News

  • Bloomsday,  News

    IN MN 4th Annual Literary Award 2024

    Irish Network Minnesota is hosting their annual Literary award again this year as part of our Bloomsday Festival. This year the contest is open to published or self-published authors of poetry. Submissions are open from January 1, 2024 to May 15, 2024 The entries will be judged on: Submission guidelines Electronic submissions (pdf or word format) via e-mail only, reprints and multiple submissions will be accepted by e-mail. Award If you have a published work of poetry and would like to enter our contest, please submit an electronic copy of your work either in pdf form or word format to [email protected] or  [email protected] by May 15, 2024. We look forward to…

  • News

    St Patrick’s Association Distinguished Irish Woman of the Year for 2024

    Mary Sue McFarland Brooks President of Irish Network Minnesota and this year’s Distinguished Irish Woman for the Saint Paul St Patrick’s Day Association. May Sue’s contributions to the Irish Community include founding and serving as President of the Irish Network Minnesota chapter as well as being a founding member of Failte Minnesota. She is also a Committee Chair with the St. Patrick’s Association, and the Editor for Irish Gazette Media, an Irish American publication and social media company. 

  • News

    St. Patrick’s Athletic Club at Allianz Field in St Paul

    Show your Irish roots at Allianz Field on Wednesday, March 20th, as MN United Football Club takes on St. Patrick’s Athletic Club in an International Friendly! Here is a link to purchase tickets for the international friendly MNUFC versus St. Patrick’s Athletic. Below from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Jan 10, 2024 By Jerry Zgoda Star Tribune Photo: Renee Jones Schneider, Star Tribune Minnesota United will play Irish club St. Patrick’s Athletic in an international friendly at Allianz Field on March 20, three days after the Dublin-based team commemorates St. Patrick’s Day itself in the Twin Cities. It will come during a FIFA international break taking place after the Loons’ first…

  • News

    Ethna “Essie” McKiernan – Honored Alum

    Minnesota poet and social advocate, Ethna McKiernan was honored this past summer by her High School – Visitation School, Mendota Heights, MN. Excerpt from Visitation School Vision! newsletter: The Visitation Alumnae Board honored Essie McKiernan ‘69 posthumously as the 2023 Distinguished Alumna on August 11, 2023. Essie’s sister Nuala McKiernan Rosensteel ‘66 spoke at the event, celebrating Essie’s legacy as a poet and an advocate for the homeless. Essie shared her heart and talents with the world in the everyday moments of life. She had a strong and lasting relationship with Sister Peronne Marie; the two shared a great love of poetry. Essie offers to us an example of what it means…

  • Events,  News

    Looking ahead to 2024

    IN MN Board members recently met to plan a few special events we will be hosting in 2024. January 31, 2024 – Celebrate with IN MN Lá Fhéile Bríde – St Brigid’s Day 2024 at the Dubliner Pub – celebrating all Mná (women), the Celtic goddess, Saint and Imbolc (the festival of spring). May 2024 – IN MN 2023 Literary Award in poetry June 13, 2024 – IN MN 7th Annual Bloomsday Festival Here are a few other Irish related events taking place in St Paul this coming Spring. March 9, 2024 – Sr. Celeste’s Sinners & Saints Bingo – Sr. Celestine Howard (Sr. Celeste) will be presenting this event…

  • News

    Tribute to Des

    We lost a special friend and vital member of our Irish community this past January 2023. Board member, Des Keogh passed away at home on 1/5/23 surrounded by his loving family and wonderful wife Pat. Des was always the gentleman, an inspiration and role model to all of us. He showed us how to live and enjoy life fully. Irish Network MN remembers him in our sorrow and happy memories. Go ndéana Dia grásta ar a anam dílis.

  • Events,  News

    Planning for a New Year

    Irish Network Minnesota met recently to discuss and plan for 2023. We discussed our history and what we would like to accomplish in the coming year, 2023. IN MN is looking forward to hosting our Bloomsday Festival along with the Irish Network Bloomsday Literary Award again in June. We are also planning other events celebrating St Bridget’s Day (Feb 1st), St Patrick’s Day (Mar 17th) and multiple other local Irish cultural celebrations. More information to come in 2023.

  • News

    Tribute for Ethna McKiernan

    From the Celtic Junction Facebook post 4/12/22 For those of you that knew her, read her and/or loved her, we have been asked by her family to announce that there will be a Memorial Service for Ethna McKiernan on May 14, 3pm at Spirit of St. Stephens – 5011 31st Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN. Ethna passed away this past December from an aggressive form of cancer. Her obituary in the Irish Times covers much of her life and history: as fifth of nine children to Eoin McKiernan, as proprietress for Irish Books and Media, as a fearless champion for the homeless and as “a beautiful poet with an amazingly generous…

  • News

    Book Review

    4/12/22 – Review by Mary McFarland Indestructible – Reclaim Control and Respond with Confidence in the Media Crisis By Molly McPherson Published by Mandala Tree Press, 2021 While many of us were deciding what color trainers to wear during the pandemic, McPherson summarized her considerable public relations experience into a factual, accessible crisis communication’s guide regarding the ‘cancel culture’ that we find ourselves in. Indestructible is a must-read for business owners and communicators to understand how reputations are destroyed or restored in an instant. McPherson outlines the current social media toolbox available to businesses and organizations and all who have a network to keep engaged. The author has an enviable resume as…

  • Events,  News

    March Out Hunger

    Help Irish Network Minnesota, Extended Exposure and Minnesota Food Share this March to end hunger in Minnesota! In the Spirit of Saint Patrick, we would like your help to fight Hunger. The Irish, who are no strangers to hunger, are once again excited to join this year’s effort to March Out Hunger during the month of March. Minnesota Food Share has a Campaign to March Out Hunger. It is a statewide, grassroots food-drive, in which, every dollar donated goes to local food shelves. According to Hunger Facts MINNESOTA*, in 2021, the projected food insecurity rate was 8.6% in Minnesota, up from 7.7% in 2019. A whopping 3.7 million visits were…