"Don't bother to tarry in America, go straight to Butte," was the call of many an Irish hardrock miner to his relatives back in Ireland.
Most of Butte's Irish came from West Ireland, predominately County Cork, but thousands immigrated from Counties Mayo and Donegal as well. David Emmons, author of The Butte Irish, states that by 1900, Butte had 12,000 residents of Irish descent in a population of 47,635. At the turn of the nineteenth century, over twenty-five percent of the population was Irish, higher than any other American city, including Chicago and Boston.
Dublin Gulch has emerged as Butte and Montana's premier traditional Irish band. For the past eighteen years, Tom Powers has led the group with his passionate and pure vocal prowess. Multi-instrumentalist Mick Cavanaugh adds his stellar whistle, banjo, mandolin, and guitar virtuosity to the mix. Jim Schulz provides driving rhythm support with guitar, bouzouki, and mandolin as well as harmony vocals. Fiddler and banjoist John Joyner completes the group with his unique blend of Celtic, bluegrass, jazz, and old timey sensibilities. It all adds up to an orchestra of the best that Irish music has to offer!
A CLASSIC TREAT!
The Butte Pasty (pass-tee)
(From the kitchen of Maureen Mansfield, wife of Senator Mike Mansfield)
1/2 lb. raw beefsteak, cubed (or ground beef)
1 cup coarse chopped onion
1 large Tbsp. butter
1 medium potato, cubed
Pie Dough:
1 1/2 c. pastry flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 to 1/2 c. shortening
1/4 c. cold water (about)
Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder; then mix in shortening and water and shape and roll as in directions.
For 1 pasty, take 1/2 the dough. Roll thin to shape and size of pie plate. Pile half the onion, potato, and meat on 1/2 the round of pie dough to one inch from edge. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dot with butter. Fold other half of round over filling, press edges together well and crimp.
Place 2 pasties in pie plate. Cut slit in top of each, into which a teaspoon of hot water should be occasionally poured to keep from drying out. Bake 3/4 hour in hot (400º) oven or until well browned. Reduce heat to 350º for fifteen minutes. Serve with brown gravy.