Monthly Archives:

June 2008

People

How We Can Save Irish Radio

At the Irish Festival on Penns Landing, radio host Vince Gallagher, flanked by Carmel and Barney Boyce, collected donations.

There have been Irish radio shows in Philadelphia since there’s been radio. Today, there are at least five reaching to all parts of the Delaware Valley. But two of the oldest shows have been experiencing financial trouble in recent years. Along with hosting their shows—choosing the songs, inviting the guests, reading the announcements—WTMR hosts Vince Gallagher (The Vince Gallagher Irish Music Hour, Sunday at 11 AM) and Marianne MacDonald (Come West Along the Road, Sunday at noon) have had to sell their own ads to pay for the studio time.

“In the two years that I’ve had the show, I’ve spend thousands of dollars of my own money to keep it on the air. Vince is in the same boat,” says MacDonald. “We have advertisers that don’t pay, we have too few ads to meet the costs, and we are both shelling out money at an alarming rate to keep the shows going. The previous hosts (Tommy Moffit and Mary O’Kane) went through the exact same thing. We have both spoken of giving the shows up, but we don’t want to.”

And they’re hoping that their many fans don’t want that either. Starting on Sunday, June 29, and running through August 17, between your favorite songs, you’ll hear the hosts and their special guests asking for pledges a la PBS. This Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day Parade Director Michael Bradley (whom we like to think of as “he who must be obeyed”) will appear on both shows to encourage listeners to contribute. Members of the Shantys, a local Irish band, will be taking phone pledges. On July 6, members of the Philadelphia Donegal Association will man the phones. On July 13, local musician Tommy Moffit will be back at the mike with members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians from around the city collecting donations.

In August, a number of local musicians will be holding a benefit to raise money for the shows. “We’ve had promises from people like John Boyce (of Blackthorn), John McGillian (of Five Quid and Pat the Budgie), Round Tower and lots of trad musicians to play at the benefit,” says MacDonald.

If you want to make a donation, you can send a check made out to “WTMR Radio,” with “Sunday Irish Radio Shows” in the memo line and a note inside the envelope indicating that you’re making a donation to the shows. Send it to:

WTMR Radio
C/o Vince Gallagher and Marianne MacDonald
2775 Mt. Ephraim Ave.
Camden, NJ 08104

We’ll be keeping you updated on the progress of this campaign. And we encourage you to contribute—supporting your peeps is one of the best ways we know of to be Irish in Philadelphia.

June 27, 2008 by Denise Foley

People

A Remarkable Year for the 2007 Rose of Tralee

Colleen Gallagher and her Irish souvenir, Derek Reilly.

It’s been an amazing 12 months for Colleen Gallagher.

It started with a tragedy—the loss of her best friend in a drowning accident. And for this 23-year actor and singer—and the 2007 Rose of Tralee—it’s ironically coming to a close with many new beginnings.

“This year has been life-altering,” says Colleen, the eldest of seven girls, who turned over her crown on July 20 to another Colleen, Colleen Tully of Downingtown. “So many doors have opened for me.”

I sat down with Colleen Gallagher at the Rose event at the Hyatt Regency on Friday night and she talked about the year she’ll never forget.

She entered the Rose of Tralee competition last June still deep in mourning for her friend, Alex, who died on May 6. “We were best friends since we were six,” she says. “His death left me in a really tough place. My Dad always said that Alex and I were soulmates. Not in a boyfriend-girlfriend way, but meant to be best friends. I missed him so much. But I knew he was with me all the way.”

When she arrived in Ireland last August for the International Rose of Tralee Festival, it was storming and one of their hosts assured her that it was “just a gentle breeze.” Colleen’s heart did a flip.

“That was how his mother described Alex—he was a breath of fresh air, a gentle breeze,” she says, smiling. “That’s how I knew he was there with me.”

And then there was that nice young man who started chatting with her as she got off the bus at Bunratty Castle. Derek Reilly, a Remax realtor from County Mayo, was one of the escorts who traditionally accompany the Roses during the weeklong festival. “They were pairing up with each girl as she got off the bus. I was sitting in the wrong seat so I wound up with Derek,” recalls Colleen. “He found out I was an actor from Philadelphia and he started talking about the Vince Papale movie (“Invincible”). And we just kept talking.”

