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March 2013

News

It’s Irish Month in Philadelphia!

Philadelphia Emerald Society Piper Joe Tobin

Why? It’s because his honor Michael Nutter says so.

The mayor read the proclamation aloud before a crowd of local Irish in an ornate City Hall reception room on Thursday.

As Nutter started to read the annual Irish Month proclamation, he acknowledged it was a little on the lengthy side: “It will be St. Patrick’s Day by the time I’m done reading it.”

Nutter seized the opportunity to present Irish Month as “just another example of our diversity. On this day we are all Irish.”

On a difficult day when, only a few blocks away, there were raucous protests against the closing of 23 schools, Nutter breezed into the room about halfway through the ceremony to have his brief say, but he paused for a few moments to watch a performance of Rosemarie Timoney’s Irish dancers. Maybe it was a welcome diversion. “I tried doing that myself,” he told Rosemarie in a bit of back and forth, “but I hurt myself.”

Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association President Bob Gessler was the emcee. Among his many responsibilities was introducing this year’s grand marshal Harry Marnie, together with members of the parade’s ring of honor. This year’s ring includes Timmy Kelly, widely acknowledged for his singing, and for his unofficial title as the parade’s “good luck charm.” Timmy led the crowd in singing “God Bless of America.”

Weather for the parade on Sunday looks pretty good, so maybe that luck thing is working for us.

Preceding the city hall ceremony, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick gathered on the north side of city hall for a wreath-laying ceremony honoring Philadelphia’s Irish notables.

We have photos from the day’s activities.

March 7, 2013 by Jeff Meade

People

Pre-Parade Frolic

This face will tell you how much fun folks were having.

Irish music played, little kids danced. grown-ups ate, talked, laughed, and plunked down money for dozens of raffle baskets. In other words, it was a typical fun Irish event–this one at Cardinal O’Hara High School in Springfield, Delaware County, to raise money for the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade takes place Sunday, March 10, and will be broadcast live on CBS3. Check out our photos and join us along the parade route! We’ll be the ones with all the camera equipment.

March 7, 2013 by Jeff Meade

People

Amazing Grace

Fiddler Kitty Kelly

Stand for a moment facing any of the tall stained glass windows at St. Malachy Church in North Philadelphia, and you’ll learn everything you need to know about its early history just by reading a few of the dedications:

“In Memory of Helen A. Devlin”

“Gift of John O’Neill”

“In Memory of George Kelly”

Founded in 1850 by Irish immigrants fleeing An Gorta Mor—the Great Hunger—the church that is now described as “a beacon of hope” on North 11th Street reflects the population of its present-day neighborhood, mostly African-American and Hispanic since the 1960s.

Sunday, all of the parish’s ethnic traditions came together in what organizers hope will become an annual event: an Irish Mass, complete with a bagpiper, a fiddler, a harpist—and, from one packed pew to the next, the green jackets of the city’s many Ancient Order of Hibernians divisions.

“Somehow in this little parish, there’s a beautiful blend,” said pastor Monsignor Kevin Lawrence during his homily. “A unity, if you will—a journey together.”

Later on, in the parish hall, the hospitality committee served up ham, cabbage, and potatoes, along with caraway-speckled, buttery slices of Irish soda bread—including at least one loaf baked by Monsignor Lawrence himself.

“I tried three different recipes until I found one I was happy with,” he laughed, as he sampled another baker’s bread. “It’s kind of like building community.”

Asked if Sunday’s Mass might be the first of many, Monsignor Lawrence replied enthusiastically. “Absolutely. I’d really love to see this become a tradition. We always look for creative ways to grow here. We have a long tradition of reaching out to the broader community.”

Parishioner, Hibernian, and Mass organizer Charlie McNulty concurred, saying he knew the AOH divisions would come through with strong representation. “I look forward to it happening every year.”

We have photos from the day. Watch our slideshow, above.

March 3, 2013 by Jeff Meade

News

Amazing Grace

Fiddler Kitty Kelly

“In Memory of Helen A. Devlin”

“Gift of John O’Neill”

“In Memory of George Kelly”

“Somehow in this little parish, there’s a beautiful blend,” said pastor Monsignor Kevin Lawrence during his homily. “A unity, if you will—a journey together.”

