Former Feis Chairman John Bownes Passes Away

The Ancient Order of Hibernians was saddened today with the loss of National Life Member John Bownes after a freak accident last week. He was 83.

“He was a dedicated member of the order,” said fellow National Life Member Michael O’Rourke. “He was very active with the Feis, and helped build the stages. He was a worker.”

John joined Division 5 in Far Rockaway back in 1957 and later transferred to Division 3 in the Five Towns. Over the years he held many positions in the Order, including serving as Assistant National Freedom for All Ireland Chair back in the late in 1970s. He also held a few state appointed positions.

In 1972, John was appointed first chairman of the Feis.

In 2002, John was awarded with National Lifetime Membership for his service to the Order and continued to be active with the division and county up until his accident.

He is survived by his nephew former Nassau County President and State Director Ed Friel, three daughters and four grandchildren.

John will be waked this week at Fullerton’s Funeral Home in Baldwin, NY. We will post more information as it comes in.

2010 Dance Syllabus Now Up

The Dancing Syllabus is now up for the Nassau AOH Feis, please click here to access.

Please note, the schedule will be up a week before the feis.

2U – A U2 Tribute Band To Perform at the AOH Feis

This year, the Nassau AOH Feis is proud to have 2U as its musical guest.

THE PREMIER U2 TRIBUTE  show is a full time occupation for all of 2U’s band members. U2 Music from Boy, October, War, The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, Rattle and Hum, Achtung Baby, Zooropa, Pop, All That You Can’t Leave Behind, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, and their latest release “No Line On The Horizon”  is duplicated live as only U2 impersonators can. U2 songs, from “Pride” to “Vertigo”, “With or Without You” to “New Years Day”, “One” to “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, “Elevation” to “Miracle Drug”, “Out of Control” to “Get On Your Boots” are faithfully recreated live. Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.

IMPERSONATORS make up this U2 Tribute Band. There are many U2 cover bands and U2 Tribute Bands available. 2U’s full touring schedule, and precise emulation of a U2 concert  proves that this show is, besides hiring U2 themselves, The World’s 2nd BEST U2 SHOW available. Period..

For more information about 2U please check out the band’s website.

2010 Feis Honoree Paddy McCarthy

The Nassau County AOH Feis has named Irish Examiner publisher Paddy McCarthy its 2010 honoree.

Paddy was born in Ballyphehane, Cork City, into a family of seven boys and two girls.  Like most Irish families of the time, the McCarthys lived a happy life, in humble conditions.   On leaving school, Paddy tried his hand at several occupations, including shoe manufacturing and working for CIE on the Cork docks.

In the era of the show band and thronged dance halls, like Enniskeane’s Lilac and Cork City’s Arcadia Ballroom, Paddy was energized by the buzz and excitement of it all.  By age 17, he was a professional drummer playing with various bands, including his mainstay “Sunset”.  Within a short time, the Ballyphehane boy was promoting concerts around Ireland. The Chieftains, Dire Straits, Clannad and Loudon Wainwright III were just some of the well known groups in his portfolio.

By the early 1980s, the Irish economy had sunk into dire recession.  Unemployment was in the double digits. The City by the Lee was devastated.  Old mainstays of Cork’s work force such as Ford’s, Dunlop’s, Sunbeam and other entities were crumbling, as the economy acclimatized to the harsh criteria of European Community membership.

Like many of his contemporaries, Paddy set out on the well trodden emigrant path to the United States.  By 1982, he had begun his New York career working as a bartender, behind the sticks on Second Avenue. It was around this time that the Ballyphehane boy came under the wing of one of the godfathers of the Cork community, in New York, Joe Murphy a native of Cullen.  Within a short time Paddy had been press ganged into the, then, County Corkmen’s Association, at its headquarters, on 58^th St., in Woodside.  The two Rebels have remained close collaborators ever since.

In 1988, Paddy joined the Irish Voice newspaper, eventually becoming advertising director. In the early 1990s, he left the Irish Voice to open his own bar, the thriving Nevada Smith’s in Manhattan.  Always one to simultaneously juggle many balls, Paddy also took on the position of advertising director in World of Hibernia Magazine.  In 2000, Paddy, along with other business associates, launched the prestigious Irish Connections magazine, which continues to provoke and inspire.  In 2006, the boy from Ballyphehane,  launched  yet another publication, a weekly Irish American newspaper, the Irish Examiner.

Paddy is married to Patricia, who hails from East Meadow, Long Island.  They are the proud parents of Christina, who is a graduate of Manhattan College, and son James, who attends Nassau Community College in Garden City, Long Island.

Paddy is a perfect encapsulation of the legendary Irish immigrant wit, initiative and perseverance.   James Joyce once described the necessary qualifications for an Irishman to succeed as being “silence, cunning and exile”.  In the case of Paddy, we could debate about the first qualification, but there is no doubt about the other two.  No matter how much success he enjoys, Paddy will always regard himself, first and foremost, as just a “Cork boy”, proud of his native city and county, even though as he says himself, his “feet are now firmly planted here in the United States”.

The County Cork Association wishes Paddy, Patricia and all the McCarthy clan much good fortune and prosperity in the future.

Feis To Be Held Again at Molloy College

For the second year in a row, the Nassau County AOH Feis and Irish Festival will be held at Molloy College in Rockville Centre, NY. Located right off the Southern State Parkway, this centrally located college will be easy to find, while also allowing more people to attend.

Originally founded in Brooklyn over 50 years ago, Molloy College has grown steadily since its foundation by the Dominican Sisters of Amityville. Thanks to the encouragement and support of Archbishop Thomas E. Molloy, Bishop of Brooklyn, the Sisters welcomed their first class of forty-four freshmen in 1955. The College was originally chartered as Molloy Catholic College for Women.

For directions to the campus click here.

2009 Feis Photos

County Junior Past President John O’Connell was busy with the camera at the 2009 Feis. He took these pictures throughout the day, which is a good photo essay of the festival.

2009 Feis Video 3

Feis Journal Now Online

For the first time, the Nassau County AOH Feis has placed the journal online with an easy to read page turner. Please take a look and remember to patronize our sponsors.

To access the journal, please click here.

Dance Schedule Now Up

The Dancing Schedule is now up for the Nassau AOH Feis, please click here to access.

2009 Syllabus Is Now Available

The 2009 Syllabuses is now available.

Dancing registration will be offered through eFeis.com beginning on or about July 29th 2009. eFeis is the leading feis registration service.  Mail in entries also accepted.  Please see syllabus for instructions.

Piping and Drumming registration is available by clicking here.

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