Culture Cafe

A native New Yorker of Irish descent, Bill is a fourth-generation member of the NYPD, with a rich background spanning over 30 years. Bill attended high school with members of the Irish gang, The Westies. He later investigated former classmates for a murder in mid-town Manhattan. His career was largely focused on organized crime, collaborating closely with the FBI and DEA on several significant, long-term investigations. Bill is particularly renowned for his work probing crimes in the music industry. His expertise and experiences have made him a sought-after guest on numerous true crime documentaries and television shows, where he has discussed a variety of high-profile cases.

Bill was recently featured on the Showtime television program, “The Supreme Team.” Currently residing in Tulsa, he has shifted his focus to media production. Bill hosts a video podcast named "The Proffer," which features intriguing in person interviews with former organized crime members. The podcast is filmed at The Church Studio and is widely accessible on various media platforms.

Title of Presentation: Of Mist and Stone – A Journey into the Mysterious Oneness of Two Ancient Worlds

Grammy® nominated Recording Artist, Speaker, Author and Activist John Two-Hawks has spoken and performed at events of all kind in venues around the world for decades. He has shared the keynote podium with U.S. Presidents, Senators, Hollywood celebrities, and other well-known dignitaries and performed his award winning music for audiences as large as 12,000. Two-Hawks' music has earned him Grammy® and Emmy* nominations, Platinum Awards, been featured in movies by Fox Searchlight, films by HBO, and programs by The History Channel. John Two-Hawks is also award-winning stage and screen actor (member of SAG), and a published author. A mixed blood person of Lakota/Irish descent, John is a long time Indigenous civil rights and environmental activist who has given countless talks and programs at universities and schools. For over 25 years John Two-Hawks - through his speaking and music - has been a staunch advocate and ambassador for all things Indigenous and global. Work which he continues to this day.

Title of Presentation: “An Immigrant’s Take”

Daniel Myers is a storyteller, traditional musician and historian from Tulsa Oklahoma.

He served as artist and residence for the Tulsa City County library, has served on the board of directors for the Irish American Club of Tulsa, and currently serves on the board of directors for Celtic Rising.

In addition, he serves as Master of Ceremonies for the North Texas Irish Festival.

When not playing the Bodhran or dancing, he is practicing Irish Stick Fighting or researching this stories of the Irish and Scottish in Oklahoma.

Danny Boy O'Connor, an Irish American rapper renowned as the founding member of the Hip-Hop group House of Pain, has celebrated his Irish heritage through his music, achieving widespread fame with the hit single "Jump Around." Beyond his musical career, O'Connor has dedicated himself to cultural preservation, most notably transforming the house featured in Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic film "The Outsiders" based on the S. E. Hinton novel into a museum. After relocating from Los Angeles to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2016, he has embraced his new home city, becoming its unofficial ambassador and actively promoting its cultural scene.

O'Connor's Irish roots have profoundly influenced his life and artistic pursuits. In his latest endeavor, he has extended an invitation to several of his Irish American friends to join him in Tulsa as featured guest lecturers at the Tulsa Irish Fest in 2024, further cementing his commitment to celebrating and sharing his love of Tulsa and his Irish American heritage. Stay Gold.

Title of Presentation: “St. Patrick and the Catholic Church in Ireland”

Deacon Tim works full time for Saint Bernard Church in Tulsa. His responsibilities include charitable outreach, evangelization and marriage and family.

Deacon Tim received a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1970 and a Juris Doctor Degree from Notre Dame in 1973. He practiced law in Tulsa from 1976 to 1994, when he began his employment with the Catholic Church. Deacon Tim Sullivan has been married to his wife, Connie, for 49 years. They have six children, ages 44 to 30, and 18 grandchildren.

Title of Presentation: One Family’s Journey: From County Cavan to Nebraska

John's presentation will include a case study of a family’s migration to the US during the Great Famine and explains how he traced their migration using the research records.

Stick around after the presentation to visit John's booth where he will be available to offer guidance for tracing your Irish ancestry after the presentation.

John, the principal researcher of the Country School Genealogist LLC, has more than three decades of research experience. Retired after forty years as a US Army officer and Federal employee, John brings a wealth of knowledge to enrich the experience of genealogy research and family history storytelling. John writes, lectures, and consults on various genealogy topics, including Irish research, military records, and our ancestors' settling in the Great Plains states.

Dr. Sean Latham is an English Professor at University of Tulsa

Title of Presentation: The Raised Glass: Having a Drink with James Joyce

Pauline McFarlin Walter Professor of English at The University of Tulsa where he serves as Editor of the James Joyce Quarterly and founding Director of the Oklahoma Center for Humanities.