All-star benefit for great Irish musician Mickey Finns’ Ray Kelly who died tragically (IrishCentral)

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:03:56 PDT

As for the Mickey Finns, Tracey assures us that you have not heard the last of them.  “We will continue on with The Mickey Finns, and plans are on the way to do some shows in the summer and fall,” he reveals. “We're not ready to announce anything as of yet, but we will go on, as tough as it may be at times.

“Music is what we do. It helps us to heal and I know it's what Ray would have wanted. We'll be working on that as soon as we get finished with the benefit.”

Amen to Rend Collective Experiment - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:03:54 PDT

Finally some new U2 music from Bono and the boys? (IrishCentral)

Sun, 12 May 2013 04:33:37 PDT

The drum beats in the press and the headwinds out of Dublin would lead us to believe that new U2 music might be seeing the light of day very soon.

A U2 fan has posted what he claims is material capturing the band in rehearsal for the new album they've been assembling over the last few years.

The Jersey Shore is back after Hurricane Sandy - The Irish Festival kicks off (IrishCentral)

Sat, 11 May 2013 04:33:37 PDT

Seamus Kelleher

My business travel and book tours take me all over America, and prior to Hurricane Sandy somebody would always make a joke about big hair and MTV’s “gym/tan/laundry” ethos of our shore when I revealed I am from New Jersey.

Sandy natural disaster changed all that. “How are you guys making out?” people now ask sympathetically, their furrowed brow showing concern and a begrudging respect for the Garden State’s toughness.

A myth breaking marriage - 20 years of wedded bliss (IrishCentral)

Sat, 04 May 2013 10:03:38 PDT

The newly married Mr. and Mrs. Farragher

Greetings from Key West!

As you read this, my toes are in the sand and my bride is by my side as we celebrate 20 years of wedded bliss. With two college tuitions facing us and conflicting schedules too busy to comprehend, there is never a good time to get away from it all but we got away nonetheless.

Thomas Johnston is in the driving seat for “Highway Signs and Highway Lines” (IrishCentral)

Sat, 04 May 2013 04:18:28 PDT

Thomas Johnston

"Days are long gone/when life was simpler/now the rat race rules/the mighty dollar quest/when you lose inside of what truly matters, time to walk a less traveled road,” singer songwriter Thomas Johnston sings on “A Less Traveled Road,” the lead track from his excellent album, 'Highway Signs and Highway Lines' album opener.

For a man who is starting his rock and roll dreams at a time when most hopefuls have decided to pack it in by now, these are words to live by indeed.

Dropkick Murphys raised $65,000 in 15 hours for Boston bombing victims (IrishCentral)

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:48:25 PDT

Boston local heroes the Dropkick Murphys raised $65,000 in just 15 hours for those affected by the Boston Marathon bombings by selling a new t-shirt on their website.

The tee is priced between $24.99 and $26.99, based on size, and the front reads "For Boston" with a photo of the skyline.

Tasty cotton candy from Tara O’Grady’s new album (IrishCentral)

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 09:33:25 PDT

Tara O'Grady

"I wanted the fun we have onstage to make it onto the album.”

That’s how jazz and blues chanteuse Tara O’Grady describes the spontaneous energy that crackles through her excellent new album, A Celt in the Cotton Club.

The luck of John Rafferty - a masterpiece of folk storytelling (IrishCentral)

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 04:18:10 PDT

John Rafferty

I got a phone call out of the blue from Seanchai leader and Black 47 founder Chris Byrne not long ago, and there was a real sense of urgency in the man’s normally deadpan voice.

“I’m sending a guy your way -- you’ve just gotta hear this.”

Celtic Cross tests news songs from upcoming CD for rapturous audience (IrishCentral)

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:33:20 PDT

I had the rare pleasure of seeing Celtic Cross not once but twice in the last seven days. The band’s long-awaited follow-up to the award-winning Shores of America was derailed when their Hoboken recording studio was flooded following Hurricane Sandy, so they’re taking the time to road test the new songs in front of a rapturous audience.

