Beaver Island Michigan

Ladies and gentlemen â??
Through the efforts of myself and the island's very own Bill Cashman, Beaver Island will be the site of the first annual Beaver Island Celtic Games on July 23 as part of Museum Week. I, along with 11 of my fellow highland strongmen, will be coming to the island that day to compete against each other in highland athletics and entertain the crowd with our on-the-field antics. We will have the traditional highland games, such as the caber toss, but will also add a couple of Irish strongman games (to be announced â?? we are still trying to decide which ones and no they do not include alcohol.)

This is not just any ordinary athletic contest. This is a bunch of big guys, dressed in kilts, throwing very heavy things and showing off for the crowd. You will laugh, you will be amazed, you will be disgusted (someone will probably flash the crowd) and you will have fun. These are some of the best athletes in the sport. Each and every one of them are very excited for the chance to compete on Beaver Island and give you a demonstration of celtic strongmen.

A few of us will also be on-hand the day before the event to give a demonstration of the games. We are also working on a very scaled down competition for the audience to try their hand at on Sunday.

Jeremy

(For more information on the highland games, visit www.nasgaweb.com or www.ancientathletics.com)

Will this include demonstrations of how to eat sheep intestines and other Scottish delicacies? And what about re-enacting major military defeats at the hands of the British? Any chance of that?

Just wondering.

It is better to eat the sheep's innards than do what you Irish are so fond of doing to them.
British wins? We were just toying with them. If you remember your history, it was a Scot that was named king with the Union of Crowns. As for Culloden, I blame whiskey. I made us want to look for a fight. Whiskey also made us charge cannons with nothing but a wooden shield and a sword.
Plus, we realized by combining our interesting ways of risking life and limb for a good fight and the British ways of creating fine weapons of war and war tactics, we could rule the world and make it our bitch...at least that is what we did to Ireland for a few hundred years.
Cheers.

You're partially right, McBain. But that "ruling-over-the Irish" rhetoric won't earn you any points on the Isle!

But seriously, I for one applaud your ideas and efforts with these games, and hope they're the beginning of a grand tradition on Beaver Island. More power to ye!

Thanks. I hope they are successful as well.
As for ruling over the irish, I think we were just looking for a good drinking buddy. Damn English couldn't keep up with us.
Now, if our two nations would just team up on the english...man that would be fun.

Take your skirts & throw your Balls at one anouther at the south end and let what little want to be irish have their fun at the nortrh end!

Wanna try saying that with your name attached?

These games will be great fun for both Irish and Scottish or even Polish. I can't think of a greater place to have them than Beaver Island and I can't think of a better bunch of people that I would want to bring these games to than the islanders.

How funny could it be to click on to this page and read the rhetoric that has brewed in ownly a few hours but then to do it when I come home from the pub and find my wife sitting at the counter listening to the "BeeGees Greatest Hits"!! There is a parallel and a parody there somehwhere!! As to the sheeps innards, McBain, how do you think your breed arrived on this planet, hahhaha!! We will be watching, waiting and ready for our assignments for the summer festival and will offer any help we can, Rich and Laura

Hi Jeremy! Am looking forward to the event! We've gone to the Michigan Renaissance Festival to see the Highland Games in the past, and it's always been alot of fun! Just wanted to let you know that July 23rd is also the night of our family reunion, so there will be lots of Gatliffs running around the Island! However, our clan is much better at tossing beer than tossing cabers! The weekend of July 23rd is also Danny Burton's music festival. With all the parties, I can feel my head getting bigger already.... Anyway, thanks for your efforts in organizing this event. See you then, if not before!

Greeting all â??
I am in need of lodging on the island during the games, July 22, 23, 24 but I don't want to pay an arm and a leg. Anyone have any suggestions (this question has come up among the athletes as well)?

Rich wrote:How funny could it be to click on to this page and read the rhetoric that has brewed in ownly a few hours but then to do it when I come home from the pub and find my wife sitting at the counter listening to the "BeeGees Greatest Hits"!! There is a parallel and a parody there somehwhere!! As to the sheeps innards, McBain, how do you think your breed arrived on this planet, hahhaha!! We will be watching, waiting and ready for our assignments for the summer festival and will offer any help we can, Rich and Laura

Laura doesn't really listen to the Bee Gees, does she Rich?

Jeremy, check with the Brothers Place for affordable accomadations. John Fiegan is the contact person.

Rich, give me a hollar. 231-237-9543.

If any of you would like to help sponsor the games, you are welcome to.
For $30 you or your buisness can get a line on the official Beaver Island Celtic Games T-shirt, currently under design, and in the official Beaver Island Celtic Games program. Or for a mear $50 you can get your name and/or business name in both and set up a booth near the games.
Whatever we raise above what we need to run the games will go to the Beaver Island Historical Society.
Any more info, give me a hollar at (231) 237-9543 or e-mail me at pipermcbain@hotmail.com