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Wisconsin’s Irish
Connections In “Reflections”
by Brian Witt
Throughout the history of Emerald Reflections, the Irish of Wisconsin have been noted. Here are some excerpts of the many articles that have been published over the years. We hope you enjoy this look back at some of the state’s early Irish residents.
February 1981 Patrick Russell
Submitted by Jeannie Barnes Cissne
I was born in Templemore, Co. Cork, March 15, 1825… When I was 14 years of age, my father brought us to America … There we were met by our uncle, Jim Lynch. My father had written him to get us a piece of land somewhere in the West. He had come to Milwaukee, then a small village on Lake Michigan. He had bought us a small family farm in Washington County, 30 miles northwest of Milwaukee. He had been there the previous winter, and with his companions had cleared 80 acres in anticipation of our coming. There were no other people within 10 miles of us. My sister, seven years old, and two other women were the only females in the whole township. Before leaving Milwaukee, we bought two cows which we drove out.
Jim Lynch and his friends had built us a small log house, thatched with the bark of trees. We arrived in June. We had bought a few sacks of potatoes in Milwaukee, which we planted in holes dug in the ground with four spades we brought from Ireland. …We had an abundant crop.
Our neighbors later were Jim Murphy, Andy O’Brien, Tom Mangin, and Tim Garvey. This was in “Town 9.” Merton was the nearest town, ten miles away.
March 1977
Submitted by Gareth and Janet Dunleavy
The reporter of this story is fellow Shamrocker, Wallace A. Brady, now an attorney in Elroy. Mr. Brady’s great-grandfather was one of those intrepid Irish who made the long journey from the East Coast.
“The Delaware Irish,” so called because they migrated to Wisconsin from Wilmington, DE, where a number of them had been employed at the Du Pont Powder Mills in that area, settled in the Towns of Buena Vista and Almond in Portage County, where they formed “a fairly homogenous settlement of Irishmen along the Portage Road below Keen and South into Almond Township around Lone Pine.”
October 1976
Submitted by Gareth and Janet Dunleavy
Jeremiah Quin, himself a man whose personal history makes an interesting chapter in the history of the Wisconsin Irish, preserved in his tributes to his friends, information about other Wisconsin Irishmen that otherwise might have been lost. Here are his recollections of Tim O’Brien.
“Tim was running for marshal (of Milwaukee), and was opposed by a man, I think, named Fratner. The campaign was looking dubious for Tim… Fratner was noted for the beauty of his penmanship, and this gave Tim an idea. He got a sheet of paper on which he wrote as follows: Knowing and respecting my old and respected friend, Mr. Timothy O’Brien, to be not only a good friend to Germans, but also a good Democrat, I hereby withdraw from the caucus, and request my friends to support him tomorrow.” Tim folded this sheet as to cover up the friendly endorsement, and… soon found Fratner with some friends in a saloon. He was gracious; shook hands and treated all around. When he arose to depart, he said, “Gentlemen, you are Germans, and my friends, and not-withstanding, you are supporting Mr. Fratner, I have no fault to find, and nothing to say against Mr. Fratner, only that all legal documents must be signed by the marshal in English, and as I am credibly informed he cannot write his name in English, I don’t see how he can act as Sheriff.”
Of course, Fratner was indignant and offered to prove he could write his name in English. The pen and ink were brought, and Tim drew his paper from his pocket, on which Fratner at once wrote his name in English characters, legibly and beautifully. Tim pocketed his paper, acknowledged that the drinks were upon him, wondered how some people could lie so, and left.
Next morning, every fence and corner- post was placarded both in German and English, announcing that Mr. Fratner had withdrawn in favor of his respected friend, Mr. Timothy O’Brien. And thus was the caucus won, as Macaulay would say, ‘in the brave days of old.’
(Jeremiah Quin was the ancestor of Noreen Barclay, a past Irish Rose.)
May 1981
Submitted by Capt. Timothy J. Kelley
Sixty-one years of sailing the Great Lakes aboard sailing vessels and steamships – that was the enviable record of the late Captain Timothy J. Kelley, who died at his home in Manitowoc in 1943.
Captain Tim, as he was affectionately known by the many men who sailed with and under him, launched his long fresh water career as a lad of 13, serving as the “ship’s boy” on the schooner Ellen during the season of 1862. He became a captain at age 22.
His final command, at age 73, was aboard the seagoing tug Butterfield, engaged in towing large rafts of timber from the north shore of Lake Superior to Ashland, Wisconsin.
