It was a picture-perfect day down at Front and Chestnut, site of Philly’s imposing Irish Memorial.
While lots of people were remembering St. Patrick’s Day by wandering from bar to bar, wearing goofy hats, tacky t-shirts and green plastic Mardi Gras beads—and actually, we won’t bust your chops too much—a very large crowd of Irish and Irish-Americans honored the memory of those who got us her in the first place.
As they do every year, they celebrated in song—thank you, Theresa Marie Flanagan, for your rendition of “James Connelly”—and in dance.
They prayed for the memory of those who fled Ireland during An Gorta Mor—the Great Hunger.
They gave speeches. (Mayor Kenney’s was particularly moving.) They planted shamrocks. They laid a wreath.
We have the pics.
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