June 16, 2007: Bloomsday at the Rosenbach.
Do other ethnic groups celebrate their heritage as much as we do?
Just this weekend, you can attend an entire day of Irish language immersion (no English allowed, at Philly’s Irish Center), head out to hear some Irish music at the annual New Jersey Irish Festival in Lakewood, NJ, and another Celtic Festival in Cochranville in Chester County. You can tune into Irish music on the radio (on Saturday to John Buckley at 1540 AM and Michael Concannon at 740 AM, then on Sunday to Vince Gallagher and Marianne MacDonald at 800 AM). You can even watch the rough-and-tumble game of hurling (between the Philadelphia Shamrocks and the Allentown Hibernians) at the late, great Cardinal Dougherty High School.
And this is Bloomsday week, when James Joyce lovers around the world celebrate Joyce’s masterpiece, “Ulysses.” They’re celebrating it in the Philadelphia area too, with a primer at Fergie’s Pub on Monday, a lecture at the Rosenbach Museum on Tuesday, and celebrity readings (including Inquirer food columnist Rick Nichols and Mayor Michael Nutter) at the Rosenbach on Bloomsday itself, June 16, the day main character Leopold Bloom wanders the streets of Dublin, chronicled by Joyce in stream of consciousness style. The Rosenbach has an original, signed manuscript of “Ulysses” in its collection, available for viewing and worshipping. Later in the week, you can sign up for a tour of the Rosenbach’s English literature collection where you may be able to actually touch it!
Do the Ukranians have all this? What about the Liechtensteiners? Are the Italians doing the tarantella and serving up cannoli at a festival every other weekend? I think not. We are way ahead in the heritage wars.
As they say on cable, but wait, there’s more.
On Saturday, head down to the Irish Immigration Center in Upper Darby for a nice cool drink of lemonade. The Rose of Tralee Centres is sponsoring an Alex’s Lemonade Stand to help raise money for research into childhood cancers. The nonprofit Alex’s Lemonade Stand was founded by the parents of little Alex Scott who died of brain cancer. She set up her own lemonade stand to raise money for cancer research. If you can’t make it to Upper Darby, you can donate here.
On Saturday, you can also light up a stogie and watch the US Vs. England in World Cup Soccer at McFadden’s Ballpark World Cup Cigar Party. For $45 to $55, you get an open bar, appetizers, sandwiches and, of course, a cigar, as well as a chance to view the action on wide screen TV. Of course, you’ll cheer for US.
Don’t forget next Friday’s Gas Pump Ceili at the Irish Center. Radio host Marianne MacDonald and musician Luke Jardel are sponsoring this fundraiser for the people of Kingston Springs, TN, who were literally deluged during the May flooding of the Nashville area. At the time, MacDonald was leading a group of local Irish dancers and others on a tour of the Nashville area when their bus was stranded on the flooded highway. Eventually they made their way to Kingston Springs, where they were again stranded for several hours.
“The folks in this little town offered us food, water and lodgings,” explains MacDonald. “They have lost many homes, businesses and a school as a result of the floods. We ended up having a ceilidh in the parking lot of the gas station where we were stranded, which was filmed and eventually made its way to YouTube. We would like to raise money to donate back to them to thank them for their gracious hospitality.”
Next Saturday is the annual Penn-Mar Irish Festival in Glen Rock, PA, near York. Yes, it sounds far away, but maybe the musical lineup will lure you: Barleyjuice, Amhranai Na Gaelige, the Martin Family Band, Raining Hearts, Rossnareen, the Spalpeens, and Susquehanna Pipes & Drums. There’s a traditional Irish session in the afternoon (bring your instruments!) and loads of Irish dancers and some terrific vendors.
The Penn-Mar Irish Festival is also a chance for some good-deed-doing. Proceeds from the event benefit Penn-Mar Human Services, a nonprofit that provides support services to families and people with disabilities and other human service needs throughout southern York County and northern Baltimore County, MD.
