Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Festival

Subject: Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Festival
From: GUEST
Date: 21 May 04 - 09:43 AM

The last weekend in May; May 28 - May 31, 2004 the Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Festival will take plce. There will be some great music, dance, etc. Here is a partial list of performers.

Bohola
The Diggers
Tommy Makem
Cherish the Ladies
The Mulloy Brothers
Donnybrook
Jed Marum
The Elders
Gael Force
The Saw Doctors
Seven Nations

More info is at the their website: http://www.cgp-chicago.org/

Subject: RE: Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Festival
From: JedMarum
Date: 22 May 04 - 10:50 PM

partial, yes - but you got the most important ones!

;-)

Subject: RE: Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Festival
From: erinmaidin
Date: 23 May 04 - 06:40 AM

Just out of curiosity...as I will be landing in Chicago O'Hare, from Dublin on Sunday night...do the musicians all still stay at the Holiday Inn Oaklawn? I can remember (having performed and also attended many festivals at Gaelic Park) most of the fun was had back at the hotel. If I can find them, I'll stay the night.

Subject: RE: Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Festival
From: JedMarum
Date: 23 May 04 - 10:31 AM

I am not sure what hotel we'll be at. I have asked for details and will post that info to this thread when I know.

Subject: RE: Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Festival
From: erinmaidin
Date: 24 May 04 - 05:55 AM

Jed...thanks very much. Hope to see you at the park.

Subject: RE: Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Festival
From: JedMarum
Date: 26 May 04 - 04:52 PM

I still haven't heard about my hotel arrangements yet, and I'm leaving tonight (have oter dates along the way). So I guess I can't let you know about the hotel details ... I hope to see you there, though!

Subject: RE: Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Festival
From: JedMarum
Date: 26 May 04 - 06:08 PM

OK - here's my hoetl info, but I don;t know if this is the official festival hotel.

Radisson Hotel, Inns, Alsip, [phone], 5000 W 127th St, Alsip, IL 60803

Subject: RE: Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Festival
From: TS
Date: 26 May 04 - 07:19 PM

Well!..That looks like quite the Party to say the least!...Hope all that get to go have a great time...some of us are going to be closer then usual to Chicago, and cant' make it....Slainte!

Subject: RE: Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Festival
From: erinmaidin
Date: 27 May 04 - 06:24 AM

The Radisson sounds right. I think they moved it to that hotel a few years back but I will never ever ever forget the great craic we had back at the Holiday Inn Oak Lawn...including the annual skinny dip in the pool! Neither will the staff...they still set the alarms and cameras when I come in for a stay.
My first time traveling in for Gaelic Fest in Chicago I'd gone specifically to see Liam Clancy and was sad to arrive in a downpour so just made my way to the hotel. Sat in the bar, guitar next to me, drowning my sorrows and a fella came over and sat across from me drowning his and he asked me "can you play that yoke" so I sang for him a sad song..and he cried...and he sang for me a sad song and I cried and there we both were sitting there crying and drowning in Guinness and he introduced himself. You guessed it! Liam Clancy! He's a lovely man and I'm happy to say we've remained friends these past many years.

Subject: RE: Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Festival
From: erinmaidin
Date: 27 May 04 - 06:26 AM

One more message...if I come in it will be around 7 or so Sunday evening...don't know if we can stay as I'm being collected by another music friend who may or may not be up to it (altho', historically, I've always been able to talk her into pretty much anything that involves music and drink). We'll pop into the hotel bar...I'll be the one with the long, wild hair and the jet lag. She'll be the one that looks like an exquisite cat.

Subject: RE: Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Festival
From: JedMarum
Date: 01 Jun 04 - 11:57 PM

well we missed erinmaidin - I played two shows, one Sat and one Sun then I headed right back for Dallas - so didn't tsya over Sunday night.

Maybe next year! I enjoyed the festival though; great folks, well run, good sound, I had one great time slot and got a serious down pour for the second - but got paid well enough, just the same and sold a lot of CDs - so life is good!

I saw/heard some good music - but truly enjoyed Tommy Makem and the higlight of the weekend was Cherish the Ladies. I didn;t get to see Bohola, they were up after I left on Sun and Mon.

How did Sun/Mon go?

Subject: RE: Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Festival
From: GUEST,ErinMaidin
Date: 02 Jun 04 - 08:08 AM

Heya Jed
I got to the hotel Sunday evening for a couple drinks. Said hello to Mr. Makem and to Rory...ran into Larry Kirwan (sp?). It is my understanding that the festival was shut down entirely at about 8:30 PM Sunday evening. Not at all sure if it started back up again on Mon. or nay...the weather was quite serious. Sorry to have missed you...maybe I could catch you on the other side of the pond.

Subject: RE: Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Festival
From: JedMarum
Date: 02 Jun 04 - 08:56 AM

They shut the power down for a while. I was first up on the North stage on Sunday - but the weather cleared, and folks started arriving, so they switched on the power and I did half of my set (about 40 minutes). Then I loaded up and left immediately. We hit some pretty serious weather heading south, so I am not surprised they had to shut the festival down again during Sunday afternoon. I guess I was lucky to get half my set in!

I ran into Tommy twice at the hotel, and chatted briefly. I didn't meet Rory, but enjoyed his playing for Tommy's set Sat evening.

I hope to make it over to your side of the pond soon. My stuff plays a bit on the radio over there, so maybe one day I'll arrange a tour. It's probably about the only way I'll get there now.