How To Be Irish in Philly This Week

Huge Celtic doings in Bethlehem this weekend as the Celtic Classic gets underway with treats for those who trace their roots back to Ireland or Scotland. That means you can listen to Irish groups like the Glengarry Bhoys, Bua, Barleyjuice, Burning Bridget Cleary, RUNA, and Girsa, while eating haggis.

While the music is always fabulous, what we love about the Classic are the highland games, in which (mainly) burly (mainly) men toss big weights, hammers and cabers—think telephone poles—as far as they can. And there are also the border collies, who would herd butterflies if they could.

It runs throughout the weekend, and there’s plenty of parking and shuttle buses. We have the entire lineup for each day on our calendar.

There’s more—Blackthorn times two. The boys from County Delaware will be at Adelphia in Deptford on Friday night then at the Cardinal O’Hara All Class Reunion on Saturday night at The Deck in Essington.

Catch the Shantys at Paddywhack’s on Welsh Road on Saturday night too. They’re also doing a gig on Friday at the Hibernian Hall in Bristol Borough.

Two local musicians, Cara Frankowicz and Maeve Gilchrist, will be be playing a house concert in Lansdale on Saturday night.

Kevin McCloskey will be playing Irish and American folk songs at Dolan’s Irish Pub in Burlington, NJ, on Saturday night as well.

You’ll need your dress-up clothes for the Philopatrian Ball on Saturday night. It’s being held at the Doubletree in downtown Philadelphia and benefits St. Malachy’s School in North Philadelphia.

Also getting jiggy on Saturday night: No Irish Need Apply will be at Brittingham’s in Lafayette Hill, and Slainte, an offshoot of Jamison, will be at Curran’s Irish Inn in Palmyra, NJ.

On Sunday, there will be a mass in honor of the Northern Irish hunger strikers at St. Anne Church on East Lehigh Avenue in Philadelphia with refreshments afterwards.

At the Irish Center, hurling championships from Ireland will televised live. At 8:15 AM, catch the junior final with Dublin facing off against Tipperary. At 10:30 AM, Kilkenny takes on Galway for the senior final. Admission is $20 and breakfast is available for purchase.

AOH Notre Dame Div. 1 is holding its ceili on Sunday in Bridgeport. There will be dancing and music by Tom McHugh with Kevin and Jimmy McGillian.

More celebrations—the McDade School of Irish Dance invited back 50 years worth of students to help it celebrate the big one. There will be music and dancing and reminiscing at the Springfield Country Club in Springfield on Sunday night.

If you’re anywhere near Coatesville, you can hear the talented Irish brothers, Cillian and Niall Vallely at the Coatesville Cultural Society.

Do you have a business that could us an international arm? Find out how to do it on Monday at a conference at the Pyramid Club in Philadelphia. Experts, including several lawyers, will talk about the challenges and opportunities—including business-friendly taxes—of establishing your business in Ireland.

He doesn’t sound Irish until you hear him play. Carlos Nunez, an honorary member of The Chieftains, who plays the Galician bagpipes, performs “Celtic music with a Latin passion.” He’ll be at the Sellersville Theatre on Wednesday, October 3.

On Wednesday, join Irish Network-Philadelphia at the Twenty-Two Gallery, owned by member Shawn Murray, for some wine, cheese, chatter, and art-gazing. IN-Philly is also heading to Lancaster for a golf weekend at the end of the week. If you don’t play golf, one word for you: outlets.

Slainte will be playing at Con Murphy’s on the Parkway on Thursday night.

Lots of good music coming up in a few weeks, including Clannad at the Keswick. Mark your calendars for October 19 for the Irish Anti-Defamation Federation’s first major event, a night of comedy. And no, there won’t be any terrible Irish jokes.