that you know if there's Irish teachers at home that are doing these classes it's it's great you know um and it's definitely you know there is a competition um in the flaky old uh core grelga um where children and there's different age groups I I don't think there's uh the senior age group I'm not 100% sure about that um but you know they they go in and and have the conversation in Irish and it's just lovely and yeah you're right there is a big revival of it everybody wants to be able to speak a couple of fuckal you know what I mean are you fluent you know I was years ago and I could I can speak Irish I sing in Irish whatever but you know when you're not doing it on a constant basis you know what I mean so my grandmother was from the Gueltic area in Balmullet and they spoke a lot of Irish in the house you know that would be part of the Gueltech right correct yeah yeah and um yeah I mean you know I I should be speaking it more on a daily basis but you know uh nobody here in my house uh my my mother would have a bit of Irish my dad doesn't have any he can say pencil um but yeah he doesn't he wouldn't have a word but and he he says that too you know he it would be nice to be able to uh speak a few words you know well one of the things uh the the girl Molly I've heard her say before uh I'm really excited to have her on the podcast um one of the things she says is how she it's it's kind of she sprinkles it it's not like how the old days where they it was kind of compulsory to go when you were in school it was like you had to learn this and you had yeah it was it was kind of shoved down your throat yeah uh in a way but now like people want to learn it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah and and it's good to just sprinkle things out. Like yesterday I was actually trying to throw do a couple of phrases you know for St.
SPEAKER_02Patrick's Day and but I think yeah the more you'd use it and the better it would be if you had as well you can teach it in you know a kind of very fun and creative way now for you know children and adults so I had my friend Orla Walsh she um she's the Irish language officer for the Mid-Atlantic region and she you know was doing some Irish language classes and she just had a great way about her of you know teaching in the class um made it fun for everybody you know what I mean that people enjoyed coming back into the class you know it depends as well on your teacher to be honest you know like I remember anything yeah I I remember one of my friends saying to me like when he was growing up at home in Ireland that the the his um Irish teacher was just not a good teacher and wasn't um nobody kind of was drawn to the teacher you know what I mean and kind of didn't really want to um be in the class like whichever way that that teacher was teaching the the subject and you know it's kind of you know he has regrets in that way that you know if only my teacher was a bit more you know I guess competent or I don't know who the teacher was but that's with any that's with any teaching.
SPEAKER_00Yeah you know back in the I I went to Catholic school my almost my whole life my last two years I went to public school of high school but you know the people we were we were afraid of the nuns. Yeah you know there was a there was a discipline there that was I now don't get me wrong I think there's value to a certain level of discipline. Yeah uh I I believe in in a certain level of discipline but where is that line? Right you know and that line was crossed a lot. Yeah and people were afraid you know if your math teacher was you know yelling and screaming why would you want to learn it? Yeah you know you gotta if you're gonna pick a subject to learn you gotta you gotta love the subject.
SPEAKER_02Yeah and I think like when children get a good foundation you know from the very beginning it makes all the difference you know what I mean and you know I remember well I know you know my my mom and my dad what they talked about their uh childhood education you know as you say it was kind of scary what they went through you know and almost afraid to go to school that's right you know and my dad told me so many stories he was a bit wild now to be fair but like he would almost like hide down a field he said or hide up on top of a tree you know uh and and skip school some days just not wanting to go in just afraid of the teachers and just had no interest in school whatsoever.
