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

The 2023 Irish American Crossroads Festival

2023 Scheduled Events

Double-Bill Film Event: The Man with the Moving House / Secret Superstars: the Hidden History of the Kennedy Cup

We are excited to co-present these films with Irish Culture Bay Area and the San Francisco Irish Film Festival. “The Man with the Moving House,” directed by Mark Mc Loughlin and Seán Mac an tSíthigh, is the extraordinary story of Breanndán Begley’s crusade to build a home on his family land in Kerry. “Secret Superstars: the Hidden History of the Kennedy Cup,” directed by Tom O’Flaherty, explores how some of the best professional footballers of the the 1950s and 1960s came to the picturesque little shoreside pitch of Moville, County Donegal to play in the Kennedy Cup. (There’s more, and you couldn’t make it up!) Tickets


Notes for Life: Oral Histories of Local Musicians
Sunday, March 5, 3-5pm

United Irish Cultural Center, St. Francis Room 2700 45th Avenue, San Francisco. • Free
Join us for an exciting oral history event featuring the life stories of Irish musicians who have shaped the vibrant traditional Irish music community in the Bay Area. Featuring Vincey Keehan, Michael Black and Cormac Gannon, participants in the Irish Oral History Archive of the San Francisco Bay Area. This project focuses on recording the life histories of members of Irish and Irish-American communities in this region. FREE

 


Anne Conroy Burke in Concert – FLYNN MEMORIAL CONCERT *
Saturday, March 11, 9pm

The Plough and the Stars Pub, 116 Clement Street at 2nd Avenue, San Francisco • Tickets: $25
A rare opportunity to hear renowned accordion player Ann Conroy Burke in concert. A two-row button accordion player from East Galway, Anne’s musical style and repertoire come from having grown up with, listened to, learned and played with some of the finest musicians and composers of her native County Galway and beyond. She has toured Europe, the US, Russia and Japan with Oisin and with her late husband, Joe Burke. Anne continues to teach at the music school that Joe and herself set up in County Galway specializing in button accordion. We are delighted that Anne Conroy Burke will join us in San Francisco and hope that you can be part of what promises to be a wonderful evening.  tickets

* Hillary Flynn was the guiding force behind the launch of the Irish American Crossroads Festival in 2004. She passed away in November 2020 following a courageous battle with cancer. Crossroads is proud to present this annual music event in Hillary’s memory.


Breaking Sound Barriers: Edel Meade in Conversation with Colm Ó Riain
Saturday, April 8, 1pm – 3pm

San Francisco Main Public Library, Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco • Free
Join us for a conversation between Edel Meade, an artist working in the field of jazz, folk and contemporary music, and Colm Ó Riain, a professional violinist, composer, and the Head of Growth at the Machine Intelligence Research Institute. Meade, a recipient of the 2023 Fulbright Irish Scholar award is exploring what it means to be a contemporary Jazz artist from Ireland during her tenure at the California Jazz Conservatory. Colm Ó Riain is this year’s Artist Partner with Cal Performances where he is pursuing the theme, “Human and Machine.” This conversation promises to be a thought-provoking dialogue on intersections between Irish and other musical genres as well as connections between creativity and artificial intelligence.


Crossroads Salon
Saturday, April 1, 2-5pm


Bring your creative work about Irish/Irish-American culure, history or experience to share with this warm and appreciative audience. The Crossroads Salon is a convivial gathering where local writers, musicians, singers, visual artists gather to enjoy each other’s work.  Join us at a gracious home with sweeping views of San Francisco for this annual event.  To reserve a space, drop an e-mail to info@irishamericancrossroads.org


Irish Textiles: Restoration and Innovation
Saturday, April 15, 9:30am PDT/5:30pm IST/BST

Zoom event — link coming soon

Join us for this second event in which we explore the world of Irish textiles. Blatnaid Gallagher, secretary of the Galway Wool Co-Op, a farmer-owned and run co operative, will share recent developments in the movement to restore the cultural integrity of Native Irish wool. Helen Keys of Mallon Ireland will describe how they are restoring the process of growing, picking and processing flax traditionally on their farm in County Tyrone. Other guests to be announced!