There’s a bit of Irish history, or legend depending on who’s telling it, about two kings who once held a boat race to see who could reach the shores of Ireland first, and claim it as their prize. One king began to fall behind, and in an act that can be seen as either extreme bravery or extreme insanity, cut off his right hand with his sword and hurled it toward land. It flopped upon the shore ahead of the other king’s boat and the race was over. It was known evermore as the “Red Hand of Ulster.”

Let’s hope such measures are not needed this weekend — I’m sure WSF would not approve — as two Celtic musical forces come to Bainbridge Island.

There is a lag of several days between them, as Irish flutist Hanz Araki plays an intimate concert at Pegasus Coffee House Aug. 3 and the Celtic group Craicmore performs a more raucous set at Island Music Guild Hall Aug. 5.

Araki has performed twice on Bainbridge Island in sold out shows at the IMG Hall, but said he is looking forward to the much cozier Pegasus.

“Pegasus has its own draw,” he said. “So you may be playing for people who haven’t heard you before.”

Norm Johnson of the hosting Music Community Resources, has said of Araki’s music, “Hanz Araki is a modern-day master of the Irish flute and he incorporates subtle elements into his playing style so that it never grows stale, no matter how many times I hear it.”

Araki is finishing up his first solo album, which he expects to release later this year or early 2007. His show at the Pegasus will contain several cuts from that album, as well as favorites from “Six of One, Five of the Other,” released two years ago with his band An Tua, and traditional Celtic tunes. He has also been known to throw in a Tom Waits or Bob Dylan tune.

He will be accompanied at the Pegasus concert by keyboardist Suzanne Taylor.

Araki’s family lived on Bainbridge for several years while he was a youngster and he still has relatives in the area. He moved to Portland from Seattle last summer.

Hanz Araki performs 7:30 p.m. Aug. 3 at Pegasus Coffee House, 131 SW Parfitt Way, Bainbridge Island. A $5 donation is suggested.

Craicmore is a four-piece band whose music is Celtic-based and far-ranging. The band’s instrumentation includes the traditional bodhran drum, whistles and pipes, but they also throw in congas, didjeridoos and an East Indian shruti box.

The Gaelic “craic” is pronounced “crack,” and means fun, or good time, and “mor” means “big.” Thus the band’s name literally means “big fun.”

The members try hard to live up to that goal, with driving four-part harmony, rhythmic hardshoe dancing and tight instrumentation.

Nancy Johnston sings contralto lead vocals, plays the bohdran and performs hard shoe dancing. John MacAdams provides vocals, guitar, percussion and didjeridoo. Simon Watkins sings and plays bass, while Dave Champagne sings and plays Irish and orchestral flutes, Irish whistles, a Scottish bagpipe and Uilleann pipes.

The group hails from Los Angeles and has performed at festivals and concert halls across the world, including a 14-concert appearance at the International Music Festival in Shanghai, China. This past March they completed a 12-city, four-state “St. Patrick’s Day Season” tour.

Craicmore performs 7:30 p.m. Aug. 5 at Island Music Guild Hall, 10598 Valley Rd., Bainbridge Island.

Tickets are $10. For advance reservations call the Guild Hall office at (206) 780-6911.