SPEAKER_00So in in in that regard though I think it was a time where they just didn't know any better.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You know I don't think there was you know what was there studies on this is a better way to teach or like with that was just the way. It was just the way and I just you know obviously time has gone by and I think we've learned our lesson with that but hopefully anyway so I'm gonna tell you what got me wanting to learn the Irish language. Now it goes back a long time ago and then I just forgot about but uh probably 30 years ago I was in uh Galway in Connemara and I met this old timer. The guy was uh I I I would have thought he was eighty years old back then but we went out to a pub and we were we were singing and he was singing all these songs in Gaelic and I you know Irish they they actually he called it Gaelic. But he was singing these songs in Irish and it just was it took he wrote uh Orosha de Vahuaya I don't I don't even know if I said that right but you know the song right um he sang that but he sang probably four diff four or five different songs in in Irish and I said wow I want to learn how to do but it was impossible at that time to eat you know that's before the internet and all that so how how would I possibly learn how to speak Irish in in New York just this is just recently I was watching a YouTube video of kneecap there we're sitting in a bar and they were it was completely a cappella. They sang this song an Irish I don't I don't know the name of the song but it's about a sailor that goes out to sea and he doesn't know if you know because it's very dangerous he doesn't know if he's gonna come back that's what the song was about and uh kneecap is singing this song and I I'm like I have to learn how to sing this song in Irish I I just have to it's my goal now. So that's what set me on this this mission now to want to learn the Irish language. I mean I'm not just gonna learn to sing that song there's something so special about the Irish language and it's it's beautiful to listen to you know like when you're singing it um and you know for me when I'm teaching the kids singing in Irish here we do it phonetically you know what I mean um but there's just so something so special about the Irish language you know and I think that's as well more and more people want to learn and if you hear uh somebody singing in um the Irish language that you've never maybe heard before whatever you're kind of drawn to it and um so for me I love singing Irish songs um at church like I just for me there's something very sacred beautiful and special about it and I always get asked like to do it at funerals and stuff and I sang it down in St Patrick's Cathedral um and several you know churches you know all over New York or whatever but there's just something so special and my granny uh would have taught me um a few of my Irish hymns you know um Askaelga and again you know people will come up to you afterwards and and be like oh I I never heard that song before and you know how where did you learn how to sing that so there's then there's an interest people then are interested just like you say you hear somebody sing it like some of the kids would um hear some uh famous people like as you said you know what I mean sing it and that might you know interest them and then be oh absolutely cool you know what I mean it's a spark and I I'm gonna I'm telling you I'm gonna put the link in the podcast of the kneecap video that I saw if I can if I could find it I'm gonna put that in there but also if you could send me maybe some of your links uh of you singing or playing the tin whistle and we'll we'll put those on the podcast also so people could you know it's all about promoting Irish culture.
SPEAKER_02That's really my podcast it's uh anything that touches Ireland in any way whether you're from Ireland or you're from America or Australia doesn't matter I want to talk about I want to sit down with people like yourself or anything that touches like next week I have Molly who's we're gonna talk about the Irish language and you know I think so many people um in the New York area um and and abroad so many people are doing so many wonderful things to promote our Irish culture and heritage you know and and that's what's you know keeping it alive as well and for so many I have a lot of American friends here who grew up playing Irish music and they're very dedicated in the promotion of our Irish language and our our music and our song and um they do a lot of work for Kyothas Kyotha Aaron out here and um you know Anne Marie Acosta she is also a music teacher she has her own music school you should actually get in touch with Anne Marie to do I I actually so I'm I'm indirectly I'm in touch with her.
SPEAKER_00Oh great okay yeah I am gonna have Anne Marie I'm yeah she's she's friends with Debbie Lynch who was my my daughter's Irish dance teacher I've met Anne Marie before because she's performed at uh you know the recitals yeah um so I have met met Anne Marie before but I am gonna get in touch with her. Yeah and there's so like there's so many more like Anne Marie um my other friend Joni Madden I actually also got in touch with Tony yeah we're it's a you know there's so many Irish musicians um but yet it's such a small community as well and I think everybody is just doing such a great job at you know promoting well it's all of our jobs it's all of our jobs to pro to promote exactly we're all to have our own little bit our own little thing everybody has you know aside from oh wait now my battery is running low okay I'm just gonna um aside from you know doing our best to promote everybody you know has their daily lives they have a uh an outside job of that you know what I mean and um you know life is busy for everybody but I just I just think it's so great when you see so many people doing such wonderful things coming together working together and um as I say I have so many friends out here in that circle Niall Mulligan is a fiddle player um I have uh just I'm I'm very blessed with the friends that I've met here um since I moved to New York I mean I I have so many friends that I play with John Walsh my buddy he's a guitar player um just so much Fiona Smith her kids I've been um lucky to have had them uh her daughter in my music school who's also a Shannon's dancer um her son plays the fiddle um but there it there's I'm probably you know just leaving out so many people but there's there's so many you know the the I've had a similar experience just being on the fire department the camaraderie within the fire department is is uh it's on a level that nobody can understand really the fire department police department even the trade unions all the you know all around New York City boss all the big cities a lot of Irish came in there and a lot of them are firemen and police officers and and I think uh initially as my podcast is growing I think initially those are some of the the people that are will be you know gr uh attracted to the podcast but um you know the the love of Irish music has always been there and it's something that I've seen since the day I got on the fire department where on Sunday mornings in the firehouse the Fordham radio station is playing Irish music throughout the house you know like that that's it really it it sets the uh sets a tone you know for the people who have that you know yeah and I think you know um as you say the camaraderie and everything and uh you know everywhere you go in the world you you just if you have you know the love of Irish music you're gonna meet you're you're gonna meet people I you know I'm I'm blessed with all the people I've met here you know uh another one of my buddies Sean Wan he's a beautiful singer um I met him when I first moved out here and we sang a lot together in uh a church and uh I haven't seen him in a while but you know he's he he does a lot of the the masses and stuff like that he's awesome and there's just so many great people you know what I mean but um do you remember Frank Patterson? He's he's past now he was a famous tenor right so we opened up for him on car at Carnegie Hall two different times so I got to play at Carnegie Hall as well.
