Monthly Archives:

March 2013

News, People

He Was a True Gentleman in Every Way’

Paul J. Phillips Jr.

Paul J. Phillips Jr.

With the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day parade behind us, and St. Patrick’s Day just a few days ahead, we’re still in the thick of our annual commemoration of Irish heritage. No one loved this time of year more than Paul J. Phillips, Jr., longtime parade board member, 2006 inductee into the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame, Hibernian, and 1995 Philadelphia grand marshal.

Paul Phillips died on February 26. He was 89. With the death of Philip E. “Knute” Bonner, another longtime parade official, on February 15, the Philadelphia Irish community has lost two giants.

We asked those who knew Paul to share their remembrances.

Sister James Ann Feerick, IHM, 2011 Grand Marshal

“I met Paul Phillips in 1971, when my dancers participated in the St. Patrick’s Day parade. They performed with his group in the parade. In 1985, I met him again during my first year as judge for the parade, and he was a wonderful support to me. I remember how kind he was to me, and he made sure I had everything I needed. Ever since then, we have been very close, meeting at many Irish socials and church events.

“He was a true gentleman in every way, and he always put others first. His faith, family and Irish heritage were the driving forces that made him a role model for future generations. I will miss him, but his memory will live on for future years. God bless him.”

Kathy McGee Burns, Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association board member and former president

“Paul Phillips, Jr. was always there. Turn around at an event, and you knew that he would be still there, like a reassuring rock—a Gibraltar or an Everest, a Mount Rushmore. He made the Observance family whole.

“He lived life to the fullest, active in so many groups. I found out that he was a sailor, flying aboard the slow, lumbering PBY-5 Catalina, which saved many lives.

“He will be with us, as a protective spirit. We will see Paul again one day, before God.”

Karen Boyce McCollum, performer and parade commentator

“I had the pleasure of getting to know Paul through our mutual involvement in the St. Patrick’s Day parade. Paul was a longtime devoted member of the board and organization, and I have participated in the parade since I was a child, performed at many of the parade association’s parties, events, and Masses through the years. This was our connection. Paul knew my parents for years—they both spoke so highly of him. Paul was special. He was someone who was always such a pleasure to meet and speak to at the various events and on parade day, of course. He was a friendly and kind gentleman with a sweet, unassuming smile and way.

“Paul was a treasure. He was dedicated to his family, his church, and to the Irish community. He was a hard worker and contributed for the right reasons, and not for reward or recognition. As a matter of fact, his son Chris said that Paul was very happy to be grand marshal of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s parade, but he questioned whether he was deserving of the honor in comparison to some of the others who possessed more formal credentials than he felt he had. Truthfully, I think that a man like Paul—a gentleman, a community man, a family man, a faithful man, and a hard-working, happy man—is THE most deserving type of person for that honor.

“To sing at Paul’s funeral was an honor for me. Chris told me that he and his dad had taken two memorable and very special trips to Knock Shrine in County Mayo. I was honored to sing ‘Our Lady of Knock’ for Paul, as we celebrated his life. One of his family members told me that that hymn ‘Our Lady of Knock,’ along with the angels, guided Paul to his final resting place. Those words gave me such a beautiful vision. I will miss Paul and I believe his example will be continued. His dedication and passion for our community, even as he grew weaker, was inspiring to me, and his devotion to his family was certainly passed on to his son Chris. Chris’ devotion and love for his dad until his very last day was beautiful to witness.

“Rest in peace, Paul. You made a difference and set an example for so many in our Irish community, which is the most important credential there is.”

Patrick Mulhern, president, Josep E. Montgomery Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 65

“I first met Paul in 1998, when I became a member of Division 65. I was one of the youngest brothers in the division at that time, but Paul didn’t make that distinction. He treated me as an equal, and through subsequent years of observation I realized that this was one of his unique traits.

“Paul always seemed to operate on an even keel, never overreacting to any situation. He was a doer and involved in so many organizations.

“Paul’s love for his faith, his country, his family and his heritage made him a unanimous selection for our 2008 Fleadh an Earraigh Division Award.

“Paul truly personified the motto of the Ancient Order of Hibernians of ‘Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity.’ As a younger president of the Joseph E. Montgomery AOH Division 65, I cherished his sound counsel.

“Paul was the consummate gentleman and will be missed by all.”

