Get ready–it’s almost that time again.
The events are starting to multiply as we inch toward March. You can get some St. Patrick’s Day practice this weekend when The Next Generation, the youngest trad performers in the area, appear at the Garden State Discovery Museum’s Irish Festival (on Sunday at 2 PM, though the festival runs both weekend days); The John Byrne Band appears at the new Brittingham’s in Lafayette Hill (Saturday); the amazing (this fits all of them) Brian Conway, Billy McComiskey, Brendan Dolan and Mary Courtney perform together at West Chester University (on Saturday night) along with local fiddler Alex Weir, dancer Josh Srour, and the Do Cairde Irish dancers; and Jamison Celtic Rock, the Bogside Rogues, Raymond Coleman, and the Irish Flame School of Irish Dance help raise money for the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade at the FOP Lodge 7C in Northeast Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon.
And that’s not all: Celtic Pride is appearing on Thursday evening at Washington Crossing Inn.
Or you can catch The Broken Shillelaghs at Schileen’s Pub in Westvill, NJ on Thursday night as well.
Or. . .you can catch the supergroup Solas at the Sellersville Theatre on Thursday night.
The Philadelphia Rose of Tralee Center is holding an information meeting for anyone interested in entering the competition to become Philadelphia’s next Rose of Tralee. It will take place on Thursday evening at The Radnor Hotel in Wayne, where the Rose of Tralee event is held every year. The Rose of Tralee is open to any young woman of Irish descent. The winner will compete in Ireland in the summer.
On Friday, three-time All Ireland concertina champion Caitlin Nic Gabhann will be joined by fiddler Ciaran O’Maonaigh, a former TG4 Young Musician of the Year, in a house concert in the Philadelphia area. For more information and location, email phillyceiligroup@gmail.com. These are two up and coming young Irish musicians who are worth seeing. Nic Gabhann is also an accomplished Irish dancer who performed in Riverdance.
And a big head’s up: The Burlington St. Patrick’s Day Parade is always the first one in our area, and it’s coming up in a week. Yes, on Saturday, March 1, there will be bands, pipers, dancers, and floats all heading down High Street in Mount Holly. It’s grown every year since we’ve been around (we’re heading into our eighth year of being Irish in Philly). You could top the day off be going to the Gloucester County AOH St. Patrick’s Day Party at 8 PM that evening with The Broken Shillelaghs, or hear Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfetones at the Rising Sun VFW Post 2819 on Martins Mill Road in Philadelphia, which starts at 8 PM.
Looking even further ahead. the “sashing” of the Grand Marshal of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade–this year it’s Jim Murray, former GM of the Eagles and founder of Ronald McDonald House–takes place at a dinner on Thursday, March 13, at the Doubletree Hotel in Philadelphia. Contact Kathy McGee Burns, chairperson of the event, at mcgeeburns@aol.com or 215-872-1305 for tickets and more information.
Then, after this, all Irish breaks loose. More on that next week.
If you have a March concert, gig, party, performance, play, anything going on, please put it on our calendar. It’s easy to do yourself: Go to the orange bar at the top of our page, click on Irish Events Listing, and fill in the blanks. If you have trouble, give me a shout-out on our Facebook page or email me at denise.foley@comcast.net.
Keep checking our calendar for late-breaking events.
