Calendar of Events
Our list of what's going on in the Maryland Irish set and ceili dance scene, plus a little more.
Birthdays A Week Around Today:
Diane M, Liz W
On Sunday September 24: GWCC ceili. Proof of vaccination is required, wearing face masks is recommended. Workshop dance is The High Cauled Cap.
On Tuesday September 26: Fall semester class and annual meeting. Please bring your $25 annual membership and $50 Fall class registration payments.- Tuesday Sept. 26: Annual meeting, then our third Fall class. If you are joining, please bring your $25 membership and (if enrolling) $50 semester fees.
Wednesday September 27, Book Club discusses The Transatlantic Flight of Alcock and Brown. Argy-Bargy
On Thursday October 5: Our David M. will be in concert with the Maryland Band Directors Band.
On Saturday October 7: RKIDs' First Saturday brunch social
On Saturday October 7: Emerald Isle Club ceili. Music by: Peter Fitzgerald and the J. Patrick’s All Stars. All dances are called.
October 13 - 15: Irish set dancing at the shore - the Fall Fling for 2023. Register by September 10 for the best rates. Three dance workshops, two ceilis.
Saturday October 28: The Halloween Edition of the Blackthorn Ceili! Marilyn Moore calls.
Quick Steps
Back to School
Happening Now! Our 2023 - 2024 membership renewal drive and signups for the Fall semester! If you are interested in Tuesday Evening dance class, we hold forth at Ridgeview Middle School in the cafeteria. For those not not interested in dance class, we already have a full list of books for our discussion club and other non-dance activities in the mill. Watch for details!
If you'd like to join us but aren't interested in going to dance class, download our annual membership form below. Please fill in the first page and mail it to us with a check for your dues. But ... if you want to join either of our two semesters of classes, offered during the Fall and Winter/Spring seasons, complete the entire form and bring it to class for registration. Thank you! More about membership and classes.
F O R M
Dances for the Fall 2023 Semester
Dances Currently Being or Soon to be Taught or Reviewed are Shaded in Light Green
| Main Class | |
|---|---|
High Cauled Cap  video | |
| Connemara Reel video | |
| Corofin video | |
| Waltz Cotillion | |
 | Walls of Limerick video |
Our 2022-2023 Year-End Ceili
Capping a year of dance with our new teacher, Toni, and a greatly expanded slate of social activities, the RKIDs and friends came together at St. Mary's Pavilion in Barnesville for dancing to tunes by Tina Eck, Joe DeZarn and Jesse Winch, expertly called by Larry Frank. Highlights:
Book Discussions
Every member who is interested in participating may sign up for this group. Contact Sonja via her email as listed in our membership directory. Discussion sessions will be conducted via Zoom on designated Wednesdays; see our events calendar. Registrants will get an email from Tom O. with connection instructions shortly before each discussion date. There will also be an outline of ideas to talk about. You have to acquire the books on your own; we'll display the videos when books aren't on tap. On the soon-to-review agenda is:
Upcoming Readings and Viewings (click here)
| First Crossing: Transatlantic Flight | |
|---|---|
| by Robert O. Harder | |
| Date: | Wednesday September 27, 2023 |
| Time: | 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm |
| Place: | Zoom - Online |
| The full title is First Crossing: The Transatlantic Flight of Alcock and BrownPlease be sure to read Author's Note pages V-IX. We will begin our meeting by talking about creative non-fiction – pros and cons, like or not like, is it history? There are sections of the book that are very technical in nature. How did you react to those passages? Did you read them, skip over them, use a dictionary to try to figure out what the author was talking about? And carrying this further, when reading in general how do you approach technical language, poetry, long quotes? |
| Contact: | Sonja |
| More About This: | Discussion Questions |
| Condemned to Death | |
| by Cora Harrison | |
| Date: | Wednesday October 25, 2023 |
| Time: | 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm |
| Place: | Zoom - Online |
 | Setting: The Burren, 16th century |
| Contact: | Sonja |
| Book Chat | |
| by You Pick | |
| Date: | Wednesday November 29, 2023 |
| Time: | 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm |
| Place: | Zoom - Online |
 | We will have a Book Chat - an open book discussion. Instead of us reading the same book, this will be a chance for you to read a book of your own choice and report to the group about it. It may or may not have an Irish theme. You will have about 3 minutes to share. Here is some information you could consider sharing with the group.
|
| Contact: | Sonja |
| More About This: | Pick what you want from the above list and feel free to add to the list. Zoom link will be sent out by Tom. |
| Murder at an Irish Christmas | |
| by Carlene O’Connor | |
| Date: | Wednesday December 6, 2023 |
| Time: | 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm |
| Place: | TBA |
 | SPECIAL EVENT: Discussion will take place at a tea in Frederick. Details tba. |
| Contact: | Sonja |
| Tis: A Memoir | |
| by Frank McCourt | |
| Date: | Wednesday January 24, 2024 |
| Time: | 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm |
| Place: | Zoom |
 | This would be a good book to listen to rather than read. |
| Contact: | Sonja |
| The Irish Boarding House | |
| by Sandy Taylor | |
| Date: | Wednesday February 28, 2024 |
| Time: | 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm |
| Place: | Zoom |
 | Heart-warming Irish historical fiction Alternative book is The Lost Girls of Ireland by Susanne O’Leary, Heart-warming story about an Irish family |
| Contact: | Sonja |
| Raise the Titanic | |
| by Clive Cussler | |
| Date: | Wednesday March 27, 2024 |
| Time: | 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm |
| Place: | Zoom |
| Written before the Titanic was found. |
| Contact: | Sonja |
| Factory Girls | |
| by Michelle Gallen | |
| Date: | Wednesday May 22, 2024 |
| Time: | 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm |
| Place: | Zoom |
 | Setting: Northern Ireland, 1994 |
| Contact: | Sonja |
| Northern Spy | |
| by Flynn Berry | |
| Date: | Wednesday June 26, 2024 |
| Time: | 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm |
| Place: | Zoom |
 | Two sisters in Belfast during the Troubles |
| Contact: | Sonja |
| The Rose Code | |
| by Kate Quinn | |
| Date: | Wednesday September 25, 2024 |
| Time: | 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm |
| Place: | Zoom |
 | Women decipher codes during WWII |
| Contact: | Sonja |
Recommended Readings
Books endorsed by our discussion club members, ordered by title, author and who recommends it. You might find you like them, too.
