Promoting Irish-American Culture
and Preserving Local Histories
Through Year-Round Programs

2005 2nd Annual Irish-American Crossroads Festival

March 5 – 12, 2005

The Crossroads Irish American Festival explored and celebrated the culture, experience and identity of the Irish in America. Crossroads 2005 showcased the San Francisco Bay Area as a cultural crossroads of Ireland and America, both past and present. Audiences joined us to uncover the strands of the Irish American story, through poetry, song, theatre and film.

From Blue Grass/Green Grass to the music of Eugene O’Neill, from the underworld to the bench and bar of Justice, from the Mission Irish to the Irish in the Bronx, Crossroads, 2005 showcased the Irish American journey.

The Irish-American Crossroads Festival is an annual event that continues the tradition of providing substantive programming in the San Francisco Bay Area during the month of March and beyond.


MARCH 5th, 2005

Children’s Stories, Music & Dance

Fisher Children’s Center

Melanie O’Reilly

Vocal Performance from her song-cycle on Irish women immigrants

Koret Auditorium

Dramatic Readings by Wilde Irish Productions

Koret Auditorium

Irish/America Now

Panel Discussion Moderated by Hillary Flynn

Koret Auditorium


MARCH 5th, 2005

Blue Grass/Green Grass

An Acoustic Evening with the Rowan BrothersChris & Lorin & Irish Musical Guests


MARCH 6th, 2005

An Evening of Poetry

Panel Discussion Moderated by John Norton


MARCH 8th, 2005

Beautiful Kid

West Coast Film Premiere 

Audiences enjoyed this new film featuring a young Irish-American auto mechanic in the Bronx who finds himself at a crossroads, torn between allegiances to family, friends, addictions and love.

Conversation follow the film with Writer/Director Michael Carty and Producer Patrick McCullough.

“The story is great. It’s very tough and unyielding. A very different view of Irish America…no sentimentalism, shamrocks or shillelaghs.” –Frank McCourt


MARCH 10th, 2005

The Mission Irish: Reflections on the history of the Mission

District’s Irish Community in San Francisco

Panel Discussion Moderated by Margaret McPeake


MARCH 11th, 2005

A Reading by and Reception for T.J. English, Author, Paddy Whacked: The Untold Story of the Irish American Gangster

With an introduction Michael Walsh, author of And All The Saints


MARCH 12th, 2005

Cops & Robbers: Irish-American Gangster & Gangbusters

Panel Discussion Moderated by Daniel Cassidy with

Irish Storytelling Now

San Francisco Main Public Library – Koret Auditorium


MARCH 12th, 2005

O’Neill: The Rhythms Of His Soul

Audiences enjoyed a lively musical revue, featuring songs from the plays of America’s most renowned playwright, Eugene O’Neill, who wrote many of his greatest plays in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Performed by Derek Lux, Bobbie Duncan & Michael O’Dell (piano) and Dan Cawthon in the role of Eugene O’Neill Center.