“I think everyone is overly ready for some new material,” jokes singer Kathleen Fee. “Everything has been positive and digging the new stuff. It’s been fun. Having this studio delay allows us to work out the kinks so that we will bang out the rest of the album quickly.”

Front page news from Enter the Haggis - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 04:18:07 PDT

Enter The Haggis

With the onslaught of iPads and other digital devices, publishers have been wringing their hands about the future of the good ol’ fashioned pulpy newspaper.

Toronto's Enter The Haggis (ETH) has made a resounding case for the newspaper with their new disc, which was based on and inspired by the contents of one day in one newspaper.

An Owl swoops and kills it - get your metal on with “The Right Thing” - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 04:33:03 PDT

Owl, featuring Chris Wyse, far right

When you’re a bass player, you bring out the percussive rhythm of music. So, it’s no surprise to have people dancing to your music.

But what if that person dancing is Mick Jagger?

Dublin’s Little Green Cars rev it up with “Absolute Zero” - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 04:33:01 PDT

Little Green Cars

Dublin's Little Green Cars have been revving their engines on both sides of the Atlantic with the release of their excellent new album, Absolute Zero.

The band’s sound is a dizzying mixture of instruments -- the jangly addictive chord structure of REM, the sunny harmonies of the Mamas and Papas, and the crisp alt-rock production of the Smiths.

Paul McCartney’s words of wisdom on 50th anniversary of the Beatles “Please Please Me” - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 04:17:52 PDT

Paul McCartney (Q Magazine)

You gotta love a rock star knight and the way he asserts his supremacy without doing so at the expense of others.

During their nineties heyday, Oasis routinely compared themselves to the Beatles and Stones, offering on a weekly basis to get the old codgers in a ring, etc.

Examining my family’s grave differences - keeping the memories of our ancestors alive (IrishCentral)

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 04:32:37 PDT

North Arlington Cemetery (Sheena Chi)

The Easter season is upon us, which means that my parents are doing a tour of North Arlington Cemetery and other plots around Hudson County, New Jersey with my cousin Diane.

This ritual is going on right now, as I write this on Saturday morning in my pajamas with a steaming cup of joe next to me.

A date with WB Yeats and the Waterboys in New York City - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 04:32:47 PDT

Mike Scott of The Waterboys

Mike Scott and his Waterboys made a memorable “appointment with Mr. Yeats” in front of a jam-packed and adoring crowd on Broadway’s Town Hall last Tuesday.

The show, the only one of it’s kind in North America, coincides with the stateside release of An Appointment With Mr. Yeats, an epic album of songs fashioned around the words of the famous poet.

Dropkick Murphy’s Ken Casey gave Neo-Nazi headbanger a smack down - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:32:32 PDT

Cabbage meets corned beef - the stir of family memories brought forth by this traditional Irish American meal (IrishCentral)

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 04:17:34 PDT

Granny Farragher

Corned beef and cabbage are two great tastes that taste great together.

I’ve heard numerous versions on how best to prepare it -- boil the meet twice, once to remove the salt; boil the meet first and use the same water for the cabbage, etc.

It’s another Celtic invasion - Larry Kirwan’s great music in a broken music business (IrishCentral)

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 06:17:37 PDT

Larry Kirwan

March ushers in a wave of Irish music, and this reviewer gets to the point where the compilation CDs become drink coasters around the house.

Larry Kirwan has captained a new one, Celtic Invasion, that is decidedly different because it attempts to spotlight great music while changing the broken music business model.

Icewagon Flu - Irish American rock and roll at Maxwell’s (IrishCentral)

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 04:17:30 PDT

Icewagon Flu to play Maxwells in Hoboken

If you’re taking the train out of the city after the parade on Saturday and heading for Jersey, make sure you stop off at Hoboken and catch “the flu” -- Icewagon Flu, that is!

The band makes a triumphant return to their hometown on March 17 as they spread their infectious music at the venerable Maxwell’s.

