Welcome to another scintillating episode of “As the Philly Irish World Turns.”
Aside from all the other features on our heavily populated events calendar, there are five events in particular this coming week to which we’d like to draw your particular attention.
First, on Saturday, it’s the third annual Havertown Irish Festival, behind the Manoa Shopping Center, 1305 West Chester Pike in Havertown. It’s sponsored by Acme Markets.
Much like all the other Irish and Celtic festivals this summer, the Havertown event features plenty of entertainment, food and drink, fun for the kids (and everybody else). Music includes a day of tunes from a variety of Irish and Celtic bands, including the John Byrne Band, Dylan McGuire, Scott McClatchy Band, Shades of Green and Poehemia. If you’re into bagpipes, look for appearances by Philadelphia Emerald Society Pipe Band and Brian Boru Pipes and Drums. There’ll be appearances by Irish dance schools and plenty of crafters selling their Irish-themed goods.
This year’s grand marshal is John Stretch of Stretch Funeral Home.
Admission is free, but a donation of $3 is requested. Details at havertownirishfestival.com. Gates open at noon, and the festivities go on till 9:30 p.m.
A great time is absolutely guaranteed for all. Weather looks great.
On Sunday, look for Gaelic Storm and Brian Boru in a Concert Under the Stars, 175 West Valley Forge Road in King of Prussia. The concert begins at 6 p.m. It’s outdoors, so bring your lawn chairs and blankets.
Monday night, take in a really special event at the Philadelphia Irish Immigration Center. It’s called “How I Got Here—Where I’m Going, a collection of monologues presented by Inis Nua Theatre Company and drawn from interviews with members of the Immigration Center’s senior and youth groups. If you want to learn a lot more, read our detailed story.
The presentation begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Immigration Center, 7 South Cedar Lane in Upper Darby.
Also at the Immigration Center, on Thursday night, you can learn more about your ancestry (and how to dig out the salient details of your heritage) at a genealogy group hosted by our own genealogy maven Lori Lander Murphy. It starts at 7, and it’s free.
Later in the week—Friday—the Byrne Brothers will be in concert at the Commodore Barry Arts and Culture Center (the Irish Center), 6815 Emlen Street in Mount Airy. The concert begins at 7 p.m.
Originally from Dublin and Donegal, the family has been in residence at the Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant in Disney Springs, Florida since 2018.
You’ll hear virtually every Irish instrument under the sun, from banjo to button accordion to whistle to uilleann pipes and bagpipes, played by world-class musicians. If that’s not enough, there’ll be Irish dancing.
Kids under 16, $10 to get in. For adults, it’s $20.
Don’t miss it.
That’s it for this week. Getting back to our calendar for a moment, if you have an Irish-themed Philadelphia-area event, you’re invited to submit it. It’s easy and it costs you nothing.
See ya next time.