Michael Bradley, director of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day parade

“Paul was the backbone and moral conscience of our Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day parade board for over 50 years, and he was the treasurer for 40 years. If you look up the word ‘gentleman’ in the dictionary, you will see a photo of Paul. He was very proud of his Bishop Neumann High School Class of 1941 roots and the Grays Ferry section of South Philly. Paul was on more boards, and knew more priests and nuns than anyone I have ever known. He was kind to everyone and always had good advice when you needed it. We are all better people for having known Paul.”

March 13, 2013 by
News, People

‘He Was a True Gentleman in Every Way’

Paul J. Phillips, Jr.

Paul J. Phillips, Jr.

With the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day parade behind us, and St. Patrick’s Day just a few days ahead, we’re still in the thick of our annual commemoration of Irish heritage. No one loved this time of year more than Paul J. Phillips, Jr., longtime parade board member, 2006 inductee into the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame, Hibernian, and 1995 Philadelphia grand marshal.

Paul Phillips died on February 26. He was 89. With the death of Philip E. “Knute” Bonner, another longtime parade official, on February 15, the Philadelphia Irish community has lost two giants.

We asked those who knew Paul to share their remembrances.

Sister James Ann Feerick, IHM, 2011 Grand Marshal

“I met Paul Phillips in 1971, when my dancers participated in the St. Patrick’s Day parade. They performed with his group in the parade. In 1985, I met him again during my first year as judge for the parade, and he was a wonderful support to me. I remember how kind he was to me, and he made sure I had everything I needed. Ever since then, we have been very close, meeting at many Irish socials and church events.

“He was a true gentleman in every way, and he always put others first. His faith, family and Irish heritage were the driving forces that made him a role model for future generations. I will miss him, but his memory will live on for future years. God bless him.”

Kathy McGee Burns, Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association board member and former president

“Paul Phillips, Jr. was always there. Turn around at an event, and you knew that he would be still there, like a reassuring rock—a Gibraltar or an Everest, a Mount Rushmore. He made the Observance family whole.

“He lived life to the fullest, active in so many groups. I found out that he was a sailor, flying aboard the slow, lumbering PBY-5 Catalina, which saved many lives.

“He will be with us, as a protective spirit. We will see Paul again one day, before God.”

Karen Boyce McCollum, performer and parade commentator

“I had the pleasure of getting to know Paul through our mutual involvement in the St. Patrick’s Day parade. Paul was a longtime devoted member of the board and organization, and I have participated in the parade since I was a child, performed at many of the parade association’s parties, events, and Masses through the years. This was our connection. Paul knew my parents for years—they both spoke so highly of him. Paul was special. He was someone who was always such a pleasure to meet and speak to at the various events and on parade day, of course. He was a friendly and kind gentleman with a sweet, unassuming smile and way.

“Paul was a treasure. He was dedicated to his family, his church, and to the Irish community. He was a hard worker and contributed for the right reasons, and not for reward or recognition. As a matter of fact, his son Chris said that Paul was very happy to be grand marshal of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s parade, but he questioned whether he was deserving of the honor in comparison to some of the others who possessed more formal credentials than he felt he had. Truthfully, I think that a man like Paul—a gentleman, a community man, a family man, a faithful man, and a hard-working, happy man—is THE most deserving type of person for that honor.

“To sing at Paul’s funeral was an honor for me. Chris told me that he and his dad had taken two memorable and very special trips to Knock Shrine in County Mayo. I was honored to sing ‘Our Lady of Knock’ for Paul, as we celebrated his life. One of his family members told me that that hymn ‘Our Lady of Knock,’ along with the angels, guided Paul to his final resting place. Those words gave me such a beautiful vision. I will miss Paul and I believe his example will be continued. His dedication and passion for our community, even as he grew weaker, was inspiring to me, and his devotion to his family was certainly passed on to his son Chris. Chris’ devotion and love for his dad until his very last day was beautiful to witness.

“Rest in peace, Paul. You made a difference and set an example for so many in our Irish community, which is the most important credential there is.”

Patrick Mulhern, president, Josep E. Montgomery Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 65

“I first met Paul in 1998, when I became a member of Division 65. I was one of the youngest brothers in the division at that time, but Paul didn’t make that distinction. He treated me as an equal, and through subsequent years of observation I realized that this was one of his unique traits.

“Paul always seemed to operate on an even keel, never overreacting to any situation. He was a doer and involved in so many organizations.

“Paul’s love for his faith, his country, his family and his heritage made him a unanimous selection for our 2008 Fleadh an Earraigh Division Award.

“Paul truly personified the motto of the Ancient Order of Hibernians of ‘Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity.’ As a younger president of the Joseph E. Montgomery AOH Division 65, I cherished his sound counsel.