Beloved Irish band the Saw Doctors: Alive at 25 - their loyal fans and ongoing success (IrishCentral)

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 04:17:27 PDT

The Saw Doctors

The Saw Doctors are celebrating 25 years as a band by doing what they do best -- playing in front of adoring crowds thirsty for a taste of home this St. Patrick’s Day.

They also have a new compilation, 25:25 to mark the occasion. For singer and guitarist Leo Moran, the American experience never gets old.

Galway to Graceland a satisfying trip with the McLean Avenue Band - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 04:47:17 PDT

The performers in 'From Galway to Graceland'

Padraig Allen brought his McLean Avenue Band to the Jersey Shore on Saturday, bringing some much-needed cheer to the storm-ravaged region with his delightful show “From Galway to Graceland” at the Algonquin Arts Theatre in Manasquan.

The Patricia Murphy School of Irish Dance started the evening into high-stepping gear. It was heartwarming to see the permeation of Irish culture into the American landscape in the faces of these dancers, and it was a clever prelude to an evening that celebrated the tangled roots of Irish American ethos.

The Celtic Tenors play New York gigs after triumphant global tour - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 06:02:16 PST

The Celtic Tenors gear up for NYC after global tour

The Celtic Tenors have been barnstorming across the globe, having just completed a triumphant tour of Australia and New Zealand.

“It’s been amazing and you feel like you’re ambassadors of Ireland,” remarks tenor James Nelson on the morning before a sold out gig in Alberta, Canada.

Knoxville Morning set to wow at the Craic Fest, New York - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 05:47:18 PST

Knoxville Morning, based in Ireland, has been added to the bill of the Craic Fest that takes place this week in New York.

This folk rock outfit began life as a solo side-project of Band on an Island’s Ciaran Dwyer, before growing into something far bigger. Joined by fellow Band on an Island members Stefan Murphy (the Mighty Stef), Gavin Elsted (We Are Losers), Brian Gallagher (Humanzi), Claire Prendergast, Stephen Fahey (Super Extra Bonus Party), Deirdre O’Hagan, Rachael Caffrey and Laura Caffrey, they have created an inviting blend of folk, country and Americana, a classic sound with an Irish twist draped in Dwyer’s intuitive storytelling.

Pierce Turner is back with a new album “The Verry Small Orchestra” (IrishCentral)

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 05:16:57 PST

Pierce Turner

It wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s month in New York City without the return of Pierce Turner. He’s back with a show at Joe’s Pub on March 7 and a fantastic new album, The Verry Small Orchestra.

As the name would imply, Turner has created an orchestral pop masterpiece steeped in ready, steady, go-era, sixties Brit-rock. He has the quirky wordplay of the Kinks’ Ray Davies and the mad musical genius of Sergeant Pepper, all rolled into one. In some tracks, the sunniness of Brian Wilson’s Pet Sounds shines through your iPod’s earbuds.

Julie Feeney is great craic - Galway star set to wow New York once more (IrishCentral)

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 04:46:57 PST

Julie Feeney

A country cousin to the orchestral pop musings is Julie Feeney, a brilliant composer and performer from my dad’s neck of the woods in Abbeyknockmoy, Co. Galway.

She took Manhattan by storm over the summer with her captivating, avant garde performances of her compositions. With a few classically trained musicians behind her and some costume changes, she made an alternative universe in the show I caught at the Irish Arts Center that eventually earned raves from The New York Times.

A rock and read - An evening at the Irish Rep Theater (IrishCentral)

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:16:58 PST

The Irish Repertory Theatre gears up for March Madness 2013

March Madness takes on a new meaning for the Irish and for myself in particular. As you may have read in these pages, I have launched my new book, This Is Your Brain on Shamrocks2: 50 Shades o’ Green and I will be kicking things off in New York with an evening of rocking and reading at the Irish Repertory Theatre in New York on Tuesday, March 5 at 7 p.m.

One of the great things about this job is that you get a ringside seat to the best and brightest talent in the Irish American arts and entertainment circuit, and I do believe we have a stellar lineup.