(Our thanks to Harry J. Kelley for writing this article about his grandfather. Some of Captain Timothy Kelley’s logs and diaries are housed in the Marine Museum in Manitowoc. )
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Milwaukee
President’s Message
Greetings! The 2010-11 Shamrock Club Board is in place and eager to serve. Welcome to our newest board member, Ken Tehan, elected to a term as a three year trustee, and to Sandy Quinlan and Kathy Donovan who begin new positions on the Board. Thanks to Brian Witt for his years of service and guidance. Officially, Brian’s tenure on the board has ended; however he is a most knowledgeable and valuable resource that the board will still rely upon.
Please join us at the next general meeting July 8th for the installation of the Club officers. Officiating the swearing in will be the Honorable Judge Daniel Konkol. Don’t forget to bring a dish or dessert to pass for the informal dinner following the ceremony.
“Cook’em O’Danno” will be the mantra for our annual picnic Saturday, July 17 at the Sacred Heart Parish. Chairpersons Dawn and Pete Flemming head the Hawaiian luau themed event, and promise an unforgettable time under swaying palm trees and warm breezes with three bands performing, including an Hawaiian singer and games for young and old. The Club will provide cold beverages and grilled meat but please bring a dish to pass. So dig out those grass skirts, leis and Hawaiian shirts and be there, aloha.
Unfortunately the Irish team didn’t make the World Cup this go round but you can still satisfy that World Cup fever by supporting the Milwaukee Celtic Soccer Club sponsored by the Shamrock Club. Games are played on Sundays at Polonia Field, 11400 W. Loomis Road.
Or if hurling is your cup of tea, follow the Griffins of the Milwaukee Hurling Club Sundays at Brown Deer Park.
Save the date for the 50th Anniversary and Honoree Dinner on September 5 at the Humphrey Masonic Temple. Dinner, music, dancing and surprises are all on the agenda of this spectacular evening. Check Reflections for more information. Club memorabilia will also be on display. If you have an item or photo you would like displayed please see Mary Culver.
Finally thanks to all for your support as I begin my term as President. However, I feel a little like Phil Bengston following Vince Lombardi. Talk about big shoes to fill following Julie Smith as President.
On behalf of the Shamrock Club, I wish to thank Julie for her past two years of service (out of many). Her dedication and devotion to the Club is unequaled and unsurpassed. In this, the Club’s 50th year of existence, a year of celebration brought about a few unforeseen surprises, to put it mildly, that were handled with a calm resolve. Her leadership is an example that I hope to emulate. Thank goodness Julie will still be serving the Club as Past President. Even as President I am sure Julie will still keep me ducking.
Until next time.
– Josh Walton, President
joshwalton1@yahoo.com
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Installation Dinner
July 8, Milwaukee
There will be an installation dinner at the ICHC on Thursday, July 8, at 6:30 p.m. The dinner will be potluck; please bring a dish to pass. Judge Daniel Konkol will be doing the installation.
Milwaukee’s new board wil be installed that night. They are: President Josh Walton; Vice President Kathy Donovan; Secretary Malkin Wallace; Treasurer John Fisher; Sergeant at Arms Veronica Ceszynski; Trustee Sandy Quinlan; Trustee Ken Tehan; Membership Chair Denis Donohoe; Parliamentarian Tom Mcaleese.
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Donate to the Shamrock Club
The Shamrock Club is a 501(C) (3) corporation. If you donate to us, you can write this off on your taxes. Donate to our Scholarship fund, our general fund, or to the parade. Thank you!
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Members Honored by
Other Organizations
Bob Voss Named ICHC Volunteer of the Year
Shamrock Club member Bob Voss has been named the 2010 Irish Cultural and Heritage Center of the Year. Bob has volunteered at the center for over ten years. He had the seat of honor at the Shamrock Club’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. Bob was also a past parade marshal for the the parade.
John Finnegan, Emerald Society Irishman of the Year
Shamrock Club member John Finnegan was honored by the Emerald Society of Wisconsin as its Irishman of the Year for 2010. John was a founding member and past president of the Society. He was also a founding member of the Milwaukee Fire and Police Pipe Band, and a past director.
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New London at
Oshkosh Irish Fest
The New Dublin Shamrock Club had a great weekend at the Oshkosh Irish Fest, where we operated the Guinness Beer tent. The threat of rain remained that for the most part. It was a wonderful weekend of Irish music.
Our next meetings will be on Monday, July 5, and August 2 at the VFW Post, 305 E. Beckert Rd., at 7:30 p.m.
And save the date – March 19, 2010 – will be the Shamrock Club of New Dublin Grand Parade and Irish Fest.
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Color Guard News & Notes
Hi Everyone! It is now July, and summer is in full swing. First off, I would like to thank Noel for giving me the opportunity to talk to you, it means a lot to me.
