Alasdair Fraser

Well, Monday evening we here in Missoula had a lovely treat with the live performance at the Dana Gallery by internationally acclaimed Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser with his partner, cellist Natalie Haas. The "Fire & Grace" performance was truly a rare musical treasure of vibrant tunes, eloquent skills and warm community. Without equivocation Alasdair Fraser elevated the appreciation and beauty of Scottish music to a height hitherto unexceeded, and then exceeded it himself following the intercession!

The entire performance was sponsored by the Dana Gallery and the Celtic Connection, and for all involved it was a rousing success. Approximately 200 tickets were sold, and a broad spectrum of the Missoula community turned out to enjoy the evening. For those unable to purchase tickets in time, do not feel left out! MPR will be airing the performance later this month, and The Celtic Connection has both CD's of Alasdair Fraser with Natalie Haas for sale right here in Missoula.

The two CD's are: "Fire & Grace" for $18.00, and the new release "In the Moments" for $18.00

For those interested in more information, we recommend http://www.alasdairfraser.com/!

Beautiful New Jewelry!

We are proud to introduce Celtic King, an authentically Irish designer of handcrafted sterling silver and precious stone jewelry that we believe will eloquently speak for the uniquely artistic elements of the Celtic imagination and passion.


The sole image posted here is intended to whet your appetite.... In an upcoming post we'll upload more pictures for our Celtic King products, so be sure to follow along and whet your appetite for nothing but the finest and most creative jewelry designs!

Failte as Gaeilge! (Welcome in [Irish] Gaelic!)

Failte to all our dear friends!

Well, since this is the very first posting on The Celtic Connection, it seems elementary to explain who we are, where we are, and what we do. Our proud slogan is "Connecting community and culture," and we vivaciously enjoy what we do!

We are a cheerful and ecclectic clan of Celts for whom Missoula, Montana is a happy home snugly set high in the Rocky Mountain Range. The Celtic Connection features an imported and local retail store specializing in clothing, art, jewelry, entertainment, tea, sweets and much more imported to Missoula from the far corners of the Celtic Rim or hand-crafted locally by unique and diverse Montana craftsmen. We also feature a cozy tearoom boasting imported black teas from Ireland and Great Britain, an assortment of herbal teas, Craven's Coffee (specifically Ethiopian Yirgacheffe), lattes, mochas, mulled cider and tasty pastries baked by Missoula's own Black Cat Bakery and Break Espresso. If you desire a special afternoon with an authentic English High Tea, our tearoom is a warm environment to enjoy a steaming cuppa and a warm scone served fresh and with a wide smile.

We actively maintain a host of community and cultural connections, events and opportunities to celebrate and elevate understanding of Celtic culture, both here in Missoula and in the ancient Celtic Rim nations. We play host to free music events with diverse and lively musicians and bands from Missoula and across Western Montana. Some of the bands featured in the last year were The Celtic Dragon Pipe & Drum Band of Missoula, The Crested Hens of Hamilton, Baba Ganush of Missoula, and The Shamrockers of Polson. In addition we have hosted poetry evenings for the reading and discussion of traditional poets from the Celtic Rim and also local Missoulians. By working with the Missoula Downtown Association, the University of Montana Irish Studies Program and the Montana Gaelic Society we have in the last year forged relationships and connections between the academic and cultural communities and eagerly look forward to the Winter of 2008-2009 as a season of exciting new events, features and fun!

Look for us throughout the Winter of 2008-2009 to be expanding our inventory and our calendar of events, but always remember us on First Fridays for free live music!