not your average week

Hi Everyone


Today is a good day. It's lunchtime on Sunday June 19.

I was out last night on the Southside of Chicago at the Beverly Arts Center. My friends were performing down there so I went along and had the best time. Hung out with Jimmy Keane(best accordian on the planet) Sean Cleland, Jackie Moran(who will join me in Lancaster to play bodhran at performance on July 23. Met Brian Cunningham who presented his new show Atlantic Steps. He is a sean nos dancer with enthusiasm out the wazoo. I had a great time indeed ending with a few pints. Lovely.

So I went Detroit on Thursday to film the pledge breaks to air nationally thru August. It was overwhelming, fun and scary. I arrived after a short flight to find my super agent Adrienne Crane Ross, Maya Fiallos from International Media and the team from my new record company Razor and Tie

Everyone worked on making the taping go well. The lovely team at Detroit Public TV made me feel very welcome and the taping went well....i think.

ON the subject of Razor and Tie, I couldn't be happier to be working with this company. I've admired their business model for many years and always wanted to work with them'It is amazing to be on a roster with people like Joan Baez, Vanessa Carlton, Dave Stewart aaaaand wait for it...Kidzbop! They have exciting plans for the album and dvd. REtail release is not announced yet and the Beyond Celtic cd and dvd will be available exclusively on PBS for the next few months.

We are planning the national pbs station visits for August. I will see a lot of the US in August. So far we have San Bernardino, Seattle, San Fran, Maryland, Atlanta, and South Carolina, as well as most likely Lehigh Valley and Pittsburg. We have many more and will get details out to you asap.

It's early days so far but as for airings, here are a few stations locked in.

Seattle www.kcts9.org
Maryland www.mpt.org/
South Dakota: www.sdpb.org
Milwaukee www.mptv.org
San Francisco www.kqed.org
Atlanta www.pba.org
Baltimore www.mpt.org
San Bernardino www.kvcr.org

Plenty more to follow.............

Most exciting news of the year so far is I am heading to Ireland tomorrow. Lots going on but the best thing is that it is my mom's 70th birthday on Tuesday. I arrive at home on Tuesday morning so it will be a fun day.

On Thursday I head to a posh event in Dublin to celebrate the launch of the Wexford Ambassadors strategy to develop interest in all things Wexford. Hosted by my long time friend Brendan Howlin, the Minister of Public Expenditure, the event will celebrate all things Wexford and honor the first of Wexford's ambassadors Colm Toibin, Kevin Doyle, Gordon Darcy and my friend Eoin Colfer. I am looking forward to spending time with old friends and a posh night out in Dublin.

On Friday I have 2 events:

1. I am a guest for Gossip Girls I am a bit afraid to be surrounded by women armed with questions about my opinions on everything and lots of cocktails. A few of those women know my darkest secrets so I am afraid....very afraid.

2. Once the talk show is done we head across town to attend the event of the year...my mother's 70th Birthday party. I cannot wait to see all the family together and lots of moms friends from over the years.

We are building the tour for late 2011 and on into 2012. We have about 50 dates so far which is astounding. Details on the tour dates, lots of which will be available for sale on PBS over the coming months. We will post those dates asap.

Big love to everyone

M