“Paul was the consummate gentleman and will be missed by all.”

Michael Bradley, director of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day parade

“Paul was the backbone and moral conscience of our Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day parade board for over 50 years, and he was the treasurer for 40 years. If you look up the word ‘gentleman’ in the dictionary, you will see a photo of Paul. He was very proud of his Bishop Neumann High School Class of 1941 roots and the Grays Ferry section of South Philly. Paul was on more boards, and knew more priests and nuns than anyone I have ever known. He was kind to everyone and always had good advice when you needed it. We are all better people for having known Paul.”

March 13, 2013 by
News, People

Getting Sashed

Timmy Kelly reading his plaque in braille.

Timmy Kelly reading his plaque in braille.

Singer Timmy Kelly ran his fingers over the plaque given to him last night by the Hibernian Hunger Project to commemorate his induction into the St. Patrick’s Ring of Honor, delightedly reading the words out loud. Blind since he was an infant, Kelly ‘s fingers picked out the braille writing that the sighted could barely make out.

“When we were doing these, Bob Gessler [parade committee president] said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could get him one in braille’ and I thought, ‘I think I can do that,'” said Kathy Fanning, president of the Philadelphia County Board of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, who was one of the presenters. “I took it to someone I knew at the Overbrook School [for the blind] and we got it in braille.”

It was a touching moment among many as the parade committee honored Grand Marshal Harry Marnie and members of the Ring of Honor, most of whom are affiliated with anti-hunger projects in the city–a nod to this year’s theme, The Philadelphia Irish Memorial: A Decade of Remembrance.They include MANNA executive director Sue Daugherty; Hibernian Hunger Project director Ed Dougherty; WMMR DJs Preston Elliot and  Steve Morrison who raise tons of food for the needy in their annual Camp Out for Hunger, Gerry Huot, volunteer coordinator for St. John’s Hospice; Jim Tanghe, president of Shamrock Food Distributors which supplies food for the Hunger Project; Sister Mary Scullion, founder of Project H.O.M.E,  which works with the region’s homeless; Will O’Brien, special projects coordinator at Project H.O.M.E.; as well as Dan Harrell, who has been helping to bring a group of basketball players and musicians from St. Malachy’s College in Belfast to the US every year.

The Ring of Honor members got their sashes, along with the grand marshal, at a special dinner at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Philadelphia.

March 8, 2013 by
Genealogy, History

Who’s Your Granny?

My great-great grandmother, Susan Virginia Thursday Victoria Ridgeway Riley, and her daughter Pearl Estella Angeline Hazel Riley Parker

My great-great grandmother, Susan Virginia Thursday Victoria Ridgeway Riley, and her daughter Pearl Estella Angeline Hazel Riley Parker

For over two years, I’ve been contemplating this genealogy column. Contemplating it, mind you, not actually writing it. Denise and Jeff have been encouraging it, giving me carte blanche to write about whatever genealogical topic pops into my head—but never pressuring. Dublin and Philadelphia’s own fiddler, Paraic Keane, even unknowingly came up with the title, “Who’s Your Granny?” in a completely unrelated conversation with the Philadelphia Ceili Group’s Anne McNiff; as soon as I heard it, I claimed it in the name of Irish Philadelphia.

And, now, with the most Irish of all days just a little over a week away, it is finally time. Welcome to the first official genealogy column of Irish Philly.

Last week I made my first trip to the Philadelphia Archives, down on Chestnut Street between 9th and 10th. It’s a place I’ve been meaning to venture into for a very long time, but it was a talk by my friend and genealogist Deborah Large Fox that finally got me in the building. The topic was “Grandma Was a What?” and focused on collecting and preserving family stories. Although the lecture was for a general audience, the subject could have been created for Irish family research. Who is better at telling stories and passing them down than the Irish? It was the stories I heard as a child about my Riley ancestors that first got me hooked on genealogy—great-great grandfather Samuel Riley fought for both sides in the Civil War, starting out for the South, getting captured by the North, escaping and returning to the South…and then after it was all over, receiving two pensions, one from the Union and one from the Confederacy.

And, as Deb Fox pointed out, “Every family story has a nugget of truth.” My great-great grandfather did indeed file for pensions from both the North and the South, but the truth was a little more complicated, and less glorified, than the story. I found Samuel’s Virginia pension file online at the Library of Virginia’s Civil War Guide.  And then, a few years later, while searching Ancestry.com, I found that a Samuel Riley, living in Virginia, had filed for a Union pension and cited a Pennsylvania unit. Using the information from that source, I went to the National Archives Military Records, and sent away for those records. Included in the file was a letter written by his daughter Eugenia stating that “he was with Co. B. 4th Pa Cavalry But a short time before he was wounded he is not able to get about now with 9 nine children all too small to help them self & a sick wife I would be so glad if you would use your influence in the pension office he deserted the Rebel Army & joind the U.S. Army & the people here won’t have a thing to do with him.”