We have a ton of new students in the band! Three to be exact, Laura Fischer, her friend Kathy, and Holly who is going to hopefully be the youngest member of our pipe band... at least until my kid brother Clayton gets up on tenor drums.
The main message I wanted to convey to the general membership is that you should be more proud than normal this year. I know I am. Each and every member of the band is putting their all into the music this season, and to me it shows. I cannot believe how well the newer pipers Fireman Bob, Rich Watt, and Hans have taken to this instrument. It was like they were born to be pipers. Trust me, they will be embarrassed if approached about it, but they deserve every good job they get. Dan “T-Bear” McCormack is teaching the newbies, and is also doing a great job as a pipe major. Rand is doing an excellent job as our new pipe director, and is also becoming even more of a fantastic piper than he already was. We all bounce ideas off of each other, and sometimes even I have trouble keeping up.
The Drummers also deserve a shout out, as they sound superb this season. Super Dave (my middle brother), Paddy, and JJ (who is back for the summer) are all excellent drummers. Dave recently informed me that he is writing the drum solo for this year’s Irish Fest. Matt “Boom Boom” Waters is doing even better than he already was with a little help from Dave. Watch for his swing, its quickly becoming his trademark, as he kind of dances while he plays. Beth is now the head of the drum corps, and I kind of feel bad for her that she is surrounded by all those boys. Keep ‘em in line Beth!!!
The Color Guard is also doing a great job this year, with the unveiling of the Club’s new 50’th Flag. Pretty Ladies with pretty flags.... oh did I forget Del and Bill “The Ambassador”? Well, they are pretty too! I cannot tell you how many compliments I get on our Color Guard. They really finish our “Motley Crew” out. From a piper’s standpoint, I don’t think we would be the same without them.
I hope everyone in the Club gets out to see us at least once, as we really appreciate some faces we can recognize in the stands.
Don’t forget to DANCE with “The Ambassador” during Rakes of Mallow! The energy and enthusiasm makes us play that Fourth and Fastest verse!
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Shamrock Club Picnic
“Come to a Luau”
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Sacred Heart Church, 49th and Wells – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Music by the Scrubbers, Atlantic Wave and a Hawaiin Band
Performance by
the Shamrock Club Color Guard, Pipes and Drums
Please Bring a Dish to Pass
The Shamrock Club Will Provide Meat and Beverages
Children’s Games
Rain or Shine – We Have Inside Facilities
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Celtic Soccer Club
Wins Three More;
Remains Unbeaten in Spring
The Celtic Soccer Club won three more games in May, extending their unbeaten streak to five games. The men in green kicked off their May Campaign against a tough, physical Caribbean Kickers Team on May 9th. The Kickers, at the time the division leaders, were no match for Celtic as Mohammed Elsayed and Mike Kroger each netted a goal in the 2-1 victory. Elsayed’s goal was a brilliant, free-kick strike from outside the 18-yard box while Kroger, continued his scoring spree, poking one past the Kicker’s agile keeper.
“This was a game we needed to win,” said Celtic Captain, Abdallah Elsayed. “They wanted to play physical. We showed them we weren’t backing down. I’m proud of our guys.”
The following week, Celtic faced another tough opponent in WC Rampage. The May 16th battle ended in a 3-1 victory for Celtic, even after some questionable refereeing. Celtic nearly found themselves down by a goal early in the match after the referee called a “Hand Ball” in the box, awarding a penalty kick to WC Rampage. But keeper Andrew Blau, stifled the attempt, directing the ball away from goal and providing a much-needed surge of confidence to the Celtic faithful.
“That call was pathetic,” said Kevin Hooley, the Celtic player called for the violation. “That ball clearly hit the center of my back. I showed the ref the ball mark on my back and he still gave them the penalty.”
Celtic dominated the rest of the match, netting three goals to Rampage’s one. Mike Kroger again added his name to another score sheet, heading in a well-served corner kick from Joel Carstedt. Later in the second half, Steve Krall provided his “Maradona Moment,” making a fantastic run from the back and launching a volley over the keeper and into the side netting. Cem Vurusaner then got into the action, finishing a goal after Mike Mallett’s hard challenge against the keeper in the box.
May action came to a close on the 23rd against division leader, Verdi. In the sweltering heat, Celtic was pushed to their limit. Ryan Schuettpelz gave the men in green a 1-0 lead going into the second half by guiding in a beautifully served corner kick from Abdallah Elsayed.
In the second half, the team was joined by their teammate Carstedt, driving across the state to make it to the game on time. That effort proved needed, as Carstedt put away the game winner, neatly placing a ball past a diving keeper. A second half goal by Verdi brought the score to 2-1, but that’s exactly how it stayed as Celtic bolstered their record to 5-0 on the spring season.
