MICHAEL: Hello and welcome to Ireland with Michael.

I'm Michael Londra, and in this show, I get to tell you everything I love about my home country, the best way I know how, through music.

Only, today, I'm not in my home country.

In fact, I'm smack dab in the middle of America, practically standing in an Iowa field, despite the numerous tricolors proudly flying behind me.

Yes, today, Ireland with Michael is at the Iowa Irish Fest in Waterloo.

This annual celebration of all things Irish, our food, drink, dance, sport, and naturally, music has been going strong since 2006 and is just one of the hundreds of Irish festivals, around America that invites locals to experience Irish culture and perhaps even reconnect with their own roots.

It's a celebration of Irish immigration and the many ways in which our two countries are intertwined.

♪ ♪ ANNOUNCER: Ireland with Michael is made possible by: ♪ MICHAEL: The music, the folklore, and the hospitality.

It's all in Ireland.

♪ ANNOUNCER: CIE Tours, sharing the magic of Ireland for 90 years.

♪ ANNOUNCER: Aer Lingus has been bringing people home since 1936.

If you are thinking about Ireland, Aer Lingus is ready when you are to take you home.

♪ MICHAEL: If you've ever found yourself fascinated by the traditional crafts and trades featured on this show, or fallen in love with the sound of the gorgeous Irish instruments you've heard right here and wanted to get a more hands-on experience to see if you've got the magic touch or even heard the tongue twister that is the Irish language and thought you are up to the task, well, the best thing would be for you to come to Ireland, and I'd be only delighted to have you.

But if you can't visit the Emerald Isle anytime soon, an Irish fest is absolutely the next best thing.

♪ You'll find native speakers and musicians, master craftspeople and enthusiasts, all excitedly exchanging tips and even the odd phrase in Gaelic, all of them here to extend a hand to you in a display of true Irish hospitality that encourages anyone to follow their hiberno curiosity.

♪ Now, it might surprise you to know that there is one official booth at the Iowa Irish Fest.

The Irish government has a pop-up consulate here to promote Ireland's culture, tourism and economy.

Pádraig, I'm not really sure that I should even be calling you Pádraig.

What do you call a vice consul?

How do you address, how should I address you?

PÁDRAIG: Yeah, Pádraig is absolutely fine.

Pádraig is absolutely fine.

MICHAEL: Okay, very good.

So, I'm not quite sure what a vice consul does.

Can you kind of give me a big-picture kind of idea of what it is?

PÁDRAIG: So, I work in the Irish consulate to the Midwestern United States.

So, I'm the Deputy Head of Mission there and we are the Irish government's representative office in the Midwestern United States.

So, we do a lot of work in the political space and the economic space to strengthen the links between Ireland and the Midwest from a political perspective and from a trade perspective.

And then we do a lot of work with Irish community partners right across the Midwest.

And that's what brings us here to Waterloo.

MICHAEL: Okay, now, to the important stuff.

What county are you from?

PÁDRAIG: I'm from Cork originally.

MICHAEL: And so, you get to come to all these festivals.

I'm amazed by the size and the depth of feeling for Irish culture.

PÁDRAIG: It's incredible to see Downtown Waterloo turned green for the weekend, it's amazing.

MICHAEL: We've a big day ahead of us.

So, it's hot.

I'll tell you what, at around eight o'clock tonight, I'll meet you for a pint.

PÁDRAIG: Great, I'll hold you to that.

♪ MICHAEL: The Iowa Irish Fest is an annual festival put on by the Cedar Valley Irish Cultural Association, folks who are proud of their own Irish ancestry or who just wish to celebrate Gaelic culture.

Since 2006, they've been fostering relationships with Irish artists from across the pond and developing the Irish American community here at home.

♪ Rory, I can't believe that I am 5,000 miles away from Ireland, but I feel like I'm in Ireland, except I'm in Waterloo, Iowa.

And so, why do you think Irish culture exploded here?

RORY: Yeah, well, I'm from a large Irish Catholic family.

I have eight siblings and I have a lot of cousins and we all had a strong Irish bond and heritage.

And then, when somebody came up with the idea, it just seemed to bring people back to life and bring 'em out of the woodworks.