Apparently, Samuel went off to join the 4th Pa Cavalry of his own volition, and was branded a deserter when he returned to Virginia after the war. Many times, the story is a prettier version of the truth, which is the tricky part about genealogy. Every family has skeletons, and when you start digging around in the family bones, you never know what’s going to fall out. When preserving the family record, both the stories and the records have a place.

“Documentation is the cure for a lot of genealogical ills…attribute the story. At least you have the source listed,” Deb explained. “Are records more reliable than stories? Records can create the same whisper down the lane effect. It’s keeping your sources, noting them down, being a skeptic—but you can be a skeptic and still enjoy the stories.”

And when you record the family stories, decide what your purpose is and who your audience will be. Is it for yourself, or for your descendants? Members of the public or living family members? This can make a difference even in the format you choose to use to preserve the history. There are many options out there now beyond just the published narrative. Many researchers set up websites, and encourage input from other branches of the family. Others make DVDs or photo books.

It’s still a complicated business when it comes to revealing an ugly family secret. I have found more than a few in my research—all a matter of public record—and while I strongly believe that the truth should be told, that there is healing in getting it out there all these generations later, I do think it’s important to be sensitive to anyone still living who may be personally affected by having a not-so-long-hidden secret unveiled.

Deb’s talk at the Archives was part of their Friday Genealogy Open House series, and this is a great way to meet up with other researchers. Visitors are encouraged to bring a lunch, and several people I talked to had taken the train in to Philly, which eliminated the cost and problem of finding parking. For more information, check out their website: Philadelphia Archives: Friday Genealogy Open Houses. And now that I’ve finally made it inside, I’m planning many more return visits to finally get to the bottom of my own Philadelphia ancestors’ mysteries.

For more great information, check out Deborah Large Fox’s genealogy blogs: Help! The Faerie Folk Hid My Ancestors! and her newest, Spilling the Family Beans.

March 8, 2013 by
News, People

Getting Sashed

Timmy Kelly

Timmy Kelly

Singer Timmy Kelly ran his fingers over the plaque given to him last night by the Hibernian Hunger Project to commemorate his induction into the St. Patrick’s Ring of Honor, delightedly reading the words out loud. Blind since he was an infant, Kelly ‘s fingers picked out the braille writing that the sighted could barely make out.

“When we were doing these, Bob Gessler [parade committee president] said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could get him one in braille’ and I thought, ‘I think I can do that,'” said Kathy Fanning, president of the Philadelphia County Board of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, who was one of the presenters. “I took it to someone I knew at the Overbrook School [for the blind] and we got it in braille.”

It was a touching moment among many as the parade committee honored Grand Marshal Harry Marnie and members of the Ring of Honor, most of whom are affiliated with anti-hunger projects in the city–a nod to this year’s theme, The Philadelphia Irish Memorial: A Decade of Remembrance.They include MANNA executive director Sue Daugherty; Hibernian Hunger Project director Ed Dougherty; WMMR DJs Preston Elliot and  Steve Morrison who raise tons of food for the needy in their annual Camp Out for Hunger, Gerry Huot, volunteer coordinator for St. John’s Hospice; Jim Tanghe, president of Shamrock Food Distributors which supplies food for the Hunger Project; Sister Mary Scullion, founder of Project H.O.M.E,  which works with the region’s homeless; Will O’Brien, special projects coordinator at Project H.O.M.E.; as well as Dan Harrell, who has been helping to bring a group of basketball players and musicians from St. Malachy’s College in Belfast to the US every year.

The Ring of Honor members got their sashes, along with the grand marshal, at a special dinner at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Philadelphia.

March 8, 2013 by
Genealogy

Who’s Your Granny?

My great-great grandmother, Susan Virginia Thursday Victoria Ridgeway Riley, and her daughter Pearl Estella Angeline Hazel Riley Parker

My great-great grandmother, Susan Virginia Thursday Victoria Ridgeway Riley, and her daughter Pearl Estella Angeline Hazel Riley Parker

For over two years, I’ve been contemplating this genealogy column. Contemplating it, mind you, not actually writing it. Denise and Jeff have been encouraging it, giving me carte blanche to write about whatever genealogical topic pops into my head—but never pressuring. Dublin and Philadelphia’s own fiddler, Paraic Keane, even unknowingly came up with the title, “Who’s Your Granny?” in a completely unrelated conversation with the Philadelphia Ceili Group’s Anne McNiff; as soon as I heard it, I claimed it in the name of Irish Philadelphia.