Chris Byrne and Andrew Harkin are legends in the New York Irish music scene, having logged countless hours onstage separately as members of Black 47 and the Prodigals before joining forces as Seanchai and the Unity Squad with Byrne’s wife Rachel Fitzgerald.

Radio is as essential as ever - Irish Coffee show hosts Brendan Mallon and Mike Palardy (IrishCentral)

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 05:17:00 PST

Patrick Clifford

The most pleasant surprise awaited me as I was rambling through town and running my Saturday errands not long ago. When I clicked on the ignition Irish music filled the car.

This is not surprising for an Irish rock reviewer, but the delight came from knowing that it was being played on the college radio station where I met my wife and got my start in this sordid music business!

Iarla O’Loinaird’s “Foxlight” shines brightly - West Cork musician discusses his trade (IrishCentral)

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 07:16:38 PST

Iarla O'Lionáird

Iarla O'Lionáird grew up and learned his craft in the musical heartland of Cúil Aodha in the West Cork Gaeltacht. He has established himself both as a masterful exponent of sean nos song, and as a pioneer in its renewal and development.
He is back with a new release, Foxlight, which continues his long and deep partnership with Peter Gabriel and the folks at Realworld Records.

Foxlight opens with “The Heart of the World,” an epic track that builds slowly and soon sweeps the landscape like a bald eagle in flight, helped with a repetitive riff similar to the one that propelled “Where the Streets Have No Name.”

“Speech Project” by Gerry Diver left me speechless (IrishCentral)

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 05:01:39 PST

Gerry Diver

One of the most interesting morsels to drop in my mailbag in many a moon is Speech Project, an album of unique compositions by Gerry Diver.

Diver weaves exclusive spoken word contributions from Irish music legends such as Shane MacGowan, Damien Dempsey, Christy Moore, Martin Hayes and Danny Meehan (as well as archive interviews) to create new songs from the inflections in their speech and native accents.

Giving up on the auld Catholic guilt (IrishCentral)

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 05:01:38 PST

I was recently dining with a group of colleagues I hadn't seen in a while at a meal break inside of a training seminar. After catching up on the frivolity -- how many kids you have now, how long have you been with the company -- one African American gal turned to me and asked out of the blue, "So, Mike, what are you giving up for Lent this year?"

"Uh, Catholicism?" came the reply before a wave of polite laughter (note -- I am the boss of these people, so everything I say is met with polite laughter).

Sealed with a Dropkick! Irish punk rockers Dropkick Murphy’s new album “Signed and Sealed in Blood” (IrishCentral)

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 04:31:25 PST

The Dropkick Murphys

The Dropkick Murphys have plans to shake, rattle and roll our St. Patrick’s Day experience with their new disc Signed and Sealed in Blood and a national tour.

The album is their second with producer Ted Hutt (Gaslight Anthem, Old Crow Medicine Show), a partnership that raised the band’s profile with a hit holiday song, "The Season's Upon Us."

Tara O’Grady’s stately weekly Long Island hotel gig - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 04:31:24 PST

Tara O'Grady

The stately walls of the Garden City Hotel on Long Island are swinging to the sounds of Tara O’Grady, who brings her sultry jazz stylings to the venerable hotel every Friday and Saturday night from 7-10 p.m.

“This is a great new weekly gig that started on New Year’s Eve,” O’Grady explains.

Evoking warm and wooly memories - the itchy embrace of an Aran sweater (IrishCentral)

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 04:46:16 PST

In the cultural whirlpool that swirls in the Farragher household, my Jewish wife picked up a package of corned beef in the kosher section of our Costco a few days ago and plopped it in a pot with some cabbage to produce a sumptuous feast for my Irish-born parents.

It was a casual, rare midweek dinner punctuated by easy conversation. My two daughters were typically enmeshed in a tangle of homework, texts and wardrobe considerations for the following school day. They were so busy that they had swooped down the stairs, eaten their dinners in a nanosecond, and disappeared again before I could ask one of them to pass the mustard.