And we love our Irish culture.

MICHAEL: Why do you think Irish culture is so important, though?

RORY: I think it's a release point for people.

I think, with my Irish culture, it's about food, it's about fun.

It's about large gatherings of people and singing.

My family's huge in singing the old traditional songs and the dance.

And so I just think it's that we bring people together and that we all have a good time.

We get along and we enjoy life.

♪ MICHAEL: Okay, but why Iowa?

Well, the whole of this country, the United States of America, was viewed as a land of opportunity and plenty, especially by the starving generation of Irish, living through the Great Hunger of the 1840s and '50s.

Just before that time, the result of the Black Hawk War in August of 1832, opened up eastern Iowa to non-native settlers in what was previously American Indian territory.

To desperate immigrants, it didn't matter how the land was taken, only that it was available, rich in soil and sold for cheap by the U.S. government.

Before Iowa had even become a state, this lure of the land triggered the beginning of what would prove to be the second largest wave of immigrants to the territory, after Germans.

The opportunities presented by the industrialization of the West, especially along the mighty Mississippi, would continue to drive this migration.

Irish immigrants found work in the lead mines, around nearby Dubuque and, later, building this section of America's transcontinental railroad.

The population of Iowa today has some 13% claiming Irish ancestry, over the national average of 9%.

And so it was only a matter of time, before those people got together to share in their heritage, an ancestry of hard workers seeking a livelihood in a land of promise, a reflection of today's immigrant stories.

♪ Off the street and down into the cellar of the only empty bar in town.

Ireland with Michael has its very own subterranean studio, where we're recording some of the best acts, coming through the Irish Fest in blessed air conditioning.

Come on, let's have a listen.

In the studio now, it's Colm Keegan, with Laura on cello and Brian on keys.

♪ Twas Friday morn when we set sail ♪ ♪ We were not far from the land ♪ ♪ The captain, he spied this little mermaid ♪ ♪ With a comb and a glass in her hand ♪ ♪ And the ocean waves do roll ♪ ♪ The stormy winds do blow ♪ ♪ We poor sailors are skipping up aloft ♪ ♪ And the landlubbers lie down below, below, below ♪ ♪ The landlubbers lie down ♪ BRIAN: One, two, three, four.

♪ MICHAEL: I feel like all of our different worlds have come together here.

Usually, I know nearly everybody from different ways and through loads of other different musicians and artists, all from Ireland, but all probably working over here.

And finally, for the first time, the three of ye are all in the same room with me.

LAURA: Yay.

MICHAEL: Ironically, in Waterloo, Iowa.

COLM: It's mad, isn't it?

Yeah, I mean, as you're saying, Michael, I mean, Ireland's a tiny country anyway, but the music scene is even smaller again.

So, whenever you bump into another musician, you're never really kind of too far removed from that musician.

MICHAEL: And it seems to bring that community together.

I was calling a few people this morning saying, "Sure, I'm meeting Colm and Brian."

And they're like, "Oh, right."

Everybody knows everybody.

COLM: Exactly, yeah.

♪ Then up spoke the captain of this gallant ship ♪ ♪ And a fine, young fella was he ♪ ♪ This little mermaid has told me of our doom ♪ ♪ We shall sink to the bottom of the sea ♪ ♪ And the ocean waves do roll ♪ ♪ And the stormy winds do blow ♪ ♪ And we poor sailors are skipping up aloft ♪ ♪ And the landlubbers lie down below, below, below ♪ ♪ The landlubbers lie down below ♪ ♪ ♪ Then up spoke the first mate of our gallant ship ♪ ♪ And a fine, young fella was he ♪ ♪ He told us of his wife in Boston by the sea ♪ ♪ And a lonely a widow she will be ♪ ♪ And the ocean waves do roll ♪ ♪ And the stormy winds do blow ♪ ♪ And we poor sailors are skipping up aloft ♪ ♪ And the landlubbers lie down below, below, below ♪ ♪ The landlubbers lie down below ♪ MICHAEL: Touring, particularly the Irish festival circuit in North America, it's tough work.

And I know you two of all people know that more than anybody.

LAURA: Yes.

COLM: Well, we've probably made it a little bit harder than it needed to be, as well, because- LAURA: Yeah, we bring all three children on the road with us.