“I tried three different recipes until I found one I was happy with,” he laughed, as he sampled another baker’s bread. “It’s kind of like building community.”

Parishioner, Hibernian, and Mass organizer Charlie McNulty concurred, saying he knew the AOH divisions would come through with strong representation. “I look forward to it happening every year.”

We have photos from the day. Watch our slideshow, above.

March 3, 2013 by Jeff Meade

News

“A Real Irish Mass”

St. Malachy’s is the scene of one of the area’s best Irish concerts every fall.

St. Malachy Church boasts a largely African-American congregation today, but way back in 1850, when it was dedicated, the church provided food for the soul for Irish immigrants seeking escape from the desperation of the Great Hunger and pursuing a better life in Philadelphia.

So in Charlie McNulty’s view, it’s only fitting that the church, at 1429 North 11th Street in North Philly, play host to a “real Irish Mass.”

That Mass is planned for Sunday at 10 a.m., and McNulty, a longtime and proud parishioner, hopes a lot of you will be able to join in the service—and the hospitality at the school next door afterward.

“I’ve been going to St. Malachy’s for seven or eight years now. It’s just such a wonderful parish,” says McNulty. “I was there when Father Mac (John McNamee) was still the pastor, and after that with Monsignor (Kevin) Lawrence. They couldn’t have brought in a better guy. He really continues the mission of the church down there.”

McNulty is also an active member of Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 61 in Northeast Philadelphia. That fact heavily influenced his interest—with some gentle prodding from Parish Services Director Sister Cecille Reilly, SSJ—in hosting an Irish Mass.

“I thought it would be a good idea to start an annual Irish Mass to get some of the Hibernian divisions together,” McNulty explained. “St. Malachy’s is the perfect place to do it because it is, to the best of my knowledge, Philadelphia’s first famine church. “

St. Malachy also stood as a bastion of Catholic belief against members of the rabidly anti-Catholic “Know-Nothing” party in the mid-1850s. “The ‘Know-Nothings’ burned down Old St. Augstine’s. When St. Malachy’s was built, it was a fortress,” says McNulty. “When it was originally built, there were no windows in it for fear of something coming in the window and burning the church down.”

With that kind of back story, McNulty believes a Mass at St. Malachy’s should appeal to members of the AOH, a Catholic fraternal organization formed in the mid-1830s to help protect Catholic churches and other parish properties from harm.

What makes this Mass Irish? Primarily music. Much of the music provided during the Mass will come courtesy of bagpipers, a fiddler, and a harpist. But the get-together after the Mass should also appeal to local Irish. Plans for that lie in the capable hands of Monsignor Lawrence.

“I don’t know what Monsignor Lawrence has planned, but I’m sure it’ll be something pretty nice, though. Monsignor is great at extending Irish hospitality.”

Of course, you don’t need to have Irish blood coursing through your veins to attend the Irish Mass.

“The regular parishioners will absolutely be there, and they will love it,” says McNulty. “They love when the community is discovered and celebrated. This is an Irish event, but there’s always some kind of event going on, celebrating other cultures. They’re always well attended. And that’s the beauty of St Malachy’s.”

Learn more.

March 1, 2013 by Jeff Meade

Music

The Beginning of the Long Goodbye

George Millar

One of their big hits was a Tom Paxton tune, “Wasn’t That a Party?” For the Irish Rovers, it still is. But all good things must come to an end.

Sort of.

The iconic Canadian-Irish band is traversing the United States on what is being billed as “The Beginning of the Long Goodbye Tour.” The Rovers plan to stop touring the United States in 2014. There will be a jaunt to New Zealand after that, and from there a tour of Canada, finally wrapping things up in Toronto in March 2015.

After that, they’ll go no more a-roving. That’ll be it for endless hours on buses and planes, countless nights in hotel rooms of varying levels of quality, and agita-inducing meals on the run.

But that doesn’t mean the end of the Rovers, as front man George Millar explained in a recent call from Chicago. The party is still far from over.