Even though he was eventually assigned to the Rose from Dubai, Derek and Colleen grabbed every chance to talk. “After the Tuesday night crowning, we went back to the hotel and talked for six hours straight,” Colleen recalls. Since then, the two have traveled back and forth several times. She’s met his family; Derek has spent Thanksgiving with hers. He was with her at Friday night’s event. “He’s around talking to people—he says he’s networking,” she laughs, looking around for Derek, who, at 28, is the youngest Chamber of Commerce president in Ireland. Not a prince, per se, though Colleen says her friends all kid her that she “met him at a castle.”

When she returned from Ireland, she took an acting role in the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, traveling with a troupe that performed the Scottish play (“Macbeth”) at schools around the state, many of them in the inner city. “Here we were telling these children that the play had some dark elements, murder, betrayal, and so on, and many of them lived with these same things,” she says. That got her thinking. “I love acting, I love being on stage,” she says. “But that’s a very self-serving thing: Look at me up here. I became interested in dramatherapy, which is a way to use what I’ve learned (she has a degree in acting and directing from DeSales University) to help someone else.”

Dramatherapy combines theater techniques with elements of psychotherapy to help people in crisis learn to work through their problems and live happier lives. She’s about to pursue her master’s degree. “I’ve been shortlisted for a spot at the National College of Ireland in Maynooth,” says Colleen. “I have a guaranteed spot in 2010. I’ve looked at NYU and UCLA and a school in England, but they’re all very heavily feared toward psychology, whole school in Maynooth is more focused on drama with psychology courses added.”

Though she had to hand over her crown this week, Colleen didn’t see it as a loss. “Over this past year I’ve gained so much self-confidence. I’ve learned not to take no for an answer. I’ve learned that life will take you where it wants you to go,” she said. “I’m never going to lose when I learned about myself. I’ll always be grateful for that.”

June 27, 2008 by Denise Foley

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

Want a little Amish with your Irish? On Saturday, June 28, consider heading to Lancaster where you can not only get your fill of Amish treats (help me out here—what are they?) you can enjoy a weekend of caber tossing, highland flinging, border collie sheepherding, and oh, lots of Irish stuff too. There will be more than 50 musical sets at the annual Celtic Fling and Highland Games, at the Mt. Hope Estate and Winery in Manheim. It’s not as far away as you think!

This weekend is also a great opportunity for kids 8 to 17 to brush up on their Irish language and culture at the Gaelscoil in Lawrenceville, NJ, a two-day program sponsored by the AOH Mercer County Division 10.

For some real excitement, on Saturday our winning footballers, the Donegal GFC (Four Provinces) go up against Sligo in New York’s Gaelic Park. Since Seamus Sweeney’s team has knocked down all the rest of their opponents so far, we have every hope the shut-out will continue.

Bristol Borough’s Celtic Day is in its twelfth year and the festivities are all on Sunday in Lions Park off Radcliffe Street in this little town on the Delaware. The Bogside Rogues and the Malones (including our pal, Fintan Malone) are on the bill, along with Irish dancers and vendors.

Ahead: On July 17, The Three Irish Tenors will be appearing at The Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville. Look for an interview with Dublin tenor Ciaran Nagle next week, right here at www.irishphiladelphia.com.

June 27, 2008 by Denise Foley

News, People

2008 Philadelphia Rose of Tralee Crowned

How DID the judges choose? That's Colleen Tully, their choice, at the far right. Colleen Gallagher, the 2007 Rose, is in the center.

A 25-year-old Loyola University business grad and commodities trader is the 2008 Philadelphia Rose of Tralee. Colleen Frances Tully of Downingtown was crowned on Friday, June 20, at the event, sponsored by the Philadelphia Immigration and Pastoral Center, held at the Hyatt Regency on Columbus Boulevard in the city. This year there were six contestants, ranging in age from 18 to 25.

