St. Patrick's Day Austin Schedule

2:30 PM - CHILDREN'S STORYBOOK HOUR
with the GAELIC LEAGUE OF AUSTIN
Members of the Gaelic League will read from Children's books written in Irish and translated for young listeners.

3:30 PM - CONNEMARA & ITS PONIES
This fascinating, half-hour colour documentary, shot in 1969 has been shown around the world. It features a year in the life of the remarkable Connemara pony, starting with never-before recorded footage of the birth of a foal in the open. It shows the famous Clifden Pony Show and the Maam Cross horse fair. It also reveals a traditional way of life in the west of Ireland that no longer exists. With beautiful shots of Connemara and the ponies in their natural setting, this film is not only a valuable archival document but also a homage to this robust Irish breed and the people of the Connemara region in County Galway, Ireland.

4:00 PM - FERMANAGH COUNTRY
This historic and unique documentary captures a rural lifestyle no longer found in Ireland. It tells the story of the Mulholland family from Co. Fermanagh, and records their traditional lifestyle and methods of farming, quarrying, and making circular grinding wheels and whetstones for sharpening scythes. It gives a glimpse into the lives of these hardworking Fermanagh men and women who carry on their rural practices seemingly oblivious to modern methods.

4:30 PM - INTRO TO THE IRISH LANGUAGE
with the GAELIC LEAGUE OF AUSTIN
Learn some conversational Irish with the GAELIC LEAGUE OF AUSTIN. Everyday sayings and simple, beginning fun.

5:30 PM - HURL MAKING
The ancient ball and stick game of Hurling has been played in Ireland for centuries. The water-powered sawmill on the river Nore, near Kilkenny is used for the initial sawing of the ash wood planks. John Surlis, master craftsman, still does the job entirely by hand. Famed hurl-maker, Raymie Dowling, skillfully shapes the hurl using a band saw, and hand finishes it. His craftsmanship makes it to the All Ireland hurling final at Croke Park in Dublin. Liam Dargan makes the traditional sliothar or leather ball.

6:00 PM - WEXFORD THATCHER
The Rochford family has been growing oats in Cleariestown, Co. Wexford for generations, and providing excellent straw for thatching. We see them using their restored 19th century Marshall steam engine to drive the threshing machine. Tommy McGrath cuts sally willows to make scallops for roofing staples. Master craftsman, Paddy Casey, gets to work near Kilmore Quay using his home-made beating pin to drive home the straw fletchs.

6:30 PM - IRISH BLESSINGS AND CURSES
with the GAELIC LEAGUE OF AUSTIN
Impress your friends and confound your enemies with these great, ol' Gaelic sayings.

7:30 PM - DONEGAL WEAVERS
This evocative film follows the traditional way of life of the three McNelis brothers from Ardara, Co. Donegal. Connal and Jimmy are weavers, outworkers for the well-known woollen mill and shop 'Magee's' of Donegal Town. We see the setting up of the loom, and weaving the fine tweed. John, the third brother, makes wholemeal bread baked in a pot-oven over the open fire, milks the cows, churns butter, and cultivates the shamrock, Ireland's national symbol.

8:00 PM - HARP MAKING
The Forgotten Sound. The sweet resonance of the Irish wire-strung, low-headed Harp - Ireland's national symbol, had not been heard for centuries. This film tells the story of Peter Kilroy from Kenmare, Co. Kerry, who decided to construct one based on the Brian Boru harp in Trinity College, Dublin. We watch him making the body from willow, and the back sounding board from 20,000 year old Bog Pine. The harmonic curve is carved, the pieces assembled, the brass tuning pegs adjusted and the instruments strung. We hear again that ancient, magical�� sound.

8:30 PM - CURRAGHS
Man's first arrival in Ireland during the Mesolithic period was most likely in these supremely seaworthy, keel-less skin boats. This documentary covers their regional variations. In Co. Kerry we see the use of the naomhóg as a racing currach. On the Aran Islands, Co. Galway, the currach is still used for fishing and to ferry supplies to the Islands. Northwest Co. Donegal is the last area where the small Donegal paddled currach is used for setting fixed trammel nets and lobsterpots. The film includes rare film from the 1930's of the construction of the River Boyne Corracle.