SPEAKER_02It's amazing yeah it was pretty cool it's yeah it's you know as you say like as well the experiences for these kids that it it it brings the opportunities you know it's just um it's just amazing you know and I'm I'm glad that especially like the older kids as well you know at a certain age that they lose interest which is you know understandable whatever but when they have all these exciting opportunities to come and they want to they want to do it and I love seeing my older stud students now starting to do gigs like I just think it's great. You know some of my students uh did a gig yesterday and on and uh St Patrick's Day another one of my students she was upstate singing did her first gig by herself for like two or three hours mourning and it's just it's amazing. I love I love to see it. I love to see them going out and getting gigs.
SPEAKER_00You mentioned a couple of you know kids that that as they get older they kind of fade away from it. But I think what happens is they'll they'll come back into it once they hit a certain age. You know that kind of happened to me with the bagpipes I was gonna learn when I was younger and then you know then you discover girls and now it's a whole different thing you know you play bagpipes now.
SPEAKER_02But later on in life it changes yeah exactly I mean I think for a lot of kids as well it's not like oh I hate this I don't want to do it anymore. You know here like school takes over and they're in sports and running and track and swim and you know college here is so expensive and they have to you know get these scholarships to get into like it's very different here than School, um the way school and the education system is here, um, and it's you know, they the more that they do, I get to try and enhance their chances of getting scholarships. But as well, I get inundated with requests to write references uh for all of these kids that are going off to college, and you know, it's so impressive for them to have all of these um uh experiences that they've had through music and singing on their uh resume to send into college. Like it it's great, you know what I mean? That they've traveled you know all all over America and internationally with their music and singing, it's great.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's great that you're doing that. That's that came up with uh when I interviewed Debbie Lynch from the Irish Dance School. She's always writing these letters, and she said that she heard that a lot of these colleges, the the admissions officers, when when they see Irish dancer, that the paper goes on the top of the list. They want those kinds of girls um that are I should say boys and girls that that dance the Irish dancers because there's a certain discipline in it and dedication and everything on they like that. Yeah, you know what I mean. So I would think it would be the same with with the Irish singing and musicians.
SPEAKER_02It's impressive, you know. And you know, that you can represent then whatever college you're in, you know, join the choir, join uh the dance team, join the Gaelic society, and you can bring a lot to the table. Yeah, you know what I mean, through your music, your singing, or your dancing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. Well, Dawn, I think you're doing a great job. Um you're doing a great job with with promoting this, and you have a uh you have a great personality for it. So um I think it's uh it's it's a great thing, and hopefully it'll be great if we have more people like you doing doing these types of things. But um I really appreciate you coming on the show today.
SPEAKER_01Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_00We'll we'll uh we definitely have to get together. Uh I haven't haven't seen you in a while. So we'll have to family reunion is on the card. Yeah, we'll do a family re actually. I am thinking about doing a family reunion uh out here. So we'll if we could do something local, it'd be great.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it'd be a reason. Yeah, yeah, sure.
SPEAKER_00All right, Dawn. Well, thank you uh so much. I really appreciate you coming on and taking the time. And uh maybe, maybe down the road we'll do we'll do another podcast. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02Bring some friends on this time with me.
SPEAKER_00Great, thanks again, Dawn.
SPEAKER_02Bye.