Q. What’s special about 2015?

A. In 2015 the band will be 50 years old. We thought that would be a good time to stop the heavier touring. We’ll still do the odd CD and public appearances, but we figure that’s enough. The day-to-day travel is hard. It’s hard on the back when you’re in a different bed every night for weeks. We were always kept so busy all the time, as we still are, but things changed after September 11th. There are 10 of us traveling at the same time. It takes us hours to get through the airport. We have to arrive at the airport three and a half hours in advance.

As my mother used to say, there’s no rest for the wicked.

We always do the big March tour, which we’re on right now, and then we have summer dates. Sometimes we do a fall tour, and a Christmas tour. But we decided 2014 was going to be our last American tour. We’ll be on that tour next February and March. Then on to New Zealand and Canada, to Toronto. That’s where I started the band. It’s going full circle.

Q. So the touring is taxing. What about performing?

A. The two hours at the end of the day when you’re on stage, you don’t think of those things. (The hassles.) The fans who have supported us all these ears are still coming out. They must be as demented as we are. It’s just happy music. They can tap their feet or clap their hands. It’s just a wee bit harder to get to those two hours.

Q. A lot of bands seem to peak, and they break up. You guys seem to have hit a peak a long time ago, and you’re still on it. How do you account for that?

A. You have to really like each other. Last night was a night off, so we had dinner here in the hotel. We’ve always liked to do things together.

When we first started out in Toronto, we were just playing weekends in folk clubs. We made 25 bucks a week, and we thought, we’ve got it good. It’s just quite a blessing to be able to do what you want in life. If you like what you’re doing, and you get paid for it as well, that’s a blessing. It’s not a real job at all; the fans have let us do this for all these years.

Q. What do you think you’ll miss?

A. It’ll be the stage that I’ll miss. I’m 65 now, soon to be 66. It’s all I’ve done since I’ve been 16. But the band will get together at least once a year to do some things. As tired as we are, everyone still wants to keep a hand in.

Q. Do you think you’ll have regrets?

A. There’s nothing to regret. We’ve all had such a wonderful 50 years. I can’t say enough about the people who came out to see us when they were kids and listening to us singing ‘The Unicorn.” That little unicorn gave us a nice ride for a lot of years.

___

Starting next week, the Irish Rovers will be touring the Delaware Valley, with shows Friday, March 8, at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside; Tuesday, March 12, at the ArtsQuest Centre in Bethlehem; and Wednesday, March 13, at Live on the Queen in Wilmington. You’ll have several opportunities to hear the 1966 hit “The Unicorn” and other Irish Rover standbys. (Alas, it is too far past Christmas for the band’s cover of the obscure Elmo and Patsy tune “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.”)

March 1, 2013 by Jeff Meade

How to Be Irish in Philly

How To Be Irish in Philly This Week

Got your green gear ready?

Happy St. Patrick’s season!

And it’s off to a roaring start. We have a lot to cover this week, so we’ll do it in order.

Saturday, March 2
The Burlington County St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes over high Street in Mt Holly at 1 PM.

Marita Krivda Poxon, author of “Irish Philadelphia,” will be signing her pictorial history at McKenna’s Irish Shop in Havertown starting at 1 PM.

At 3 PM, the Glenside GAA is holding its first fundraising beef and beer at the Irish Center. There are activities for the kiddies.

At 3 PM, two Galway natives come together for the first time in eyars to make some music. Gabriel Donohue and Seamus Kelleher are dueting at Paddy Whacks Pub in northeast Philadelphia.

At 7 PM, Scythian raises the roof at a special concert to benefit The Little Sisters of the Poor and their Holy Family Home for the elderly in Philadelphia.

Also at 7 PM, you can see a showing of the classic “The Quiet Man” featuring John Wayne, enjoy Irish food from Paddy Rooney’s Pub, quizzo, and fun at Sacred Heart Parish at 109 N. Manoa Road, Haverford. Contact Brian Cleary at briancleary1@verizon.net for tickets. This is for folks 21 and older, so think “babysitter.”

At 8 PM, Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul raise another roof, this one at the Landis Theater in Vineland, NJ.

