You’ve been to a couple or three festivals already and it’s only the middle of September (halfway to St.Paddy’s Day, by the way). So you think you can rest up this weekend.
But noooooo. Start your weekend off on Friday night at the free Rambling House event at the Irish Center. There’s a movie, “Shore to Shore,” about Irish music, and then there’s Irish music, including The Malones (Luke and Fintan are also quite funny, so you get a comedy act too). Free food, free admission, free fun. But you’ll have to buy your own drinks, unless you get lucky.
The Gloucester City Shamrock Festival is scheduled for Saturday. If you haven’t been to Gloucester City, it’s a short hop over the bridge from Philly and is a sweet little Irish town along the river. The festival is held at the Gloucester City Marina and features Blackthorn, among other enticements. And it only costs $5 to get in. A bargain and a great place to entertain the kids.
Also on Saturday, Paddy’s Well is holding a benefit for the Upper Darby Police Department at Casey’s Pubin Drexel Hill. It’s a personal thing: Their sound man, Dennis McNamara, was just a small boy when his dad became the first Upper Darby police office killed in the line of duty. Singer Olive McElhone will also perform.
At Downey’s in Philly, you can hear new group Handy with a Stick at 7 PM. It features many of the Brennan family and Bette Conway.
On Sunday morning, join the Emerald Pipers, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, the 69thPennsylvania Color Party re-enactors and the Heenan family as a memorial to Colonel Dennis Heenan, commander of the Irish Brigade heroes, is unveiled at Cathedral Cemetery in Philadelphia.
Also on Sunday, there’s a ceili-set dance in Wilmington, DE and a concert by the Philadelphia Orchestra to raise money for the Philadelphia police Surivor’s Fund (a Blackthorn benefit for the same cause happens in a few weeks).
On Monday, the golfers and music lovers will be mingling for a good cause—to raise money for the medical bills of Ciara Higgins, whose dad, Tommy Higgins, is well known in the Gaelic Athletic Association. Ciara was born prematurely six years ago and suffers from cerebral palsy. With the help of therapists, she’s learning to walk. But her care is expensive. A day of golf, a dinner, and music at Plymouth Country Club helps raise money for that care.
On Tuesday, former Philly Irish mover and shaker Mick Moloney is back in town. He’s at Villanova to present “If It Wasn’t For the Irish and the Jews: Irish American Music in Vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley.” A little bit lecture, a little bit music.
And on Thursday, the long Irish weekend at the shore begins. This major fundraiser for the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Cape May, held every year in N. Wildwood, features more musical acts than you can shake a shillelagh at, vendors as far as the Irish eye can see, pipers, dancers, food, drink. . .and more shamrock deely bobbers than can be found in the entire western world. It all starts on Thursday with a boxing match between the Harrowgate Club from Philadelphia and the Holy Family Boxing Club from Belfast, Northern Ireland and goes through Sunday featuring popular acts like Paddy’s Well, the Bogside Rogues, and Derek Warfield in the music tent, and various other Irish acts at other venues throughout the area. Blackthorn,for example, is booked at the Anglesea Pub which usually has its own music tent.
If your feet want to take you north, there’s another great Celtic festival next weekend in Bethlehem, the long-running Celtic Classic, which also offers highland games (caber toss, anyone?) and border collies. There’s always lots of great music. We’re going up to hear Fil Campbell, the Irish singer-songwriter who will be making an appearance on October 2 at the Irish Center. Oh, and everyone else we can hear in a few hours.
But mark your calendars for Saturday night, September 26. The incredible Tony DeMarco, master of the Sligo fiddle style, is coming to the Coatesville Cultural Center that evening. If you’re feeling a little low, it’s Tony you want to hear. His lively, foot-tapping fiddle music is just the thing to perk you up. He never fails to make us laugh and smile. And all that foot-tapping does burn calories.
Don’t forget the plays “The Bros. Flanagan” (at Fergie’s on Sansom Street through Saturday) and “Trad” (at the Adrienne on Sansom Street through the end of the month), both part of the Philly Fringe Festival. “Trad” makes an appearance at the Irish Center on October 11 under the auspices of the Philadelphia Ceili Group, which is resting up from its recent Irish Music Festival.
