Årvoll gård, Årvoll kulturscene is arranging an Irish show of dance and music with Sound-Irish Dance Company and Tradish Thursday 17. November at 19.00. Tickets are kr. 250,-. Booking: Tel. 908 87 855

Peer Gynt: The boy who never grew up, the escapologist extraordinaire.

Rough Magic, who stormed the Dublin Theatre Festival last year with the remarkable Phaedra, has reunited with the author of their 2004 smash-hit Improbable Frequency, with this original new take on Ibsen’s epic study of delusion, self-evasion and wild imaginings.

Caught between his angel and his demon, haunted by the women he loved, lost and betrayed, and catapulted through a life built on fantasy, Peer Gynt is finally forced to face himself.

Fast, funny and told with Rough Magic’s trademark theatrical wit, this classic tale is reimagined in a spectacular and surreal interpretation with live music from the outstanding ensemble Tarab. Truly a story for our times.

More info on the Dublin Theatre Festival website

Henry McCullough returns to Norway this week to play several concerts. Kicking off with a benefit appearance for the victims of the Utøya attacks at the Oops music shop at Bekkestua on Thursday the 25.08.11 at 16.00. McCullough plays several dates and is not to be missed (see tour dates below).

Born in Portstewart in County Londonderry, McCullough first came to prominence in the early 1960s and is justifiably one of rock’s most legendary figures. The only Irishman to play Woodstock, the list of his accomplishments are far too numerous to mention here. You can read more about his amazing career on the following links:

www.henrymccullough.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_McCullough

Tour Dates 2011

25/8 Kl 1600 Oops Bekkestua gratis show, innsamling for Utøyasupport

25/8 Kl 2000 Stallkroa Øvrevoll

26/8 Kl 2000 Privaten Holmsbu

27/8 Kl 1900 Queens Pub

28/8 Ca kl 1800 Sherryhaugen Øvrevoll – gratis sett etter Derbydagen

30/8 Radio P1 Herreavdelingen

2/9 Kl 2000 Baracoa Asker

3/9 Kl 2000  Boots Bar Åros

Henry McCullough. Photos by Ronnie Norton.

This year’s second NIS Bloomsday Celebrations were a huge success with a very well received Bloomsday Lectures programme at the Ibsen Museum. Once again many people took the initiative to dress in Edwardian Costume which contributed immensely to the festive spirit.

The opening address was given by is Excellency Gerald F. Ansbro, Ambassador of Ireland. The lectures featured contributions by Associated Professor Ruben Moi, University of Tromsø, Professor Emeritus Bjørn Tysdahl, University of Oslo and Dr. Derek Hand, St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra and were very well received.

Without a doubt, for many the highlight of the evening was actress Katie O’Kelly’s performance of extracts from her father’s one man play Jimmy Joyced. Katie played eighteen different characters in this adaptation which she titled Jimmied.

Also well received was the preview of what is probably the world’s first ever Bloomsday Flash Mob. Shot at the National Theatre the final edit can now be seen right here:

The Bloomsday Committee would like to thank all of those who attended. We hope to see you again next year! We would also like to thank all our sponsors and all of those who helped to make this a great day!

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After last year’s great success the Norwegian Irish Society is proud to announce details of The Oslo Bloomsday Celebrations 2011. Once again the Ibsen Museum will be the venue for the Bloomsday Lectures and we are delighted to present an exciting line-up with some hidden surprises.

After a great response last year, we are once again hoping that people will make a big effort to dress up to make this a truly festive event. We recommend Edwardian style costumes such as bowlers, straw boaters and waistcoats for the men, petticoats, bonnets and parasols for the ladies. The more, the merrier!

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The Bloomsday Lectures have a limited number of tickets so make sure that you get yours early. Last year was practically SOLD OUT!Tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. In the case of overbooking, ticket price will be refunded immediately.

To purchase tickets:

Pay kr. 150,- per person directly into account number 6012.06.32054. In the message field please write ticket holders’ names.

Send an e-mail for confirmation to bloomsday@irishsociety.no.

The Bloomsday Lectures is followed by a Bloomsday Party at The Dubliner Folk Pub, Rådhusgt. 28. All are welcome and Bloomsday costume is encouraged. The party will begin at 21.30 and run until late. No entrance fee.

Join us at O’Reillys Irish Pub on Wednesday June 1 and help support this year’s Bloomsday Celebrations.

* Wednesday June 1, 18.00 at O’Reillys Irish Pub, Markveien 35B, 0554 Oslo

* Entry: 100 kr per person – teams of 4

*Great Prizes

*Entry: 100 kr per person – teams of 4

*All welcome!

