LAC du FLAMBEAU – The world-renowned Celtic group Different Drums of Ireland made a surprise visit Wednesday, March 10, to the Lac du Flambeau Tribal Center.   This is the first time the band visited a reservation. 

             “The people have been gracious and kind, we fell in love with it,” said Roy Arbuckle of Antrim, Northern Ireland.    

            “The history of the Irish people is very similar to Native American history.”  Tribal President Brooks Big John said as he welcomed the musicians in the Council Room.  “In Lac du Flambeau we’re going through a healing process like Ireland is, and I am happy to see that this culture remains strong after all that’s happened.”

            The band uses the indigenous drums of Ireland, the Lambeg and Bodhran while performing, symbolizing both of the main religions (Protestant and Catholic) of Northern Ireland. 

            Arbuckle came up with the concept of ‘different drums’ in 1991 when he theorized that arts can be used as a way to unite divided communities.  At that time in Northern Ireland’s history the Good Friday Agreement was in its formative stage.  When the Agreement was signed in 1998 it restructured the government of Northern Ireland and began a new period of economic expansion and more importantly peace. 

            The Irish Republican Army was‘decommissioned’ in 2005 as a direct result of the Agreement. Drums of Ireland is currently traveling through northern Wisconsin.  They will be in Milwaukee this weekend to partake in St. Patrick’s Day events, headlining at the Irish Cultural & Heritage Center on Saturday.    

            They plan to return to the Northwoods in August 2010. “We’d love to come back to Lac du Flambeau; it’s fantastic.” Arbuckle added.