The Arizona Irish Festival

BUSHMILLS BEST IRISH TOAST CONTEST

Win Cash and Prizes for Writing the Best Irish Toast!

The Bushmills Best Irish Toast Contest is a fun way to celebrate the Irish gift for "blarney" and how it has been applied for centuries in local pubs to celebrate, commiserate and entertain. The better the beverage, the better the toast called forth, so the 400th Anniversary of Bushmills is a great marriage with this beloved tradition. Toasts can be wise, funny or sarcastic. They reflect the personality and verbal skills of the speaker and his or her ability to touch those listening.

The best Irish toasts have recognizable Irish content - either in subject or style of expression. They excite, entertain or otherwise touch the listener. They call for an enthusiastic "Slainte!" (cheers) from all who hear them when they end. And in this year's Bushmills Best Irish Toast Contest, contestants will be judged on these criteria as well as the quality of their delivery.

To qualify for the Bushmills Best Irish Toast contest, pick your favorite pub (or pubs!) from the list below and take part in the Toast Contest preliminaries scheduled for the weeks preceding the Festival. Semi-final and final rounds will take place on the Pubs of the Valley Stage, October 31st, at the 9th Annual Arizona Irish Festival.

PRIZES

Grand Prize — A Flat Screen TV

Second Prize — $200

Third Prize — $50

RULES

1.) You must be at least 21 years of age to compete

2.) Your toast must be about something recognizably Irish

3.) Your toast may be an original work or derived from another source

4.) Your toast must be no longer than 60 seconds and performed without notes

5.) Profanity is prohibited

6.) Participants will be judged on: Irish Content – Creativity – Oration – Audience Applause

7.) Participants consent that their name, likeness and Toast can be posted here and/or in other Festival-related publications.

8.) Decisions of the Judges are Final

Example Toasts:

My friends are the best friends
Loyal, willing and able.
Now let’s get to drinking!
All glasses off the table!

Here's to a long life and a merry one.
A quick death and an easy one.
A pretty girl and an honest one.
A cold pint-- and another one!

Here's to a temperance supper,
With water in glasses tall,
And coffee and tea to end with--
And me not there at all!

When money's tight and hard to get,
and your horse is also ran,
When all you have is a heap of debt,
a pint of plain is your only man.

Here's to being single...
Drinking doubles...
And seeing triple!

I drink to your health when I'm with you,
I drink to your health when I'm alone,
I drink to your health so often,
I'm starting to worry about my own!

Here's to women's kisses,
and to whiskey, amber clear;
Not as sweet as a woman's kiss,
but a darn sight more sincere!

BUSHMILLS BEST IRISH TOAST CONTEST
Participating Pubs and Preliminary Contest Dates

Drink Specials included at each participating pub!

Seamus McCaffrey's Preliminaries:

September 25th, 2009
at 6:30 PM

Seamus McCaffrey's
18 W. Monroe St.
Phoenix— 602-253-6081

George and Dragon

George and Dragon Preliminaries:

October 15th, 2009
at 9:00 PM

George and Dragon Pub
4240 N Central Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85012
(602) 241-0018

The Turf Accountant Preliminaries:

October 16th, 2009
at 6:00 PM

The Turf Accountant
705 N. 1st Street
(1st Street, between Filmore and Roosevelt)
Phoenix,AZ
602-296-5043

Lis Doon Varna Preliminaries:

October 16th, 2009
8:00 pm

Lis Doon Varna
16100 N. Arrowhead Fountain Center
Peoria—623-979-0730

Rosie McCaffrey's Preliminaries:

October 17th, 2009
8:00 pm

Rosie McCaffrey's
906 E Camelback Rd
602-241-1916

Scoreboards Preliminaries:

October 17th, 2009
8:30 pm

Scoreboards
15557 W. Bell Rd.
Surprise—623-214-1104

British Open Preliminaries:

October 23rd, 2009
10:00 pm

The British Open Pub & Grill
1334 N Scottsdale Rd
Scottsdale, AZ 85257
480.941.4915

D'arcy McGee's Preliminaries:

October 24th, '2009
8:30 pm

D'arcy McGee's Tempe Marketplace
2000E Rio Salado Parkway
(next to Harkins Theatre)
Tempe — 480-557-9087

Murphy's Law Preliminaries:

October 24th, 2009
10:00 pm

Murphy's Law Pub and Grill
58 S. San Marcos Place
Historic Downtown Chandler
480-812-1588

Fibber Magees Preliminaries:

October 26th, '2009
8:00 pm

Fibber Magee's Pub
1989 W. Elliot Rd.
Chandler—480-722-9434

Tim Finnegan's Preliminaries:

October 26th, '2009
8:00 pm

Tim Finnegan's
9201 N. 29th Ave.
Phoenix—602-997-2323

R.T. O'Sullivan's (Southern) Preliminaries:

Southern - Mesa
October 27th, 2009
8:30 pm

R.T. O'Sullivan's
1010 West Southern Ave
Mesa — 480-844-1290

Skeptical Chymist Preliminaries:

October 28th, 2009
8:00 pm

Skeptical Chymist
15688 N. Pima Rd.
Scottsdale—480-609-8677

R.T. O'Sullivan's (Superstition) Preliminaries:

Superstition Springs Rd. - Glendale
October 28th, 2009
8:30 pm

R.T. O'Sullivan's
6646 Superstition Springs
Mesa — 480-396-9933

R.T. O'Sullivan's (Bell) Preliminaries:

Bell Rd. - Glendale
October 29th, 2009
8:30 pm

R.T. O'Sullivan's
5830 W Bell Rd
Glendale, AZ 85308
(602) 938-5300