That was a shame, because they missed a great little pop culture history lesson from their Athenry grandfather as the water in the kettle rolled to a boil on the stovetop after dinner.

Beloved band the Saw Doctors celebrates 25th anniversary (IrishCentral)

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 04:46:14 PST

The Saw Doctors

Has it really been 25 years since the Saw Doctors broke out of Tuam, Co. Galway and conquered the world? If you are in denial, don’t bother picking up 2525, the band’s new compilation CD. It serves as a painful reminder that time does march on! Then again, perusing the track list and falling in love with these songs from the west of Ireland all over again is good for the soul and you quickly find yourself acknowledging that the band’s best years -- and perhaps your own -- are still in front of you.

Of course, it helps that this band has had a heart transplant in the form of Rickie O’Neill, the 21-year-old drummer whose ferocious rhythm drives the auld fellas into peak performances that have produced some of this legendary live band’s best shows!

Of course, signature tunes like “N17” and “Tommy K,” and “To Win Just Once” are on 2525, but the lads from Tuam have some new goodies baked into this retrospective as well.

Ceol na nGael needs green - New York Irish radio show holds fund drive (IrishCentral)

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 05:31:19 PST

Open your ears and wallets this Sunday for the Ceol na nGael fund drive on WFUV!

The most popular Irish radio program in New York, Ceol na nGael (Music of the Irish) began as the brainchild of two Fordham students, Gerry Murphy and Mary Maguire, back in 1974. Over the years it has continued to be hosted by students who have kept the tradition alive.

Tune in to 90.7 FM every Sunday between noon and 4 p.m. to hear all kinds of Irish music, often accompanied by dedications, and to stay connected through the community bulletin boards.

Sandy Seisiuns for the Bronx - Irish musicians continue to raise funds to heal Superstorm Sandy destruction (IrishCentral)

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 06:46:03 PST

Mourning the great Ray Kelly - County Clare frontman of the Mickey Finns - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 05:15:55 PST

The Mickey Finns

The Irish American rock and roll community was gutted to its core this week with the news of the sudden death of Ray Kelly, 46, former singer and guitarist on some of the best Prodigals albums and lead singer of the Mickey Finns. Kelly, a carpenter in the construction industry, was injured while at work and passed away suddenly.

Kelly had that one-of-a-kind rocker voice that sounded like broken glass wrapped in velvet. It rang with a rebellious energy over the furious noise of the Prodigals jig punk sound and in recent years, and had that creaky croak of a last call at closing time at a honky tonk country bar that suited the Mickey Finns southern-fried soulful Irish music so perfectly.

“We cannot say how much our hearts go out to Brian, Mattie (from Mickey Finns) and all the musicians who have had the joy of playing with mad, wonderful Ray,” said the Prodigals in an official statement.

Find this Lost Tribe of Donegal - Chris Byrne a legend of the Irish American music scene in New York (IrishCentral)

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 06:30:48 PST

The Lost Tribe of Donegal – Rachel Fitzgerald, Chris Byrne and Andrew Harkin.

Chris Byrne became a legend in the Irish American music scene in New York for always being one step ahead of the trend. Sensing the energy brought on by a new wave of Irish immigrants in the early nineties, he gave up his day gig as a New York City cop in the Times Square precinct to form Black '47 and assumed the role of chief rapper and pipe player.

Ireland's 1994 advance to the World Cup inspired him to release the single "C'mon Ya Boyz n' Green" under the name Seanchaí. His teaming with Pat McGuire (of Spéir Mor) and acclaimed fiddle player Eileen Ivers formed Paddy-A-Go-Go, a legendary band whose album Keep it Reel is the most sought-after out-of-print disc on the island of Manhattan.

With this reputation in mind, it was no surprise when the crowd of 900 quieted down during the recent Sandy Seisiuns benefit at Connolly’s to hear what Byrne had up his sleeve now.

