If it’s the weekend, you can pretty much count on two things: Irish festivals and rain. I’m happy about the first. The second? Oy.
But let’s focus on the fun stuff. There should be enough breaks in the wetness for you to help out the hungry and enjoy some great Irish music on Saturday at the Second Annual Irish Hunger Fest in Yardley, Bucks County, to benefit the AOH’s Hibernian Hunger Project. The Bogside Rogues, Brimingham Six, and many other great local bands will be there. You should be there too.
Also on Saturday, the Pen-Mar Irish Festival in Glen Rock, PA, will be going on rain or shine. This one benefits Pen-Mar Human Services. If you’re up north, head over to this one. It’s always fun.
And will they notice a little more water at the annual Philadelphia Currach Club Races at the Columbus Club on the Delaware on Saturday? Oh, probably not. If you haven’t seen these Irish boats skimming across the water, here’s your chance.
Is it still Saturday? Yes. Then Luka Bloom will be appearing at World Café Live in Philly.
Please save some energy for Sunday, when a group of his friends—including the local Celtic group Blackthorn–will be raising money for Paul Sheridan, a 40-year-old Cavan man who lives in Havertown. Along with being beset by financial troubles, Paul was recently diagnosed with lung cancer which metastasized to his bones. He’s undergoing treatment at Penn. Paul has a daughter, Shauna, 12, so it’s appropriate that his friends picked Father’s Day for the fundraiser. Come out to Philadelphia’s Irish Center and support him!
While you still have your good-deed-doing hat on, tune in to WTMR 800 AM at 11 AM on Sunday and make your pledge to keep the Irish radio shows on the air for another year. This Sunday, Vince Gallagher and Marianne MacDonald are offering a special treat: Live music in the studio! You can hear some of our favorite local musicians, including Kevin Brennan, Fintan Malone, and Tim Hill, the 15-year-old boy wonder of Irish music. Call 1-866-799-9090 toll-free and make a pledge.
Check out a video of a recent performance by Vince Gallagher, Kevin Brennan, and Patsy Whelan at the Irish Center during a birthday party for Gallagher’s wife, Vera.
On Thursday, join Kathy DeAngelo of You Gotta Have Harp and 20 of her harpers at Burlington Meetinghouse and Conference Center in Burlington, NJ. It’s free.
Also on Thursday, Scythian—those Baltic-Celtic rabble-rousers from DC—will be performing at the Sellersville Theatre.
Friday kicks off the Celtic Fling and Highland Games at the Mount Hope Winery in Manheim (home of the Renaissance Fair) with a concert by Gaelic Storm, “everybody’s favorite Titanic steerage band.” The Scythian guys are planning to show up, so expect a high-octane evening. Hang in for a weekend of fun, frivolity and caber tossing.
Next Saturday, the next Rose of Tralee from Philadelphia will be crowned in Havertown. The winner of this annual pageant will head to Ireland this summer to vie for the international crown in a televised event that breaks TV records every year in Ireland. Not to make you nervous, girls, but this is a big deal.
And on Sunday, Bristol Borough will hold its annual Celtic Day on the waterfront.