So, it has its challenges and its amazing moments, as well.

Like, there's memories that we take away every year.

We think, thank goodness we did it, but there is always the worry of the difficulties that come along with bringing the children with us.

MICHAEL: What ages are they?

LAURA: So, seven- COLM: Seven, five, and just gone two.

LAURA: And just gone two.

MICHAEL: Do you think that there are good things to bringing kids on tour?

They must be their own ambassadors for Ireland and for Scotland at this point.

COLM: Do you know, I absolutely love it.

And one of the hopes that we would love to achieve by it is showing other musicians that you don't necessarily need to be gone for three months, saying goodbye at the start and seeing them in three months' time.

That it is actually possible to travel with the kids.

There are times where it is a little bit harder, but in other ways, it's much easier, as well.

Because, you know yourself, Michael, that sometimes if the family aren't around, you kind of keep pushing yourself from work and you keep working and you take on loads of things.

So actually, having them out sometimes slows you down a little bit.

♪ And the ocean waves do roll ♪ ♪ And the stormy winds do blow ♪ ♪ And we poor sailors are skipping up aloft ♪ ♪ And the landlubbers lie down below, below, below ♪ ♪ The landlubbers lie down below ♪ ♪ ♪ MICHAEL: Anne, Eileen, I did not think that, when I got to Waterloo, Iowa, I would find two women from San Francisco here.

Because, let's face it, San Francisco is almost as far in the opposite direction as Ireland is.

ANNE: Yes, yes, it is.

MICHAEL: But I heard about your program, and I wanted to find out all about it.

Tell me about the Keepers project.

ANNE: So, Keeper of the Steps is a United Irish Cultural Center program.

We have about 70 Irish dance costumes at this time that have all been donated.

We did an exhibit back in January of 2022 and we just took this space at the Irish Cultural Center and just turned it into a pop-up exhibit.

And it was amazing.

We got stuff loaned and donated to us.

MICHAEL: So, the reason that I am so fascinated by this and the reason that I think that every Irish center in North America will want to work on this project, is that Irish people traditionally have passed on their culture orally.

So, we never recorded.

That's why there's no sheet music for any jigs or reels, there's no steps recorded.

And, let's face it, we lose some on the way because, quite often, I learned songs in the pub from an older person who sang a song, and I would listen to the song, take it home, and invariably change a few words.

So, it's time that we took our culture more seriously and recorded it, and that's why I wanted to talk to you.

EILEEN: Like you said, those practitioners, they're moving on and while growing up in Irish dancing and hearing the stories of my dance teacher and who she learned from and those steps, when she's gone, who's passing that down and how are we capturing that?

I mean, now we have video and technology, which helps a lot.

MICHAEL: A lot.

EILEEN: But it's those personal stories and, you know, tales that they tell while they're passing on a step that they might've learned from their dance teachers.

MICHAEL: It's not just the steps.

Let's talk about the costumes.

Now, God knows they've changed so many, so much over the years and you have brought an amazing array of costumes here to this festival so people can see what happened over the decades.

And I love to be able to watch in one room, because they started with very little embellishment and ended up, well, they ended up like this.

ANNE: One of the things that we like to focus on is the idea of the Celtic designs.

Kind of when we did our exhibit, we had the Book of Kells, not THE Book of Kells, right?

But we had a Book of Kells that kind of said, look, inspiration was gotten with these designs from- so, again, this passing down of this artwork that has now been brought into the stitching of Irish dance costumes.

It's pretty phenomenal.

♪ MICHAEL: Darian, I have a confession to make.

You are obviously my local legendary bartendress in my local pub down the road in Ames, but I completely forgot that here, in Waterloo, at this international Irish fest, you are the Irish whiskey expert.

Now, I see there's two types of whiskeys that you've got.

I think, I guess Ireland is known for its pot still whiskeys.

DARIAN: Absolutely.

MICHAEL: Well, tell us about the single malt.

DARIAN: Single-malt whiskey is one of my favorite styles.

It's using malted barley as the flavoring grain and predominantly the entire grain.

So, you're getting some roasty, toasty notes and when I explain different whiskeys, I liken it to bread.