And, now, with the most Irish of all days just a little over a week away, it is finally time. Welcome to the first official genealogy column of Irish Philly.

Last week I made my first trip to the Philadelphia Archives, down on Chestnut Street between 9th and 10th. It’s a place I’ve been meaning to venture into for a very long time, but it was a talk by my friend and genealogist Deborah Large Fox that finally got me in the building. The topic was “Grandma Was a What?” and focused on collecting and preserving family stories. Although the lecture was for a general audience, the subject could have been created for Irish family research. Who is better at telling stories and passing them down than the Irish? It was the stories I heard as a child about my Riley ancestors that first got me hooked on genealogy—great-great grandfather Samuel Riley fought for both sides in the Civil War, starting out for the South, getting captured by the North, escaping and returning to the South…and then after it was all over, receiving two pensions, one from the Union and one from the Confederacy.

And, as Deb Fox pointed out, “Every family story has a nugget of truth.” My great-great grandfather did indeed file for pensions from both the North and the South, but the truth was a little more complicated, and less glorified, than the story. I found Samuel’s Virginia pension file online at the Library of Virginia’s Civil War Guide.  And then, a few years later, while searching Ancestry.com, I found that a Samuel Riley, living in Virginia, had filed for a Union pension and cited a Pennsylvania unit. Using the information from that source, I went to the National Archives Military Records, and sent away for those records. Included in the file was a letter written by his daughter Eugenia stating that “he was with Co. B. 4th Pa Cavalry But a short time before he was wounded he is not able to get about now with 9 nine children all too small to help them self & a sick wife I would be so glad if you would use your influence in the pension office he deserted the Rebel Army & joind the U.S. Army & the people here won’t have a thing to do with him.”

Apparently, Samuel went off to join the 4th Pa Cavalry of his own volition, and was branded a deserter when he returned to Virginia after the war. Many times, the story is a prettier version of the truth, which is the tricky part about genealogy. Every family has skeletons, and when you start digging around in the family bones, you never know what’s going to fall out. When preserving the family record, both the stories and the records have a place.

“Documentation is the cure for a lot of genealogical ills…attribute the story. At least you have the source listed,” Deb explained. “Are records more reliable than stories? Records can create the same whisper down the lane effect. It’s keeping your sources, noting them down, being a skeptic—but you can be a skeptic and still enjoy the stories.”

And when you record the family stories, decide what your purpose is and who your audience will be. Is it for yourself, or for your descendants? Members of the public or living family members? This can make a difference even in the format you choose to use to preserve the history. There are many options out there now beyond just the published narrative. Many researchers set up websites, and encourage input from other branches of the family. Others make DVDs or photo books.

It’s still a complicated business when it comes to revealing an ugly family secret. I have found more than a few in my research—all a matter of public record—and while I strongly believe that the truth should be told, that there is healing in getting it out there all these generations later, I do think it’s important to be sensitive to anyone still living who may be personally affected by having a not-so-long-hidden secret unveiled.

Deb’s talk at the Archives was part of their Friday Genealogy Open House series, and this is a great way to meet up with other researchers. Visitors are encouraged to bring a lunch, and several people I talked to had taken the train in to Philly, which eliminated the cost and problem of finding parking. For more information, check out their website: Philadelphia Archives: Friday Genealogy Open Houses. And now that I’ve finally made it inside, I’m planning many more return visits to finally get to the bottom of my own Philadelphia ancestors’ mysteries.

For more great information, check out Deborah Large Fox’s genealogy blogs: Help! The Faerie Folk Hid My Ancestors! and her newest, Spilling the Family Beans.

March 8, 2013 by
How to Be Irish in Philly, News

How To Be Irish in Philly This Week

Philly Police and Fire Pipe Band from last year's parade.

Philly Police and Fire Pipe Band from last year’s parade.

This Sunday is Philadelphia’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, the second oldest in the country and one of the best. As veteran parade goers, we highly recommend certain spots on the parade route, which starts at JFK Boulvevard and marches down the Parkway. Anywhere near Tir na Nog is always great—the road is narrow there so you can get up close and personal with the floats, bands, and dancers if you want to get some good photos.

