We Sailed for St. Brendan's Fair Isle....well actually Canada!

Special News!!!

We are very excited to announce the First Annual Blackwater Travel Adventure! This year we are starting things off with a 5 Day Cruise to Atlantic Canada from NYC on board the majestic and luxurious, Carnival Glory. The ship (apparently they get upset when you call it a boat!) is completely decked out with fantastic accomodations, loads of entertainment and more food than you could possibly consume in 5 days!

Come join the Blackwater for what promises to be a fantastic voyage with lots of fun and loads of music! Private concerts and sessions every evening along with loads of activities on and off the ship during the day plus a smattering of lounging and lazing to suit everyone's desires.

Prices start at $645.00 per person based upon double occupancy inclusive of all fees and taxes. See the price sheet for more detailed information.

We are pleased to be working with BSID International as our travel consultants. BSID has a wealth of experience in arranging Irish Entertainment travel and have put together a fantastic package for us to offer to you, our good friends and loyal fans. If you would like more information or copies of the cruise itinerary and brochure, please send us an e-mail or contact BSID International directly.

Early Booking Offer available until October 23rd

There is a special booking offer for early reservations currently underway If you make your reservation on or before the 23rd of October, it is only a $25.00 deposit per person with full payment not due until May 2010 to guarantee your reservation.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY!

We look forward to seeing all of you the cruise we hope that you can join us for this inaugural voyage.

As always, thanks for listening.

All the Best,

Blackwater

Blackwater - Vegas Style....Baby!

As you may or may not be aware, Sands Casino Corporation is opening a new casino on the site of the former Bethlehem Steel Plant in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Sands Bethworks promises to be the premiere venue for gambling, food and entertainment in the Lehigh Valley.

One of the many fantastic restaurants that will be opening in the casino is an Irish pub, called St. James Gate. This promises to be a premiere Irish pub with authentic surroundings, great food and Irish music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights!

That's where Blackwater comes in. We are proud to say that we have agreed to a Thursday night residency at St. James Gate. That's right, every week on Thursday evening we will be rolling out unique brand of Trad with a Twist for all to enjoy from 7:00PM to 11:00PM from the cozy confines of St. James Gate!

We are very excited about this opportunity and hope to see all of our fans coming out on a regular basis as well as meeting lots of new fans along the way. Regardless, we'll be there having some good fun every Thursday night.

We will begin with a special Friday night performance on May, 22nd which is the night Sands Bethworks is scheduled to open to the general public. The residency will begin the following Thursday, May 28th.

So spread the word and come on out to see Blackwater swing it Vegas Style! We promise not to wear any sequins!

Proposition 3-17

St. Patrick's Day as a national holiday in the US...Guinness Proposition 3-17.

Well, on its face, this may seem like a silly marketing campaign to promote Guinness, but the more I think on it, the more I'm drawn to the conclusion that this is not so bad an idea and in fact has many justifiable merits.

First off, let me disclose at the start, that I have a vested interest in this movement as I am an Irish musician and anything that puts St. Patrick's Day in the spotlight certainly can't be bad for business. With that said, what is wrong with a national holiday that celebrates the history , culture and contribution of an ethnic group which was instrumental in the creation, growth and sustenance of the United States?

There are estimates that at least twenty-five percent of the Continental Army was comprised of Irish men who had come to the United States as either laborers, servants, farmers or tradesmen or had been transported here against their will as a result of the penal laws of Great Britain. Commodore John Barry and General Richard Montgomery, two Revolutionary War heroes, were of Irish descent along with some 20 or so of Washington's generals.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Irish emigration to America as a result of political, religious or socio-economic circumstances has led us to the fact that Irish-Americans represent between 12 and 15% of our population (approximately 44 million as of 2006) second only to German-Americans.

The Irish diaspora (look it up) has resulted in a wealth of contributions to American society and culture ranging from industry & politics to our civil services and military; from sports & entertainment to our cultural heritage and even our language.

At least twenty-two of our presidents have been of Irish ancestry, while JFK has the most famous associations with Ireland, Andrew Jackson's parents were Irish born making him a first generation Irish American!

Henry Ford, one of the greatest industrialists in our history was the son of Irish immigrants who fled the famine in the 1840's. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Eugene O'Neill, Flannery O'Connor, Walt Disney, Spencer Tracy and a host of others have graced our libraries our stages and the silver screen. From Molly Pitcher (McCauly) to Audie Murphy, the most decorated combat soldier of World War II, Irish-Americans have defended our country's ideals and liberties. James Braddock, Jack Dempsey were kings of the ring. Roger Connor was the original home run king before the Babe later followed by greats like Connie Mack and Tug McGraw. Irish Americans all.

The list goes on and on...examples abound. The question, simply stated, is whether or not this cultural heritage, which is such an integral and vibrant colored thread in the American fabric, should be honored with the recognition of a national holiday.

I, for one, say yes. There will be arguments against this movement, and financial objections to the impact on business and industry by the creation of another federal holiday. Even in light of these objections, in this age of over-sensitivity and hyper political correctness, I think that a holiday to commemorate the contributions of the Irish and celebrate the vibrancy of important part of our national culture is a good idea for us all.

If you want to sign the petition, go to Guinness Proposition 3-17 or visit our Facebook profile and vote from there at Blackwater on Facebook

Welcome to BlogWater....The Official Blackwater BlogSpot

Well, as if seeing us on stage and listening to our blather there isn’t enough, we’ve gone and created BlogWater. Here, each of us will be able to share our deepest thoughts, random emotions, and ranting opinions on all things Blackwater and Celtic Music related. Be gentle in your comments as we are sensitive artiste types and may not take criticism well.

Thanks as always to all our friends and fans who make this little adventure, Blackwater a reality.

Cheers

Sean