Episode 2.12 (Joan Hartnett Reali): Keeping the Culture Going: The Cleveland Gaelic Society

In season two of the "Finding Home" podcast series, Irish American Archives Society Executive Director Margaret Lynch interviews an array of Clevelanders with specialized knowledge and stories about the history of the Irish in Cleveland. This episode features an interview with Joan Hartnett Reali. Growing up in the 1940s and 1950s near Kenmare in County Kerry, Joan Hartnett Reali was steeped in traditional Irish music, dance, and sports. At age 17, she followed an older brother to Cleveland, and other family members soon joined them here. Joan felt most at home at dances and lessons sponsored by the Cleveland Gaelic Society, which formed in 1958 to promote Irish language, music, and dance. Serving as longtime treasurer of the Gaelic Society, she represented the club in the formation of the Cleveland Associated Irish American Clubs-- the so-called "Four Clubs." She shares memories of organizing dances, recruiting teachers and musicians, and juggling activities and responsibilities.