Con Murphy’s Pub on the Parkway is also a great locale—it’s small, so can’t squeeze in lots of onlookers, but if you find a spot you can stay warm while watching the parade with a beer. Kinda like being at home (you can see the parade live starting at 1 PM on CBS3, with Kathy Orr and Chris May), but with a little more atmosphere.

Then there’s the viewing stand down by Eakins Oval parking lot. All the dancers and bands get jiggy in front of the stands, where you can usually find CBS3’s charming traffic guy, Bob Kelly, interviewing folks (you might get interviewed yourself!).

We’ll all be there, so if you see us, come up and say hello! And look for my girls, The Divine Providence Rainbow Irish Dancers, who will be showing off their brand new jackets that they bought with proceeds from their Christmas recital this year. They’re pretty proud of those jackets so let them know how great they look.

BUT, before Sunday comes Saturday and there’s so much going on that your head will spin. In a nice way.

At 2 PM there will be a memorial service at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd where six railroad workers, who died more than 180 years ago, were buried last year. A seventh, John Ruddy, was buried last weekend in Ardara, County Donegal, with members of his family in attendance. Irish Center President Vincent Gallagher donated a spot in his family plot for Ruddy’s burial.

Marita Krivda Poxon will be signing her wonderful new book, Irish Philadelphia, at the Plough and the Stars in Philadelphia on Saturday frm 4 to 5, then from 5:30 to 6:30. It’s a great gift for your favorite Irishman. The book is also available at amazon.com.

The play Jimmy Titanic is still on at the Adrienne Theatre on Sansom Street.

At noon, Galway Guild, a local group, is playing at Marty Magee’s in Prospect Park. They’re heading to Paddy Whacks in Philly at 9 for another Saturday gig.

A couple of other events start in the early afternoon: There’s Beerfest at Harrah’s Philly, which has a tangential link to St. Patrick’s Day in that they’re serving lots of beer (our guess).

Catch the Broken Shillelaghs and Slainte at Dubh Linn Square in Cherry Hill for Paddypalooza, an afternoon delight of music and fundraising for The Claddagh Fund, a charity started by Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphy’s who are appearing at the Electric Factory on Saturday night.

The great little Conshy parade is next weekend, but on Saturday, they celebrate their grand marshal, Tom Couhglin, at a special ball at the Washington Fire House at Elm and Fayette Streets in Conshohocken.

Mary Courtney and Morning Star—she’s an extraordinary singer, and they’re an extraordinary band—will be performing at 8 PM The Irish Center, 6815 Emlen Street, Philadelphia, a Philadelphia Ceili Group concert.

The John Byrne Band and Friends will be debuting the band’s newest CD, Celtic Folk, at a concert at Sacred Heart Church in Riverton, NJ on Saturday night at 7:30 PM.

Mythica and Melissa Cox will be bringing their amalgam of Irish, Scottish, folk and world music to The Queen on 500 North Market Street in Wilmington, DE. on Saturday night.

There’s also a St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Holiday Concert featuring The Maidens IV, Irish Blessing, the Ladeens, piper Chris Lewis, and The Cara School of Irish Dance at the Schneider Center in Parkesburg, Pa.

On Sunday, start your day off right with Mass at St. Patrick’s Church at 20th and Locust Streets in Philadelphia. Archbishop Charles Chaput is expected to be there, along with many other Philadelphia-area VIPs. There are also post-parade parties all over the city, including at The Irish Center.

McDermott’s Handy will be performing the afternoon at Old Friends Meeting House in Bordentown, NJ.

There’s also a St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Holiday Concert at St. Malachi’s in Cochranville featuring all the folks from the Parkesburg concert listed above.

And at 8 PM, head down to the North Star on Poplar Street in Philly to hear The Tossers, a six-piece Celtic punk band from Chicago, who regularly tour with The Dropkick Murphy’s.

And it’s not even St. Patrick’s Day yet.

On Monday, the Mayo County Council (yes, that Mayo) will be at Maloney’s Pub in Ardmore where you can learn more about Admiral William Brown, an Irish-born Argentine admiral who became Argentina’s greatest naval hero. There’s no charge and there will be bar specials.

Harper Janet Harbison will be performing on Monday night at the Markeim Center for the Arts in Haddonfield, NJ. You can also hear her—and get some pointers—at her workshop on Tuesday night at the Virginia Harp Center in Haddonfield.

On Wednesday, you have your choice: The Irish Rovers on their farewell tour at World Café Live at the Queen in Wilmington, or the amazing accordionist from Galway, Sharon Shannon, at Sellersville.