Cornbread tastes a certain way, think bourbon.

Wheat bread, think Maker's Mark or other brands.

When you get to malt, think of malt like malted tea, malted milkshakes.

That flavor is what you're going to see in this.

So, Irish single malt, like I said, one of my absolute favorite categories and the Sexton is the number one selling Irish single malt in the United States.

MICHAEL: Which I actually had no idea about.

And I've never tasted.

DARIAN: Really?

MICHAEL: No, never.

DARIAN: Mm-hmm.

(laughs) MICHAEL: Made by, no, made by what distiller in Ireland?

Do you know?

DARIAN: That is Alex at Bushmills Distillery.

MICHAEL: Oh, our friend Alex Thomas.

DARIAN: Yes.

MICHAEL: Who Ireland with Michael viewers will know very well.

DARIAN: This was her first project with Bushmills.

It was the first thing that she really got to take ownership of and release as hers.

MICHAEL: She never told me that.

♪ (Darian laughing) Ooh, fresher and lighter, more delicate than I'm used to from a single malt.

I think, yeah, I'll give it another shot, I like it.

♪ Okay, on to my love, my great love.

I'll tell you another secret.

Five years ago, I'd never tasted pot still whiskey.

Because I'm a singer, it's a delicate instrument and I tend not to drink liquor, until I started making Ireland with Michael and I found out how great pot still whiskey is.

And I think it's distinctly Irish.

DARIAN: Absolutely.

MICHAEL: What do you like about pot still?

DARIAN: I think distinctly Irish is the perfect way to put it, when you look at a culture defining something so important that they codify it in law.

Pot still whiskey is Ireland's product that's codified into law.

It holds esteem just like champagne does.

So, to look at a product that is so quintessentially Irish, known throughout the world, this is Irish pot still whiskey.

That's a beautiful callback to identity.

I think it's powerful.

♪ MICHAEL: Now, that.

That's Ireland in a glass.

Talk to me about women in whiskey in general in the world and are we getting more women distillers from Ireland?

DARIAN: Absolutely.

And when you look at the history of women in whiskey in particular, it begins in Ireland.

And distilling would've been part and parcel of homekeeping.

It was making what was a rudimentary beer, which is a little more than making an alcoholic soup.

So, that was part of keeping home.

You would boil all these ingredients together to build community, to find remedies for things.

So, we have a strong history, lots of stories of women who were distilling, either poitín or uisce beatha or whiskey throughout time.

And it is, when we look to Ireland in particular, that we have some of the earliest mentions of women in whiskey.

Even in present day, we weren't afraid to talk about the Irish women in whiskey.

And I think that's one of the most beautiful parts of that story, we've always talked about them.

MICHAEL: Well, let's raise a glass to women in whiskey and to you.

DARIAN: Well, thank you.

(glass chiming) MICHAEL: Sláinte.

DARIAN: Sláinte.

MICHAEL: I finally made it out to take in a bit of the festival itself and who do I run into?

So, lads, I forgot that, when I am in Waterloo, Iowa, that I know every single musician involved.

And I'm walking down the road and who do I see?

Only you lads from Donegal, Onóir.

(Diarmaid laughs) From the last season of our show.

And, at that point, you hadn't left Donegal.

DIARMAID: No.

MICHAEL: And is this your first festival outside in North America?

DIARMAID: First ever time to ever play in America, yeah.

MICHAEL: I feel I'm an ambassador for the country.

But now you're new ambassadors for the country.

How does that feel for you from Donegal?

DIARMAID: I know it's probably a little bit silly to say, but our last, like, month of shows at home, every show, we just said, "Look, we're heading to America for a month, and we hope that we're going to do our part in putting Donegal and Ireland on the map.

And the clap every night that that got.

MICHAEL: Yeah.

DIARMAID: It makes you feel, it makes you so proud.

MICHAEL: It's particularly an honor as Irish people and as Irish artists to fly the flag and let people know that Irish culture is alive and well and in your case, thriving, and turning it into something new and brilliant.

DIARMAID: Thank you.

MICHAEL: It is such a pleasure to come across you again.

I am one of your biggest fans and we'll get you on another season, whether you like it or not.

