SIGH SCRAPBOOK
What we did, when we did it !
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Suncoast Irish & Gaelic Heritage is excited about our upcoming year of Irish fun!
We are looking forward to a grand 2024 with SIGH.
We hope you will be joining us as we share our wonderful Irish culture & traditions at our events and through our Facebook page.
Please visit our MEMBERSHIP INFO page for the details
to become a member and/or a SIGH SPONSOR!
SLAINTE'
CELEBRATING ROBERT BURNS - THE BARD OF SCOTLAND!
What a tremendously fun evening to celebrate
Scotland's Bard- Robert Burns
The Piping of the Haggis was truly exciting. The procession, led by Piper Bethany Herkowitz, took the tour around the patio and to the inside of Jacks London Grill before setting the steaming delicacy upon the table.
The traditional "Selkirk Grace" was delivered by Gary Fuller.
The official 'Stabbing of the Haggis" was demonstrated by our Emcee & musician for the event- Daniel O'Dell.
The entire program that honored the great Scottish Bard Robert Burns was presented by Suncoast Irish & Gaelic Heritage Officers - Skip de Montozon, Sionaínn Rose O'Dell, Gary Fuller , Goody Haines along with Dan O'Dell.
Once we concluded the full traditional observances, complete with Rabbie Burns poetry and tunes, Suncoast Irish took the opportunity to give out a couple of well-deserved certificates.
First: Our Suncoast Irish organization 2023 Person of the Year, Skip de Montozon.
Skip has been a staunch supporter, sponsor and a very hard worker at our Irish Village at the St. Petersburg International Folk Fair Society, Inc. (SPIFFS).
Secondly: A Certificate of Appreciation was given to SIGH member Tommy Williams. Tommy has been our awesome Raffle Sales Person at our Fundraisers as we strive to develop our IRISH VILLAGE each year.
Congratulations to the 2 attendees that won the raffle baskets!
Sharing the stage with Daniel to provide music for the remainder of the evening was Gary Fuller & Goody Haines.
We welcomed Sionainn to the music arena as she is becoming a very capable bodhran player.
Many thanks to Peter, the owner and great chef at Jacks London Grill, for his support and welcoming us back to his restaurant for this special celebration. Peter is also our newest sponsor as we prepare for our 2024 SPIFFS IRISH VILLAGE in October.
Thanks also go out to our terrific SIGH member Daniel O'Dell for facilitating this event once again.
Thank you to Jen Shumilak for some of the photos of the evening!
Our grateful thanks to our members and friends that joined us!
Til' we meet again... Sláinte
Goody & SIGH Officers
PADDYFEST II
Wasn't that a party!!!!
Paddyfest2024 is in the books and it was grand!
The Channel 8 news team wandered about the park and caught up with the the Suncoast Irish & Gaelic Heritage booth to get some really awesome interviews with a couple of our fine folk helping our organization for the day!
The finest Leprechaun ever, Rosco ( Ross Tarr ) and a most musically talented lady, Kathie Nutter !!!
What a fantastic opportunity to share our organization and how we are part of the St. Petersburg International Folk Fair Society, Inc. (SPIFFS)
So many BIG THANK YOU'S to our volunteer team this weekend...
It was kinda warm but we did it! We Lve ya!!!
Ann Seidl ,Anne Maree Gillespie, Ilse Maria Kearney , Emily Duke, Colin J. Sullivan /Sully, Sionaínn Rose O'Dell , Christian Arial , AnnMarie Stump, Natalie Stockard, Kathryn Waddell Jetter , Rana Jetter , Kathie Nutter, Ross Tar, Juliana Rendle, Anne Anne L. Hall , Laurie Clement , Austin Stump, Ron Fines, Libby Higdon , Alexis Strokoff, Jason Douglass, and a very special heaping amount of gratitude to my dear Gary Fuller!
Connections with the Tampa Bay GAA were made and a wee bit of a reunion with some AOH (Ancient Order of Hibernians Div 2) fellas was the neatest! Thank you Norman McEvoy !
I'd like to add that we were honored to spend a few smiles with Miss Pat Packer (owner of the Harp & Thistle on SPB) and her sweet
beau Bob Lynch!
THANK YOU Pete Boland and Mary Margaret's Olde Irish Tavern for this event! When ya go to Mary Margaret's - make sure to give Kat Van Dora a huge high five!!!
Slainte Y'All!!
WFLA - Paddyfest report: HERE
SUNCOAST IRISH MUSIC NIGHT
HOORAY, SUNCOAST IRISH IS AT THE DUNEDIN HIGHLAND GAMES!
Suncoast Irish at the Dunedin Highland Games 2024
THE OFFICIAL DAY!!!
We are getting ready for opening ceremonies, imagine a few hundred bagpipers warming up for the parade and competitions, it's awesome!
Our morning shift volunteers are Juliana & Riley Rendle from St. Pete. Juliana gave us a hand at Paddyfest.
There are quite a few folks that knew about SPIFFS and are super excited for our Irish Village. Hooray!!
