Dineen Grow, who founded the Celtic Cultural Center (CCC) in 1993 and served as its president throughout its existence, envisioned the organization as a celebration of the traditions embodied in the language, music, song, dance, storytelling, drama, history, film and crafts of the six Celtic cultures: Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man and Brittany. Along with original CCC board members Molly Crossen, Mary Magray and the late Kathy Rittel, Dineen applied her boundless energy to gathering local Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Manx and Cornish representatives to plan for the eventual acquisition of a building that could serve as a performance and instructional center for Celtic communities in Madison. In an effort to further that goal, the Madison Celtic Alliance was formed in 2004-2005. Unfortunately, the dream of a physical center was never realized, but over time Dineen’s resourcefulness and dedication helped forge a wide array of connections within Madison’s Celtic community and beyond.
Dineen was the “oldest and wisest” (see: https://www.gundersonfh.com/obituaries/Dineen-Grow?obId=29428076) of the nine Grow siblings, so the ability to assemble a crowd came naturally to her, and many CCC pursuits were family affairs. Her sisters Molly, Terry Beth and Becky especially shared her deep interest in Irish culture, contributing long hours as “volunteers” at many CCC events.
As the CCC grew, the variety of events it sponsored increased. Early festivals featured Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish and Manx musicians, dancers, lecturer/historians, dramatists and language teachers. Geraint Wilkes, the Welsh performer and tenor, entertained participants in his workshops on Welsh heritage and language instruction. Dineen invited Howard Curnow, the celebrated Cornish bard, to a Samhain Festival where he explained the relationship between the ancient Cornish holiday and our modern-day Halloween. The CCC and the Scottish St. Andrew’s Society cosponsored a celebration of Celtic heritage at a multi-ethnic festival held in West Towne Mall in Madison. The Manx Society and the Cornish Society of Greater Milwaukee also participated in that event, showcasing music and dance performances and exhibits. When the North American Manx Association held its annual conference in Madison for the first time, Dineen offered CCC staff to help with setup, further spreading good will and forging lasting connections. The Cambrian Heritage Society of Madison shared the CCC’s interest in highlighting Welsh and Irish music and language at local events. Irish and Scots Gaelic language and culture workshops for children were held at the Madison Public Library. Instruction was never dull when Dineen was involved – “a good time was had by all” was the expectation and the result for each event.
An annual Celtic Film Festival organized by the CCC presented films obtained from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man and Brittany, at venues including the Play Circle and the Marquee Theater on the UW-Madison campus and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Oftentimes these films featured the native language of one or more Celtic countries. Actors from Na Fianna Irish Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota, traveled to Madison to present a play by renowned Irish playwright Flann O’Brien. The CCC’s book club was visited by Frank Ronan, an Irish novelist who discussed his work. Dineen showed her appreciation for the art of Irish sport by attending (at least a few) Hurling Club of Madison games, played at a local high school, and she edited the CCC newsletter, “The Celtic Cord”, embellished with artistic Celtic designs. For many years the CCC maintained a presence at Fitchburg Days, providing exhibits, Irish language instruction and lectures on literature, as well as weaving and lace-making demonstrations, to help celebrate that community’s Irish heritage. Dineen devoted time to working with the organizers of The Mad Celt Festival to produce a day-long event that included music, song and dance, along with a demonstration of dogs herding sheep at the large outdoor venue. Browse more bits of past activities at the surviving CCC Facebook page.
As organizer, promoter, facilitator and often master of ceremonies, Dineen could attract an audience to any CCC event, even one held in a park in late October. While the CCC’s Samhain celebrations might be remembered for blazing bonfires, storytelling, and music, attendees could also claim bragging rights for surviving the chilly choice of venue.
While the CCC fostered all of the traditional Celtic cultures mentioned above, it was Irish customs and practices that received the most attention.
