How To Be Irish in Philly This Week

It’s a mix of Scottish and Irish events at the Graeme Park Celtic Heritage Festival in Horsham on Saturday. You can enter the haggis eating contest, watch sheep herding and women’s highland athletics, or dance to the sounds of the Barley Boys or the Celtic Marins, or pick up a few steps from some real Irish dancers.

Performer Danny Quinn is the latest offering in the Irish music series at Catherine Rooney’s Pub in Wilmington on Saturday.

Sunday brings Gaelic sports galore—four championship match-ups at Cardinal Dougherty fields. Check out calendar for times.

You can also catch Fermanagh-born Tom McGrath on the road on Sunday as he visits AOH Div. 1 in Bristol Borough and Div. 39 in Tacony on his way to Annapolis. The New York bar owner and marathoner is raising awareness of and money for the new Commodore John Barry Memorial at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. Barry is a homeboy—born in County Wexford, he made his home in Philadelphia when he wasn’t on the high seas in America’s first navy.

If you’re downashore, Jamison is at Shenanigans in Sea Isle City.

Kathleen Boyle and Grainne Murphy of Cherish the Ladies are stopping by on Thursday for a house concert on Bainbridge Street in Philadelphia. Space is limited so you must make a reservation by emailing barnstarconcerts@gmail.com.

And on Friday, the Philadelphia Ceili Group is presenting Altan accordionist Dermot Byrne, Parisian harpist and vocalist Floriane Blancke, with fiddler Brid Harper from Donegal in concert at the Irish Center.

On Saturday, July 28, there’s an Irish Music Mini-Camp featuring former All-Ireland harp champion Alex Boatright, and her husband, Duncan Boatright, an award-winning composer and steel pan player, in West Chester. The weekend will culminate in a session at Molly Maguire’s in Phoenixville on Sunday. Space is limited and reservations are required. See our calendar for the details.

And Blackthorn is going to playing on the beach in Wildwood on July 28—go down and get some sand in your sandals.