On Thursday, catch Dervish at Longwood Gardens (and on this little video).

Or you could taste-test some Irish coffee at AOH Notre Dame Div. 1 Hall in Swedesburg, a little event that gets bigger every year, with eight to 10 contestants brewing up their finest creations for the judges (and you get to be one). That runs from 7-9 PM.

Also on Thursday, hear Billy Donahue and Jack McKee of the Shantys at Schileen’s Pub in Westville, NJ. And Galway Guild at the Tap Room in Morton, PA.

On Friday, tune in to CBS3 at 6:30 AM to hear Blackthorn playing us up to St. Patrick’s Day. Later in the evening, the band will be performing at La Costa in Sea Isle, NJ. (Is it summer yet?)

On Friday night, The John Byrne Band, with No Irish Need Apply, will be doing the music of Shane MacGowan and the Pogues at the World Café Live in Philadelphia. They will all have teeth.

Also on Friday night:

Natalie MacMaster, the powerhouse Canadian fiddler, will be at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

Carbon Leaf, a Celtic band from Virginia that often performs at Bethlehem’s Celtic Classic, will be at World Café Live at the Queen in Wilmington.

The Trenton Titans hockey team is having Irish Night at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton. Expect both dancing and fighting.

The Galway Guild will be at Con Murphys on the Parkway in Philly starting at 6 PM.

And The Broken Shillelaghs will be at Lazy Lanigan’s Publick House in Sewell, NJ.

A little taste of what’s ahead: St. Patrick’s Day is on Sunday! And on St. Patrick’s eve, look for parades in Bucks County, Conshohocken, and Springfield, Delaware County; Jamison at Paddy Whacks; a St. Patrick’s Day Party at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Glenside with the Molly Maguire’’s Ceilidh Band (expect authentic traditional Irish celebration); and much, much more.

Don’t believe me? Check our calendar.

And keep checking back. New things are being added every day. Um, pretty much every minute.

March 8, 2013 by
How to Be Irish in Philly

How To Be Irish in Philly This Week

Philly Police and Fire Pipe Band from last year's parade.

Philly Police and Fire Pipe Band from last year’s parade.

This Sunday is Philadelphia’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, the second oldest in the country and one of the best. As veteran parade goers, we highly recommend certain spots on the parade route, which starts at JFK Boulvevard and marches down the Parkway. Anywhere near Tir na Nog is always great—the road is narrow there so you can get up close and personal with the floats, bands, and dancers if you want to get some good photos.

Con Murphy’s Pub on the Parkway is also a great locale—it’s small, so can’t squeeze in lots of onlookers, but if you find a spot you can stay warm while watching the parade with a beer. Kinda like being at home (you can see the parade live starting at 1 PM on CBS3, with Kathy Orr and Chris May), but with a little more atmosphere.

Then there’s the viewing stand down by Eakins Oval parking lot. All the dancers and bands get jiggy in front of the stands, where you can usually find CBS3’s charming traffic guy, Bob Kelly, interviewing folks (you might get interviewed yourself!).

We’ll all be there, so if you see us, come up and say hello! And look for my girls, The Divine Providence Rainbow Irish Dancers, who will be showing off their brand new jackets that they bought with proceeds from their Christmas recital this year. They’re pretty proud of those jackets so let them know how great they look.

BUT, before Sunday comes Saturday and there’s so much going on that your head will spin. In a nice way.

At 2 PM there will be a memorial service at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd where six railroad workers, who died more than 180 years ago, were buried last year. A seventh, John Ruddy, was buried last weekend in Ardara, County Donegal, with members of his family in attendance. Irish Center President Vincent Gallagher donated a spot in his family plot for Ruddy’s burial.

Marita Krivda Poxon will be signing her wonderful new book, Irish Philadelphia, at the Plough and the Stars in Philadelphia on Saturday frm 4 to 5, then from 5:30 to 6:30. It’s a great gift for your favorite Irishman. The book is also available at amazon.com.

The play Jimmy Titanic is still on at the Adrienne Theatre on Sansom Street.

At noon, Galway Guild, a local group, is playing at Marty Magee’s in Prospect Park. They’re heading to Paddy Whacks in Philly at 9 for another Saturday gig.

A couple of other events start in the early afternoon: There’s Beerfest at Harrah’s Philly, which has a tangential link to St. Patrick’s Day in that they’re serving lots of beer (our guess).