(Deane and Diarmaid laughing) So, good luck.

Are ye on tonight?

DIARMAID: We're on in 20 minutes.

(Deane laughing) MICHAEL: Oh.

(group laughing) All right, okay.

This really was, you'd better go warm up.

Off you go.

DIARMAID: Enjoy yourself.

MICHAEL: Good luck, Onóir.

DIARMAID: Thank you.

MICHAEL: While Onóir goes off to do their warm-up, we've got another Donegal band warmed up in our studio.

Here's the Byrne Brothers.

♪ ♪ As I went out on a bright morning ♪ ♪ To take a pleasant walk ♪ ♪ I sat down beside an old stone wall ♪ ♪ Just to hear two lovers talk ♪ ♪ For to hear two lovers talk, my love ♪ ♪ To hear what they might say ♪ ♪ For I might learn a little more, love ♪ ♪ Before I go away ♪ ♪ P stands for Paddy, I suppose ♪ ♪ J for my love John ♪ ♪ W stands for false William O ♪ ♪ But Johnny is the fairest man ♪ ♪ "For Johnny is the fairest man," she said ♪ ♪ Johnny is the fairest man ♪ ♪ I don't care what anyone says ♪ ♪ For Johnny is the fairest man ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Well come on sit beside me, love ♪ ♪ Beside me on the green ♪ ♪ It's a long three quarters ♪ ♪ Of a year or more ♪ ♪ Since together we have been ♪ ♪ Since together we have been, my dear ♪ ♪ Together we have been ♪ ♪ It's a long three quarters ♪ ♪ Of a year or more ♪ ♪ Since together we have been ♪ ♪ Oh I'll not sit beside you, love ♪ ♪ Now or any other time ♪ ♪ For I hear you love another little lass ♪ ♪ And your heart's no longer mine ♪ ♪ "And your heart's no longer mine" she said ♪ ♪ Your heart's no longer mine ♪ ♪ I don't care what anyone says ♪ ♪ Your heart's no longer mine ♪ ♪ So I will climb a high, high tree ♪ ♪ And rob the wild bird's nest ♪ ♪ Back I'll bring what I find there ♪ ♪ To the girl I love the best ♪ ♪ "To the girl I love the best," he said ♪ ♪ The girl I love best ♪ ♪ Back I'll bring what I find there ♪ ♪ To the girl I love the best ♪ ♪ P stands for Paddy, I suppose ♪ ♪ J for my love John ♪ ♪ W stands for false William O ♪ ♪ But Johnny is the fairest man ♪ ♪ "For Johnny is the fairest man," she said ♪ ♪ Johnny is the fairest man ♪ ♪ I don't care what anyone says ♪ ♪ For Johnny is the fairest man ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Thanks for joining me on my travels around Waterloo, Iowa.

I'm Michael Londra and I hope to see you next time on Ireland with Michael.

For now, cheers.

Sláinte.

ANNOUNCER: Want to continue your travels to Ireland?

Your choice of the Ireland with Michael DVD Seasons one and two or Seasons three and four with bonus concert footage is available for $30.

Ireland with Michael: A Musical Journey CD with songs from Michael and his guest artists, is available for $20.

The Ireland with Michael Companion travel book, featuring places to visit as seen in all seasons, is also available for $30.

This offer is made by Wexford House.

Shipping and handling is not included.

MICHAEL: To learn more about everything you've seen in this episode, go to IrelandWithMichael.com.

ANNOUNCER: Ireland with Michael was made possible by: ♪ MICHAEL: The music, the folklore, and the hospitality.

It's all in Ireland.

♪ ANNOUNCER: CIE Tours, sharing the magic of Ireland for 90 years.

♪ ANNOUNCER: Aer Lingus has been bringing people home since 1936.

If you're thinking about Ireland, Aer Lingus is ready when you are to take you home.

MICHAEL: Okay, put your hands up in the air!

Come on, let's get a-wavin'!

♪ In my heart, its rightful queen ♪ ♪ Ever loving, ever tender ♪ That's it!

♪ Ever true ♪ ♪ Like the sun, your smile has shone ♪ Go on, Wexford!

♪ Gladdening all it glowed upon ♪ ♪