Don’t forget to remember
PDX Hibernian Independent – 3 September 2026
More than an email. Less than a newspaper. Weekly newsletter of the Portland Hibernian Society. Delivered every Thursday morning.
Next Meeting - September 17 – Kells Restaurant 112 SW Second Ave – Six P.M.
Guest Speaker – Steve Law, author of Peddlers of Hate – How the Ku Klux Klan Seized Power in 1920s Oregon – Seven P.M.
Portland reporter and author Steve Law spoke to a crowd of 250 at Powell’s Books on Aug. 26. He’ll speak at Kells Restaurant on September 17 at 7 P.M.
How did it happen here?
Portland Hibernians a hundred years ago were relieved. The KKK with its anti-Catholic activities was a spent political force. The Supreme Court of the US had unanimously overturned its effort to close Catholic schools in Oregon. How the KKK came to power here in the first place is a story Steve Law tells in his new book. He’ll share the details with us on Thursday, September 17 at Kells Restaurant. Failte. All are welcome. (No host dinner at Six P.M./Presentation at Seven.)
Longtime Portland reporter Jim Redden, in this review of Steve Law’s book, writes, “Law documents how a rcist organization best known for terrorizing Blacks and their white allies in the South after the Civil War emerged and grew in a state now known for its progressive politics.”
LIVE Irish music in September in PDX - Bring on the banjoes
Best known for his comic chops, Steve Martin is more multi-talented than anyone on the scene today: Actor, comedian, writer, director, pitchman and really good banjo player. No kidding. It’s his career as a musician that’s often overlooked. There’s actually a $50,000 Steve Martin Banjo Prize awarded each year to a master bluegrass or old-time banjo player. Most of the winners, it seems, are from Ireland. Enda Scahill, from County Galway, won the award in 2022. He’ll be playing in Portland September 24 with his new band Gadan – three banjos, a fiddle, mandolin and guitar - at the Alberta Rose Theater. Info here. Click here for more info.
Glen Hansard Tribute
The enlightened owners of the Alberta Rose wasted no time putting together a tribute concert for Glen Hansard, the Irish singer-songwriter who died on July 29th riding his motorcycle home from a session playing traditional Irish music with friends. A dozen local artists have already signed up to perform Hansard’s songs from Once, his group The Frames and his solo albums. Click here for more info.
Where there’s always local Irish music live
Click here for the latest listings of community music and dancing at the Winona Grange.
Before he became King, Prince Charles Knighted Van Morrison at Buckingham Palace in 2015.
Here comes the Knight - Van the Man (81) gets raves for Electric Picnic gig
It sounds like Van’s fans got their money’s worth at Ireland’s major music festival, the Electric Picnic, which went off in terrible late August weather last weekend. That didn’t matter. Van, who turned 81 the day after this performance, may not have charmed the crowd (he never does), but he played the hits. He opened his 12-song, one-hour set with Into the Mystic and closed with Gloria. You a Van fan? Click here for Van Morrison Before He’s Gone on the PHS website.
PM rejects United Ireland referendum, sets off row (rhymes with now)
The latest Prime Minister of Great Britain made it clear at his first opportunity to do so that he’s not going to call a vote to allow the people of Ireland and Northern Ireland decide on becoming one nation - a United 32-county Ireland. “... some issues will be off the table, and that is one issue that will be off the table," said Andy Burnham in Belfast last week. He "simply does not have the right to dismiss or disregard" the provision for a referendum on Irish unity,” said Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald. She said she told Burnham that he cannot "bury his head in the sand" over Irish unity. What does this latest pronouncement from Ten Downing Street mean? Click here for a backgrounder from the PHS website.
Katie Taylor, role model, mom and Ireland’s best boxer has one last fight on Saturday night
It’s okay to ask a woman how much she weighs when she’s a professional boxer like Katie Taylor, who’s about to step into the ring one more time for the last time. 140 pounds by the way, which puts her in the Super lightweight category. Here’s the latest fight info. She rexcently became a stepmom of five. Click here to catch up on her brilliant career bfore the final act Saturdy night in Dublin.
Katie played GAA games growing up and now your kids can too
Before Katie Taylor took to the boxing ring, she took a swing at carmogie and ladies Gaelic football with her hometown GAA club the Bray Emmetts (named for Irish patriot Robert Emmett). Columbia Red Branch, Greater Portland’s GAA organization, is hosting four clinics for kids 5 to 12. The first clinic is this Saturday. Here’s what you need to know.
CALL TO ACTION
Thanks for reading this week’s PDX HI. Hope you found something worthwhile. As you may have noticed, we don’t sell ads. Nor do we receive any outside funding. You can support the PDX HI by joining the Portland Hibernian Society. We’d appreciate it if you did. Just click here. Go raibh maith agat.