Also at 8 PM, Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfetones will be performing at the VFW Post on Martins Mill Road in Philadelphia.

At the same time, the Gloucester County AOH is holding its annual St. Patrick’s Day Party at the Gloucester Heights Fire Hall in Gloucester City, NJ.

Sunday, March 3

Start the day off right with a real Irish Mass at St. Malachy Church on N. 11th street in Philadelphia at 10 AM—that means bagpipes, fiddles, Irish harp, and refreshments afterward in the parish hall.

At 1 PM, Gerry Timlin and Tom Kane, two of our favorite musicians and people, will be performing at Glen Foerd on the Delaware on Grant Avenue in Philadelphia.

At 3 PM, the second of two fundraisers for the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes place at Cardinal O’Hara High School in Springfield. Please note that this is a different location than was previously announced.

You get a break the rest of the week (unless you want to go to a session) until Friday, when all Irish breaks loose again.

Friday
At 11:30 AM, former Irish President Mary Robinson will be addressing a group at the World Affairs Council at the Philadelphia Downtown Marriott on Market Street.

At 7:30 PM, the dynamic trio of Brian Conway, Billy McComiskey, and Brendan Dolan will be appearing at the Madeleine Wing Adler Theater in West Chester.

Also at 7:30, Belfast Connection, another dynamic trio, is appearing at the Darlington Arts Center in Garnet Valley, PA.

At the same time, the Irish Rovers are beginning their Long Goodbye Tour at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside. That’s right—they’re breaking up, though you may have one more year to hear them live.

At 8 PM, do a little dancing at the St. Patrick’s Day Ceili Mor, sponsored by the Philadelphia Ceili Group, at the Irish Center in Philadelphia. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to dance—instructors are standing by!

Whew! I’m exhausted already. But don’t flag. Also on Friday night, Black 47 comes to World Café Live and The Dropkick Murphys kick off Paddy Palooza with their annual St. Patrick’s Day visit to the Electric Factory (there’s also a meet and greet before the concert) and a Claddagh Fund (Dropkicks’ Ken Casey’s charity) fundraiser at Dubh Linn Square in Cherry Hill on March 9 featureing the Broken Shillelaghs and Slainte.

And next week? The Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade marches on Sunday, March 10, with a couple of more parades following not far behind. And there is so much more that we’re going to have to continue this next week.

Check our calendar frequently for late-breaking fun as well as details on these and other events.

March 1, 2013 by Jeff Meade

People

It’s Official: St. Patrick’s Season Begins

It isn’t St. Patrick’s season until Sister James Anne Feerick dances.

It’s always one of the first events of the St. Patrick’s Day season in Philadelphia and the pre-parade party at the studios of CBS3, which has been broadcasting the Philadelphia parade for a decade, is the official start of the excitement.

But the event was tinged with sadness this year: Parade Director Michael Bradley called for a moment of silence to remember two longtime members of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association who died in the last two weeks: Knute Bonner and Paul Phillips.

Still, since it was an Irish thing, there was also merrymaking. Brian, Michael, and John Boyce and their sister Karen Boyce McCollum, along with Blackthorn members John McGroary and Michael Callaghan provided the music and the McDade-Cara School and 2011 Grand Marshal Sister James Ann Feerick provided the dancing. There was a legendary grouping of former grand marshals, an amazing buffet table provided by IBEW Local 98, whose leader, John Dougherty, was last year’s grand marshal, and some impromptu crooning by another former Grand Marshal, Vincent Gallagher, and Judge James Lynn, whose St. Patrick’s Day breakfast at The Plough and the Stars is the place to be on March 17. This year’s grand marshal, Harry Marnie, a retired police officer who injected new life into the city’s Emerald Society, an organization made up of police and fire personnel of Irish ancestry, was introduced. When he faltered a little with his written speech, he got some help from his wife, Pat, who yelled out to him, “Wing it!” So he did, with a laugh, thanking his wife for “her support.”

Check out our photos for all the fun.

And here’s a video wrap-up of the night’s festivities.

March 1, 2013 by Jeff Meade

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