Catch the Broken Shillelaghs and Slainte at Dubh Linn Square in Cherry Hill for Paddypalooza, an afternoon delight of music and fundraising for The Claddagh Fund, a charity started by Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphy’s who are appearing at the Electric Factory on Saturday night.

The great little Conshy parade is next weekend, but on Saturday, they celebrate their grand marshal, Tom Couhglin, at a special ball at the Washington Fire House at Elm and Fayette Streets in Conshohocken.

Mary Courtney and Morning Star—she’s an extraordinary singer, and they’re an extraordinary band—will be performing at 8 PM The Irish Center, 6815 Emlen Street, Philadelphia, a Philadelphia Ceili Group concert.

The John Byrne Band and Friends will be debuting the band’s newest CD, Celtic Folk, at a concert at Sacred Heart Church in Riverton, NJ on Saturday night at 7:30 PM.

Mythica and Melissa Cox will be bringing their amalgam of Irish, Scottish, folk and world music to The Queen on 500 North Market Street in Wilmington, DE. on Saturday night.

There’s also a St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Holiday Concert featuring The Maidens IV, Irish Blessing, the Ladeens, piper Chris Lewis, and The Cara School of Irish Dance at the Schneider Center in Parkesburg, Pa.

On Sunday, start your day off right with Mass at St. Patrick’s Church at 20th and Locust Streets in Philadelphia. Archbishop Charles Chaput is expected to be there, along with many other Philadelphia-area VIPs. There are also post-parade parties all over the city, including at The Irish Center.

McDermott’s Handy will be performing the afternoon at Old Friends Meeting House in Bordentown, NJ.

There’s also a St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Holiday Concert at St. Malachi’s in Cochranville featuring all the folks from the Parkesburg concert listed above.

And at 8 PM, head down to the North Star on Poplar Street in Philly to hear The Tossers, a six-piece Celtic punk band from Chicago, who regularly tour with The Dropkick Murphy’s.

And it’s not even St. Patrick’s Day yet.

On Monday, the Mayo County Council (yes, that Mayo) will be at Maloney’s Pub in Ardmore where you can learn more about Admiral William Brown, an Irish-born Argentine admiral who became Argentina’s greatest naval hero. There’s no charge and there will be bar specials.

Harper Janet Harbison will be performing on Monday night at the Markeim Center for the Arts in Haddonfield, NJ. You can also hear her—and get some pointers—at her workshop on Tuesday night at the Virginia Harp Center in Haddonfield.

On Wednesday, you have your choice: The Irish Rovers on their farewell tour at World Café Live at the Queen in Wilmington, or the amazing accordionist from Galway, Sharon Shannon, at Sellersville.

On Thursday, catch Dervish at Longwood Gardens (and on this little video).

Or you could taste-test some Irish coffee at AOH Notre Dame Div. 1 Hall in Swedesburg, a little event that gets bigger every year, with eight to 10 contestants brewing up their finest creations for the judges (and you get to be one). That runs from 7-9 PM.

Also on Thursday, hear Billy Donahue and Jack McKee of the Shantys at Schileen’s Pub in Westville, NJ. And Galway Guild at the Tap Room in Morton, PA.

On Friday, tune in to CBS3 at 6:30 AM to hear Blackthorn playing us up to St. Patrick’s Day. Later in the evening, the band will be performing at La Costa in Sea Isle, NJ. (Is it summer yet?)

On Friday night, The John Byrne Band, with No Irish Need Apply, will be doing the music of Shane MacGowan and the Pogues at the World Café Live in Philadelphia. They will all have teeth.

Also on Friday night:

Natalie MacMaster, the powerhouse Canadian fiddler, will be at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

Carbon Leaf, a Celtic band from Virginia that often performs at Bethlehem’s Celtic Classic, will be at World Café Live at the Queen in Wilmington.

The Trenton Titans hockey team is having Irish Night at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton. Expect both dancing and fighting.

The Galway Guild will be at Con Murphys on the Parkway in Philly starting at 6 PM.

And The Broken Shillelaghs will be at Lazy Lanigan’s Publick House in Sewell, NJ.

A little taste of what’s ahead: St. Patrick’s Day is on Sunday! And on St. Patrick’s eve, look for parades in Bucks County, Conshohocken, and Springfield, Delaware County; Jamison at Paddy Whacks; a St. Patrick’s Day Party at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Glenside with the Molly Maguire’’s Ceilidh Band (expect authentic traditional Irish celebration); and much, much more.

Don’t believe me? Check our calendar.

And keep checking back. New things are being added every day. Um, pretty much every minute.

March 8, 2013 by