“Ireland Reaching Out” is an organisation established in 2010. Based in South East Galway, its goal is to encourage people of Irish heritage, with links to the local area, to visit and connect with Ireland, through inviting them directly to participate in a cultural and activity week from 26th June to July 2nd, the “Week of Welcomes”. Active local voluntary groups of historians, community activists and organisers are leading the research and collation of local primary genealogical information, and the organisation of the week. Further information can be found here. “Ireland Reaching Out reverses the usual process of tracing your roots”, says founder and Chairperson Mike Feerick, who proposed the idea after the Farmleigh Global Irish Forum in 2009. “We’re facilitating local parishes in Ireland to reach out to those who left and their descendants, and reconnecting with them in a genuinely friendly way. We are looking forward to welcoming the diaspora back home for a week that we know will be an important event in the history of our relationship with the Irish abroad.”

While it’s an opportunity for cultural renewal and discovery, the week will be great fun; highlights include a “This Is Who You Are” Day, where participants learn about Irish history and the local history and heritage of the parish of their ancestors, the “reunion games”, where everyone can play on the parish team, even if your athletic skills stretch only so far as “official commiserator”! You’ll even get to enjoy all the craic as a guest at the “wedding” of Patrick and Siobhan (don’t worry: the dress code is casual and they don’t want any presents!).

Anyone with links to South-East Galway are encouraged to participate in this year’s Week of Welcomes, and those with roots in the rest of Ireland should mark their calendars for the summer of 2012, when the programme will roll out nationwide.

Download PDF brochure here.

A chairde, friends,
time to welcome the end of a very long and cold winter (we hope) with some serious celebrating. So come along and march along with us down Oslo’s main street , see a performance of traditional dance, and meet friends and future friends for a good day out…and show there is still life left in the Irish!! Lets see if we can get a good turn out like the one below.

(OK this is actually the opening of the ski VM but the principle is the same…except nobody complains about the cold!!)

Start Point
The parade starting point, will be Jernbanetorget (i.e. outside Oslo S). Please arrive as early as possible.

Start Time :
The parade will start at 1 pm sharp (very sharp!) . We would like all participants to arrive as soon as possible at the start point, preferably up to 30 mins beforehand (give you a chance to chat anyway). so that we can organise the march order which we intend to follow as rigorously as possible,  If you should arrive late you are still very welcome to join the parade at the back or as instructed by the marshals.

Colour
We want as many as possible to join the parade and we want it to be as colourful as possible. Those of you who have county flags , please bring them along, little and large leprechauns and shillelagh jugglers welcome. We dont care if people are black, white, yellow or pink as long as they are green.

Needless to say you dont have to have an Irish passport to be Irish (and indeed you are not necessarily Irish even if you have one as we have seen in the news)  on St Patrick’s Day, so people of any nationality are welcome to march with us, as long as they are prepared to be Irish for the day and meet the minimum requirement to “greenity”.

Grand Marshal
The Norwegian Irish Society has been recently established in Oslo, however it took its inspiration from the activities of our compatriots in Bergen, The Bergen Irish Society was established in 1999 and its Chairman since 2001 has been Eamonn Doyle.

In recognition of his work in promoting Ireland and Irish culture, in contributing to the good relationship between Ireland and Norway, and providing, through the Bergen Irish Society, support to the Irish community in the west of Norway, we have selected Eamonn as this year’s Grand Marshal.

Hard Rock Cafe
Following on from last year we have again allied ourselves with one of our sponsors, the Hard Rock Cafe (2 minutes walk from Universitetsplassen) and they have set aside an area for us upstairs after the parade finishes (approx 14.15). If you wish to go there you will need to book a table beforehand by email to oslo@hardrockcafe.no or calling 4000 6260 and make reference that this is part of the NIS arrangement on the 19^th March.

We dont know how many will avail of this offer, so book early to be sure.

Hard Rock are giving some discount on their meals ,and some friendly drink prices and they will make available their virtual bowling facilities for free on the day. We will also hold a raffle.

We appreciate that some may opt for the traditional crowded pub and of course we are also in favour of supporting our other sponsors but in the course of a long day both options are possible to experience.

Motto
Our motto : The aim of St Patrick’s Day is to put a smile on the face of the world

So lets put a smile on the face of Oslo (and ourselves in these troubled times for Ireland). Join us on the 19th.

Remember to follow any developments on our website http://www.irishsociety.no/

le meas, best regards

Conn Fagan
on behalf of the St Patrick’s Day Organising Committee / NIS

Follow the parade on Facebook.



As part of the St Patrick’s festivities in Oslo in 2011, a Mass in honour of St Patrick will be celebrated in English and Irish in St Olav’s RC Cathedral, Akersveien 1, at 1800 on Friday 18 March. The Mass will be followed by the traditional informal gathering, this year at Menighetssalen – The Parish Hall – in Akersgaten, right behind St. Olav’s, where tea, coffee and home-made cakes will be served. Everyone Irish, and friends of Ireland, and their friends and families, no matter what denomination or none – all are welcome!

One of the high-points of the Mass is the lovely singing of the choir, led by Annmarie Mc Dermott. If you have a voice and if you like to sing, Annmarie would love to hear from you. Rehearsals will start shortly, and will take place during February and early March. Contact Annmarie at midi_kid98@yahoo.no for further details.

Volunteers are needed for cake-baking too, so if you’d like to offer your skills, contact Nora Nordan at nono@treider.no.