Tully has studied ballet since the age of four and is an accomplished ballerina who is also a student of Irish dance. She will go to Ireland in August to compete in the international Rose of Tralee Festival in Tralee, County Kerry. The 2007 International Rose is Lisa Murtagh of New York. Typically, there are more than 30 Rose contestants from around the world—even from as far away as Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Rose selection—in its 49th year—is televised in Ireland.

June 27, 2008 by Denise Foley

History

History Lessons

On Monday, June 30, The Foxford Admiral William Brown Society of County Mayo will be meeting in Philadelphia’s City Hall at 3 PM with city officials, representatives of the Argentine Embassy to the US, the Argentine Naval attache to the US, representatives of the Irish Government from New York’s Consul General’s Office and the Mayo Association of Philadelphia.

Thanks to two local Irish historians, the Society recently discovered the missing links in the saga of Brown, who is considered the “father” of Argentina.

As a 10-year-old from County Mayo, Brown arrived in the new world in Philadelphia in 1787. Within three weeks of his arrival, both his father and his brother suddenly died. Brown accepted a job from an American captain and received his early naval training on the Delaware River. “He rose to unbelievable heights, helping the Argentinean Government fight off their aggressors and became the Admiral of the Argentine Navy,” says Maureen Brett Saxon, president of the Philadelphia Mayo Association.

Monuments to Brown have been erected to the Admiral in Foxford, Dublin and Buenos Aires. “The Admiral Brown Society believe such a tribute also belongs in Philadelphia,” says Saxon. “ They would like a monument which would be made in Argentina to be shipped to Philadelphia by the Argentine tall ship, Fragata Libertad, in the near future.” The Philadelphia visit will also be part of a documentary on Brown’s life and illustrious career,

But there had always been a page missing from Brown’s journeys. “The missing link to Admiral Brown’s life was his initial entry into America,” explains Saxon. “Our own Sean McMenamin [of the Mayo Association], as well as Billy Brennan [of the Irish Center’s Library}, researched Brown’s life, knowing that indeed he did come into Philadelphia” and filled in the blanks for Society president J.J. O’Hara, who has been corresponding with the Mayo Association for months.

After the meeting, The Mayo Society will host a cocktail party at The Irish Center.

June 27, 2008 by Guest

News

Luck of the Irish Holds Out for Penn’s Landing Festival

Paul Moore of Paddy's Well.

The weather forecast on Sunday, the day of the Penn’s Landing Irish Festival, looked chancy. Early in the day, as Mass was celebrated for the first time at the Irish Famine Memorial a few blocks away, a sudden shower forced congregants at the open-air service to pop their umbrellas … and for a group of middle-aged “altar boys” to hastily move a canopy over the altar.

Turns out, that was pretty much it. Though there were moments when the skies threatened to open up again and give us all a sampling of true Irish weather, mostly we got a sampling of Irish luck—from the moment Paul Moore and Paddy’s Well hit the stage down on the Great Plaza along the Delaware to the big finale featuring Blackthorn.

“Not a drop,” remarked organizer and Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade Director Michael Bradley. “Rain slid just north, so bad that parts of I-95 in the city were closed, but we were blessed.”

Like most of the festivals in the PECO Multicultural Series, the Irish fest offered up a wide-ranging display of music, dance, food and drink, and other aspects of this particular culture. Festival-goers do seem to be seriously drawn to the Paddy rock bands—and Philly has some of the very best of that breed—but for the first time, they also heard some of the unplugged traditional music in the form of the Pat the Budgie Ceili Band.

As always, just about every Irish dance school you could think of was on hand to perform between the musical acts—and, sometimes, during the musical acts, as Michael Bradley coaxed the Celtic Flame dancers up onto their feet to prance about as Paddy’s Well played. (Not that Irish dancers ever need much coaxing.)

Vendors sold the usual shirts, hats and other tchochkes, volunteers painted many little faces, and the people selling beer and other liquid refreshments did land-office business on what turned out to be a hot, hot early summer Philly day.

If you couldn’t be there, no worries. We were on hand to take lots and lots of photos.

The first Mass ever was celebrated at the Irish Memorial at Penns Landing before the festival began.

View as slideshow.