Our early afternoon shift volunteers are Tommy Williams and his most lovely wife, Denise! He looks dashing in his new Suncoast Irish shirt, eh?
So, we are so pleased to have Libby Higdon, founder of Seanachi Productions- Authentic reenactors and her troupe joining us at the games today. (Shout out to Jack Duncan)
They are wonderful ambassadors of Suncoast Irish and SPIFFS. They represent Irish Gallowglass history at SPIFFS.
They certainly added Old World Flair to our parade group.
Post opening ceremonies/parade, the honored Games Chieftains visit the Clans.
We welcomed Dave & Susan Everett, escorted by Bob Peirson, Matt Hartigan and games officials, to our tent as we toasted to our health and the grand day with some fine Irish Poitín brought for the occasion!
AND, we were also visited by "Moe", the Vice Mayor of Dunedin! We had a lovely visit with her as well.
Our Irish Village fundraising at the Dunedin Highland Games:
Once again we had 1 person that won 2 baskets! (That happened last year too.) Congrats to our 2 winners and thank you for supporting our goal of hosting the grand Irish Village at the upcoming International Folk Fair.
We spent the rest of the afternoon sharing Ireland travel stories with many of the attendees. Quite a few folks have upcoming Ireland trips planned, how cool izzat!!
pssssst: We learned of the Clan Village "Capture the Highland Coo Flag" adventure...
Our fella, Tommy Williams, went on a mission to capture and was victorious! It hung out at our tent for a good amount of time until it was returned to the Clan Campbell tent courtesy of Clan Donald.
Thank ya Ginger Campbell Otis!
The RING GAME was a hit, lots of kids of all ages tested their skill. This game is quite popular in the Pubs across the pond!
Ours was researched and created by our SIGH Sgt-at-Arms, Gary Fuller. Thank ya Gary for this terrific addition.
Sadly, all good things eventually come to an end and today was a good thing!!!
Many thanks to our friend Christian Arial for giving us a hand at the end of our day with tent breakdown and packing the van!
One last parting shot of our tent area... It's quite a contrast from the day to the final moments before we head home.
A final Thank you to Terry Eldridge and his amazing Games crew for the hard work that goes into this event... And to my wonderful hubby, Gary Fuller, for all the loading, unloading, man hours of labor, & driving to these events on behalf of Suncoast Irish & Gaelic Heritage.
This was the 3rd year for our not-so-fledgling-now organization and we are so appreciative of our being part of this grand event!
Thank you to everyone!
Yours in Celtic Harmony,
Pres-SIGH
S.I.G.H. Social Meet-Up
Molly Malone's featured an amazing Traditional Irish
music session that we enjoyed after our
Suncoast Irish & Gaelic Heritage Meet-up!
Sunday May 5th, 2024 at 3:00 pm
Molly Malone's Irish Pub
304 E Davis Blvd. Tampa FL
Suncoast Irish with the Tampa Bay Rays
at IRISH HERITAGE NIGHT!!
You do not have to be a member of Suncoast Irish & Gaelic Heritage to share in the fun with us at the Irish Heritage Night at the Trop.
Just go to the zeffy link below and secure your ticket.
We are being offered a fantastic group rate at $42. per person.
All persons attending with S.I.G.H will get a complimentary raffle ticket for a special drawing of Rays Memorabilia. (Last time it was a game ball!)
GO TO:
PLAY BALL!
BALL GAME RECAP 6/29/24
Our SIGH group of 32 of us had a most grand time in Section 222. A great view of the field and home plate! We shared this area with some of our local A.O.H. folks!
Gary Fuller and I were one of the 1st ones into the stadium so that we could support the St. Pete Irish Dance troupe and the Paddy O'Furniture Band. Great music, Irish dancing, with some singing and laughing all afternoon. Thanks to SIGH member Bridget Cunningham for setting up the pregame entertainment at Ballpark & Rec at the Trop.
Suncoast Irish & Gaelic Heritage offered special raffles and a game ball (signed by Isaac Paredes) that went to our Irish group attendees.
Congrats to raffle winners Mike Grant, Kimberley Cooper and Madison McGonguin. Madison is here from the Belfast area of Ireland with her family for holiday.
Thank you to Dan Schonborn of the Rays to getting us all together and for providing the terrific game ball!
By the way, there was a really special moment on the jumbo screen when the camera showed all us Irish folks whooping it up, and the announcer called out a welcome to Suncoast Irish!
The game itself had some exciting moments... Foul balls hitting the ceiling lights, the balls caught in the outfield, and a couple of times into the stands... The mascots held a race and was won by my pick - DJ Kitty.
Sadly, the Tampa Bay Rays didn't win. Perhaps next time?
A big thank you to a few of our members that joined us at the game... Our Suncoast Irish VP- Skip de Montozon and his grandson Jake, Shell Belle & Ty (Thank you for singing your version of Toora Loora for me)... and all of our new friends that we met at the game!
Watch for the word on our next Suncoast Irish gathering to be announced this week. sláinte
Yours in Celtic Harmony,
Goody and SIGH Officers
