Find the real Irish Philadelphia this Saturday with Philadelphia Hospitality’s “Irish Heritage and Walking Tour” of sites involving Irish heritage and influence in Philadelphia. The tour includes a visit to the Irish Memorial at Penn’s Landing where Irish Memorial President Kathy McGee Burns will give a talk. It ends with brunch at the Plough and the Stars on Second Street.
The Rosenbach Museum’s Bloomsday celebration—which marks the stroll by character Leopold Bloom around Dublin in James Joyce’s Ulysses—revs into high gear, with a special exhibit about the novel that continues for several months and a concert of songs from Joyce’s books by classical guitarist John Feeley and singer Fran O’Rourke on Saturday at the museum on Delancey Street. Feeley will be giving a concert at 2 PM on Sunday at the Settlement Music School, sponsored by the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society.
Catch guitarist/singer-songwriter Seamus Kelleher at Puck in Doylestown on Saturday, starting at 9 PM. He’s also a great storyteller. You’ll be laughing.
This Saturday, you can watch the big football game – that’s Republic of Ireland Vs. Scotland-at The Plough and the Stars on Second Street in Philly starting at noon.
On Sunday, watch Ulster GAA’s football championship (Armagh Vs. Donegal) at 9 AM and Connacht GAA Football Senior Championship semi-final (Galway Vs. Mayo) at 11 AM at The Irish Center, 6815 Emlen Street, Philadelphia. Breakfast is available for $5; cost of watching the games is $20, which is the charge agreed upon between GAA and Premium Sports—none of that money goes to the Irish Center.
As it is all around the world, Tuesday is Bloomsday in Philadelphia, with readings all around the city, from the Free Library to Rittenhouse Square to the Rosebach.
Celtic group The Real McKenzies will be at the Sellersville Theatre with their kilts, bagpipes and Celtic punk gestalt.
Next Saturday, the annual Penn-Mar Irish Festival takes place at The Markets at Shrewsbury in Glen Rock, PA, and features top-notch Irish acts such as Mairtin de Cogain, the Kilmaine States, the Screaming Orphans and John Whelan, as well as local talents Haley and Dylan Richardson.