Dineen’s connections with Irish musicians were deep-rooted and longstanding. She worked enthusiastically alongside members of Madison’s Celtic Music Association (CMA) to promote local and international performers when they took to the stage in Madison, to the delight of appreciative audiences. The CCC often provided volunteers for CMA events, like visits to Madison by traditional musicians from Ireland such as Patrick Finley and Colm Broderick, and the Friel Sisters from Donegal, drawing packed houses. Local musicians including Chelcy Bowles, Turner Collins, Bob Newton, Alan Ng, the late Bill Peden, Josh Perkins, Darl Ridgely, Sheila Shigley, Bryan Whiting and Dáithí Wolfe (to name just a few) were always very generous in their support of the CCC, in turn. They performed for free at the CCC’s annual St. Pat’s Eve fundraiser, and when St. Pat’s Eve was cancelled during the pandemic Dáithí Wolfe proposed and organized a live‑streamed party with multiple musicians, in recognition of the CCC’s longtime role in promoting Irish music in Madison. The CMA also contributed a sizeable sum of money to the CCC, in addition to hosting the CCC’s webpage.
Irish dance was also an important part of many CCC events, including the St. Pat’s Eve fundraisers. Both Trinity and Cashel Dennehy dancers performed on many occasions, while Karen and Greg Fischer and Heidi Hakseth shared their expertise by providing lessons for the crowd whenever céilí dancing was included. They could get even the most reluctant people on their feet and moving in step to the tunes.
Of course, Dineen’s most cherished expression of Irish culture was the language. Heritage was important in cultivating that interest; she was also inspired by her appreciation for traditional Irish music and literature. She devoted years to learning and then teaching the Irish language, and native Irish speakers complimented her on her blas (accent). Dineen taught Irish in Minnesota, Indiana and Illinois as well as in Wisconsin, where she was a regular instructor at the annual Milwaukee Irish Fest Gaeltacht. Students joined her classes on the UW ‑Madison campus and in her home. She also provided online classes and contributed to curricula developed by tutors and university instructors. The CCC’s annual Deireadh Seachtaine Gaeilge (Irish Language Weekend) in Madison attracted learners from across the Midwest and as far away as the northeast. Classes were provided at all levels by native Irish speakers and professors from around the U.S. and from Ireland. Dineen applied for and obtained grants to employ Irish Fulbright scholars to round out the roster of instructors. Her contacts at universities in Minnesota, Indiana, and Wisconsin supplied fresh ideas and enduring friendships. The weekends were memorable for the knowledge gained but also for the games, musical entertainment and comradeship. Dineen even sang as Gaeilge (in Irish) on occasion. Dineen’s Madison language students applied their skills to theatrical performances and took to the stage with plays in Irish, even going on the road to entertain audiences in Minnesota. The revelry orchestrated by Dineen was a constant part of the learning process.
Dineen earned the respect of countless associates for her scholarship and for her commitment to the advancement of Irish in the U.S. Her leadership as a proponent of Irish culture gained supporters at UW‑Madison such as Professor James Donnelly, an authority on Irish history. Affiliations developed over years of sharing resources, stories and treasured time with Bairbre Ní Chiardha, director of the UW‑Milwaukee Center for Celtic Studies, and the late John Gleeson, Irish speaker, raconteur and lecturer at UW-Milwaukee. Brian Ó Conchubhair (University of Notre Dame), Nancy Stenson (University of Minnesota) and Will Kenny (Gaeltacht Minnesota) were constant supporters of the CCC’s Deireadh Seachtaine weekends, enhanced by Will’s love of merrymaking. Everyone knew they would be in good company when they joined Dineen for a weekend of learning Irish language and celebrating Irish culture.
Dineen’s connections and influence extended far beyond Madison, the Midwest and the US, and her well‑earned recognition was reflected in the many tributes paid to her following her death in October 2023. Lisa Nic Bhreithimh, host of Irish radio show “Fada Is Farsing” on Radio Na Life 106.4fm, broadcast an interview in Irish on November 7, 2023, “with linguist and professor Brian O'Broin about our friend and CCC founder Dineen Grow's legacy and accomplishments for the Irish language.”
Following Dineen's death, the remaining CCC board members determined that the work of the CCC could not continue effectively without Dineen's leadership, enthusiasm and worldwide contacts, and the Celtic Cultural Center of Madison was formally dissolved in December 2023.
Anyone who knew Dineen could affectionately tell a tale of an adventure they experienced with her. The above notes summarize only a very small part of the enormous legacy she leaves behind.
— Celtic Cultural Center Board
This page was last edited on
September 4, 2024.