Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Enjoying Cuba's Irish and Celtic Heritage


This program offers a unique window into the Irish diaspora in the Caribbean, as well as Cuban history and culture.  Not to mention the craic will be awesome in organized concerts and into the wee hours sesiuns.  On top of it, all the excitement and enjoyment of discovering our too long forbidden neighbor.  Our trip is licensed by the US Treasury Department so is available to everyone, professional and amateur musicians and dancers, diaspora hobbyists and academics, just plain fans and the curious.  The program is tentative until the CeltFest schedule is final.



Sunday April 14, 2013

Fly to Havana (afternoon flight from Cancun)
CeltFest program


Monday April 15, 2013

9:00 am Lecture  at Hotel Palacio O'Farrill. Discussion on 16th – 18th century Irish presence
10:00 am Tour "In the Irish Footsteps of Old Havana"
12.30 pm Lunch at Asociacion Yoruba, visit Santaria exhibit
2:00 pm  Ferry to church in Regla
2:30 pm  Performance by AfroCuban group Nsila Cheche
5:30 private briefing on social/economic changes; US Cuba relations
Dinner on own
CeltFest Program
* may be replaced by CeltFest program

Tuesday April 16, 2013

9:00 am Departing for a Tour of the South West and Havana (Railroad Route )
(Box lunch and 2 drinks included)
Places to visit in the morning and afternoon:
• Monument to workers at Capitolio and Villanueva Station.
• The swamp  at Cerro: railway workshops.
• Santiago de las Vegas (Agronomic Station).
• Corner (railroad station); leprosarium San Lazaro (O'Naghten).
• Bejucal (Municipal Museum), (Railway Museum) (Parish Church).
• Quivicán (Ingenio Espiritu Santo: V Marqués de San Felipe y Santiago O 'Farrill-O'Reilly).
• Guines (Municipal Museum, Railroad Museum, ruins of the mill "Alexandria"; ruins of wit "The Netherlands," Calvo Gate O 'Farrill).
Dinner on own
CeltFest program

Wednesday April 17, 2013

9:00 am Lecture  at Hotel Palacio O'Farrill. Discussion on 19th – 20th century Irish presence
10:00 am Tour "In the Footsteps Irish in Old Havana"
1.00 PM Lunch on own
3:00 - 6: 00 pm Depart for National Library "José Martí" for a talk by Irish academic and performance of traditional Celtic music ensemble
Dinner on own 
CeltFest program

Thursday 18 April 2013

9:00 am Departing to Matanzas - Varadero.
Places to visit in the morning and afternoon:

Habana del Este:
• Fortress of  Cojimar and Bacuranao (Taking of Havana by the English 1762).
• Santa Cruz del Norte (Hershey, former sugar refinery town of FC, White House, Matanzas).

Matanzas:
• Fortress of San Severino.
• The Museum Morrillo.
• House of Culture Bonifacio Byrne.
• O'Reilly Streets, before Rio, Tirry and Madan.
• House Bonifacio Byrne (Contreras. 30,208).
• House of Charities (Byrne).

1:00 to 2:00 pm Lunch at Hotel Velasco

Cárdenas:
• Oscar María de Rojas Museum
• Flag House.
• beach Camacho (J. O'Brien).

5: 00 pm Check in at hotel in Varadero

Transportation included for evening activities
(meet/sessiun with Asturian or Galician celtic group in/from Matanzas??)

Friday 19 April 2013

Breakfast at the Hotel
9:00 am Departing to Havana via Limonar, San Antonio de Cabezas, Madruga, Tapaste, Cotorro, Santa María del Rosario.
(Box lunch and 2 drinks included)

Places to visit in the morning and afternoon:
Limonar:
Municipal Museum.
• San Patricio Farm(Mary Gowen Brooks).
• Villa Ariadne (Rufus King).
San Antonio de Cabezas:
Parish Church.
• Ruins of San Antonio de Varela sugar mill.
Madruga:
• Municipal Museum
• La Paila, sulfur water source
Tapaste
• Parish Church (R. J. O'Farrill)
Cotorro
• St. Patrick (Ricardo O'Farrill)
• Villa Casañas, Loma de Tierra, Km 20 Carretera Central (Arturo "Chico" O'Farrill)
Santa Maria del Rosario (Cotorro)
• Parish Church
• Source of sulfur water
• House of Jose Maria Chacon y Calvo (Restaurante El Meson).
• Hill of the Three Crosses (Memorial slave rebellion).

Return to Havana
9:00 pm Opera de la Calle

Saturday 20 April 2013

Pending activities of Havana CeltFest: Gala Concert, etc.

Sunday 21 April 2013

Transfer to Havana airport for the flight back to Cancun.

For further information on cost or to obtain a PDF registration form, contact John McAuliff  jmcauliff@ffrd.org

[block print above by Mario Cruz Moscoso, Cienfuegos, Cuba]

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