June 26, 2008 by Jeff Meade

News

Get Ready for Your Day in the Sun

Blackthorn closes out the festival.

Maybe it’s that our people come from a place where a “warm” summer day tops out at 70 degrees. (And don’t even talk to me about the surf temperature.) Still, there’s just something about 80- and 90-degree Philadelphia weather that brings out the best in an Irishman. (And an Irishwoman, too, of course.)

You can find out for yourself on Sunday, June 22, from noon ‘til 9 p.m. as the annual Philadelphia Penn’s Landing Irish Festival kicks off on the waterfront at Chestnut Street and Columbus Boulevard.

Unlike previous festivals, this one just lasts a day instead of the whole weekend. So if ya snooze, ya loose. And to hear Michael Bradley tell it, you’d be missing a whole lot.

Bradley, who directs the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade, also runs this event. He sees it as a way to continue to provide needed exposure for the many groups, organizations and traditions of Irish Philadelphia. Too, he’s so well-connected because of his Parade activities, he’s just the man for the job.

“I think it’s a natural for the parade director,” he says. “I have so many contacts in the Irish community. I’m able to promote it much better.”

This year, the great local Irish band Paddy’s Well starts the day with a concert on the main stage at 12:15. Closing out the day will be the inimitable Blackthorn.

“Paddy’s Well will draw people who want to be there early, and Blackthorn will close from 6 to 9,” he Bradley says. “So we’ve got a strong beginning and a strong ending.”

Everything in the middle is pretty strong, too—including a first-ever appearance by a group of local traditional Irish musicians who go by the name Pat the Budgie. They perform from 4:15 to 6.

“I just wanted to try something different,” he says. “These musicians play a lot up at the Irish Center, it’s part of the culture and it was being ignored.”

If you love Irish dance, you can expect to be surrounded by a sea of curly wigs. Eight of the area’s Irish dance schools will be performing throughout the day.

Of course, festival-going is thirsty work. So you can expect some nice cooling drinks—including, for the first time, Guinness. (Hard to believe, ain’t it?) There’ll be lots of terrific food and tables full of Irish beads and trinkets to buy. The number of vendors is double last year’s, Bradley says: “Each year it just gets better and better.”

If you attended the festival before, we direct your rapt attention to our photo essay from 2007.

June 20, 2008 by Jeff Meade

News

A Special Sunday Mass at the Irish Memorial

There have been many ceremonies at the Memorial, but this will be the first Mass.

Ireland is dotted with them. They’re called Carraig an Aifrinn, or Mass rocks. They’re stones that marked the spot in the mid-17th century where Catholic priests risked their lives to serve Mass for the faithful during the time of Cromwell. Under the Penal Law of 1695, Catholics were not permitted to hold vote or hold public office. The Catholic clergy was expelled from the country, and those who were found (often by people called “priest hunters”) could be executed. Catholics were not permitted to worship–at least, in the open.

While the Irish Memorial at Penns Landing is no Carraig an Aifrinn, on Sunday, June 22, you’ll be forgiven if the resemblance between the coal-black Glenna Goodacre sculpture of Irish immigrants and those holy stones occurs to you. At 10 AM, a special Mass will be said by Father John Kelly of St. Martin of Tours Parish in Northeast Philadelphia prior to the Penns Landing Irish Festival, which starts at noon. (Father Kelly is the uncle of young local singer Timmy Kelly, who will be performing at the Penns Landing festival.)

Local Irish traditional musicians Dennis Gormley, Mary Malone, and Jeff Meade will play and Karen Boyce McCollum and Phil Bowdren will sing at the service.

“This is the first Mass at the Irish Memorial and will hopefully provide a bridge between the unwavering faith of our Irish ancestors who risked life and limb to celebrate the Eucharist at the ‘Mass Rock’ and today’s Delaware Valley Irish Community,” said Robert Gessler, a member of the board of directors of the Irish Memorial, Inc.

Gessler says the group is considering another mass—this one of remembrance—in the fall.

The Irish Memorial is located at Front and Chestnut Streets.

June 19, 2008 by Denise Foley

Older Posts