Santa’s little helper.
They set up the bar, set out the the food, and pushed all the furniture out of the way for dancing, and then rocked on till after midnight (or so I hear–I left at 9:30) at the Irish Immigration Center’s annual Christmas party.
“This is like the old days when we used to have house parties,” said one attendee, referring to
the music-soaked evenings when Irish immigrants in Philadelphia would gather at one another’s homes, set up the bar, set out the food, and push the furniture out of the way for dancing, just the way they did it back home.
Along with the dancing, there was singing–in the crowd and at the microphones, where Vince Gallagher and Karen Boyce McCollum took turns at the vocals, with Patrick Kildea and Johnny “Lefty” Kelly on accompaniment. There were so many people there, you could only get anywhere by moving sideways. The food was provided by Rafael and Erick Portugal, who run the Irish Coffee Shop, who stayed to party with everyone else at this decidedly multi-cultural bash.
Below, you’ll see some of my photos from the party. And next year, you’ll come.
You can help out the work of the Irish Immigration Center–working with the elderly, helping immigrants with documentation issues, and promoting citizenship–by donating to its annual campaign, going on now. Your tax deductible check can be sent to the Irish Immigration Center of Greater Philadelphia, 7 South Cedar Lane, Upper Darby, PA 19082. You can also purchase the Irish Immigration Center’s annual calendar, which features some of the Center’s seniors recreating scenes from popular Irish films. It’s $20 plus postage, $15 for seniors, and is available at the Immigration Center website.
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