2012 was a great year for Irish music - a rundown from Luka Bloom to Patrick Clifford (IrishCentral)

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 12:30:29 PST

A reason to believe in Santa Claus - kids affected by Hurricane Sandy give hope (IrishCentral)

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 02:00:21 PST

Let's give those kids a reason to believe in Santa. God bless.

Phil Coulter delivers engaging performance at the Irish Rep with ‘The Songs I Love So Well’ (IrishCentral)

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 04:31:44 PST

Coulter finished the show with a trio of songs from his idol, Jimmy Durante, before sending the crowd into the cold night air with the warmth of “The Town I Loved So Well” and “Steal Away.” It was that melody I hummed all the way to the train station en route back to Jersey!  You would be wise to “steal away” to this show before it takes a bow on December 30. For tickets and showtimes, visit www.irishrep.org.

Some Christmas CD cheer - Ashley Davis, Damien Dempsey and more (IrishCentral)

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 09:31:37 PST

Celtic Woman

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, which must mean a fresh new assortment of Irish holiday music is heading for your stockings (as long as you’re not deserving a fresh delivery of coal)!

The lasses from Celtic Woman have recorded a new collection of holiday goodies called Home for Christmas. After selling over six million albums there is little incentive to change the formula, and there is little in the way of artistic growth from A Christmas Celebration, their last holiday collection, that was released in 2006.

Of course, going to Celtic Woman for culture is like going for a meal at Olive Garden when you’re strolling through Little Italy, yet there is something heartwarming about how the voices of Chloë Agnew, Lisa Lambe and Méav Ní Mhaolchatha coalesce with the violin stylings of Máiréad Nesbitt to warm the heart.

A Phil Coulter Christmas at the Irish Rep Theater - “Songs I Loved So Well” (IrishCentral)

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:16:22 PST

Phil Coulter

Phil Coulter is giving his New York fans a special treat for the holidays with a run of concerts he has called The Songs I Love So Well at the Irish Repertory Theater on West 22nd Street which begin on Thursday, November 29.

Of course, the songs he has written are ones we love so well. "My Boy," "Home from the Sea," "The Man from God Knows Where," "Keep a Candle in the Window," and his signature "The Town I Loved So Well" will be woven into the show, along with holiday songs “as that time draws nearer,” according to the man himself.

This legendary musician and producer is seeing a career resurgence, thanks to the runaway success of the Celtic Thunder and its series of shows. While his tenure as musical director has ended with the troupe, he takes it in stride and asserts that the show was just one stop in a career spanning four decades that includes work with everyone from Elvis Presley to Sinead O’Connor.

Susan McKeown will always “Belong” - a perfect blend of jazz, beats and blues (IrishCentral)

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 04:31:25 PST

One Direction take them home - how living with teenage girls has got me humming (IrishCentral)

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 05:31:20 PST

Then you need to run to Target after school to get the same songs packaged with exclusives not found on the iTunes edition.

The Sandy Seisuin’s take shape - The Mickey Finns, Jameson’s Revenge and more (IrishCentral)

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 05:31:10 PST

Whether your tastes lie in tear-jerking pipes and drums or no-nonsense rock and roll, your palette will be quenched by the great music offered at these benefit gigs! Keep your eyes peeled to this space over the coming weeks, as more bands announce charitable events.

Restaurants United for Sandy Help hosts fundraiser in Sunnyside (IrishCentral)

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 05:01:26 PST

remains the main online resource for the event.

Jersey’s Irish Riviera stays strong after Hurricane Sandy -- Irish flags still licking the salty air as community Jersey Shore assesses the devastating damage (IrishCentral)

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 05:46:09 PST

Hurricane Sandy toppled many trees on the lawns of homes here in the Irish Riviera, revealing deep and long-buried roots. Despite the waves of grief that crash into your soul amidst the devastation at every turn, I feel fortunate to have connected with the traditions of family time by the hearth and a sense of community within one’s village that are such an essential part of our Irish roots.

ICBlog: Off The Record

An open letter to the Catholic League on rant against David Bowie video “The Next Day” - VIDEO (IrishCentral)