“We’re not done yet,“ elates Abdallah Elsayed. “We’ve got two more games to play before playoffs. This team is fit and dangerous.”
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Shamrock Club of Wisconsin’s 50th Anniversary Dinner Dance
September 25, 2010
Humphrey Scottish Rite
790 North Van Buren Street, Milwaukee
Schedule:
• 5:30–6:30 p.m. registration and cocktails
• 6:30–7 p.m. Shamrock Club Color Guard, Pipes and Drums performs
• 7 p.m. dinner; band music and dancing after dinner
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Milwaukee Area Feiseanna
There will be a number of Feiseanna in Milwaukee in July and August. The Badger State Feis and the Cream City Feis will take place July 17 and July 18 at the Pettit National Ice Center. The Milwaukee Feis and the McMenamin Academy Feis will take place August 14 and 15 at the UWM Union. Stop in for some wonderful Irish dance.
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Easter Rising Mass 2010
The 40th Annual Easter Rising Mass took place on April 4, 2010. Father Terry Brennan was the celebrant. About 240 people attended the Mass. It was coordinated by Betty Mikush, and the breakfast was coordinated by Veronica Ceszynski.
 
 
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By-Laws Review
The Shamrock Club will be holding its bi-annual review of the bylaws. If you have any suggestions, or would like to join the by-law committee, please contact Tom McAleese at [mcaleese@wi.rr.com], or call me at (414) 536-5306.
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Milwaukee Hurling Club
Going into week five, the Shamrock Club Griffins are holding onto the top spot of the Jameson Division, with a 4-0 record. Upcoming matches in July and August are July 11, 18, and 25, and August 1. The Griffins have a bye on July 11. The other Sundays, the Griffins matches are held at 11 on July 18, versus Slim McGinn’s; 2 p.m. on July 25, against McBob’s; and 9 a.m. on August 1, versus County Clare. Playoffs start August 8, and continue August 15, with the finals being held August 29. The matches are held at Brown Deer Park.
The Hurling Club picnic is August 15. Join us for a day of hurling and music, food and fun. Join us at 9:30 a.m., and enjoy the day.
Stop by and shout for the Griffins. Let us know you are there. Wear some Shamrock Club clothing, and come up and say hello. This is the Hurling Club’s 15th anniversary, and the Shamrock Club’s tenth as a sponsor.
Here is the 2010 roster: Daryl Cardwell; Matt Danahey; Dave Goelz, captain; Davidson Kane; Trent Kielley; Kate Kunz; Brian Leonard, captain; David Morrow; James Morrow; Mike Morrow; Luke Papenfus; Drake Reinick; Nick Ruetz; Tom Sabourin; Tim Schley; Jonas Schuster; Paul Steinbrecher; Jack Tuescher; and Auggie Yau. [http://hurling.net]
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Members’ Doings
Noel Tylla recently spent a weekend on a Caribbean cruise. Julie Pruske sang at the Milwaukee Ballet production of “Peter Pan.” Erin Canon has been chosen Co-Captain of the Tosa East Raiderettes Pom Team for the coming year.
Will Conroy recently placed 6th in solo piping at the Milwaukee Highland Games.
In May, Dan and Maureen Konkol and daughter Jackie took a nine day trip out East for the graduation of their son Gregory. Greg received his Masters of Science in Art therapy from Springfield College in Massachusetts. In logging some 3,000 driving miles, they stopped at Niagara Falls to take a cruise on the Maid of the Mist. After the graduation, all four visited with Maureen’s sister, Frances Daly, who lives in the Boston area. She took them on a tour of Boston’s south shore including the Hull and Nantasket Beach regions.
Before heading home, the trio also treated Greg to a mini baseball trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. While Greg remains in Springfield expecting to start employment in that area, he also hopes to be home to again work with the Shamrock Club at Irish Fest. On the way back home, the Konkols also enjoyed the opportunity to stop at O’Lacy’s Irish Pub in Batavia, New York for some great homemade chips and Shepherd’s pie.
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Sunshine Club
Del Stapleton, mother of Barry Stapleton, died recently. Del was a long time member of the Shamrock Club. Tom Callen recently lost his mother, as well. Pedro Zepeda, brother of Alonzo, died recently. Please keep them all in your thoughts and prayers.
Sharon Murphy had shoulder surgery. Ed Heck just finished up a stint in a rehabilitation center. And Muriel Crowley is still in a rehabilitation center.
Kelly Shefchick is at the Clement Manor, 3939 S. 92 Street, Greenfield, 53228, after a recent surgery.
If you have any news for the Sunshine Club, please call us at (414) 344-0688 or email us at [slainte41-shamrock@yahoo.com].
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