Aon Sceal?

Everyone should send a big “woo-hoo!” out to local Celtic rock band, Jamison, which was voted best Irish band in the annual Strangford Lough Brewing Company’s annual Battle of the Bands.

So, now that you’ve won the big prize, Jamison, what are you going to do? What? No Disneyworld? No, the winner of the competition is going to Vegas! That’s where this County Down brewer is sending its winner and Jamison couldn’t be happier.

Lead vocalist Frank Daly, who also plays a slew of instruments, told us they entered the contest because “we just through it would be fun if we played Vegas.”

The band credits family, friends, their bar venues and local organizations (like the AOH/LAOH and the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association) for supporting them. And social media played a big role. “As soon as we made it to the finals it was like Facebook exploded,” Daly told us. “The night before the contest closed I counted 31 Facebook statuses that were asking people to vote for us. It felt pretty awesome.”

The brewery folks say it was the closest in their three-year history (Jamison won by only 70 votes!). Jamison won’t just be gambling and seeing shows in Vegas—they’ll be playing at McFadden’s at the Rio Casino.

The band, which also includes John O’Callaghan on guitar and lead vocals; Sean Callaghan on drums; Dave Lynd on bass guitar and backup vocals, and C.J. Mills, on fiddle, mandolin, and backup vocals, has been around the Delaware Valley for six years.

You may have seen them at Kildare’s (where Daly works), Con Murphy’s Pub, the Penns Landing Irish Festival, in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, headlining at the Phoenixville Concert Series, or the Mount Holly St. Patrick’s Day Parade where they won the “best band” prize in 2009. In 2006, the band recorded its first live CD, “Live at the Arsenal Theater,” and the following year released two original songs, “Rebel Heart,” and “Mayo Rain,” which debuted on Midwest Radio in Ireland.

You can see them perform on Saturday, December 18, at the Running of the Santas, a charity race featuring more than 5,000 jogging Santas. Starting line is Finnigan’s Wake at 3rd and Spring Garden Street in Philadelphia, ending at the Electric Factory where there will be a huge indoor-outdoor party (and a heated tent!).

Happy Birthday, Fergie’s!

Fergie’s Pub at 1214 Sansom Street in Philadelphia celebrated its 16th birthday last week and they have a present for you!

Fergie’s (named for Dublin-born owner Fergus Carey) just hired new a head chef, Mark Coates, late of Bebe’s BBQ, and there’s a new menu that will turn this great Irish pub housed in a former Bavarian brauhaus into the new mecca for Carolina barbeque in Philadelphia.

Just listen to this menu item: “Bebe’s Brisket. A Philadelphia Favorite. Angus beef brisket, hickory smoked for 16 hours, encrusted in our delicious rub, served sliced or chopped, with a roll or Texas toast, and marinated cucumbers.”

You can even build your own “Lava Burger”—not sure what that is but we’re guessing there’s molten cheese inside–or have that brisket in a chili.

Whew, our LDL cholesterol (that’s the bad one) is going up just thinking about it.

You can still get shepherd’s pie and Fergie’s fish and chips, but you may want to switch off occasionally for a country fried steak and gravy or deep fried mac and cheese. EMTs will be standing by with the defibrillator. But it sure sounds like a good way to die to us. Mmmmm.

And if you run out of things to do Christmas day, bring the bodhran or fiddle Santa brought you down to Fergie’s—they have an Irish music session on the schedule, starting at 4. Have some barbecue for us.

Give the Sunday Irish Radio Shows a Happy Holiday

The current radiothon to raise money for the Sunday Irish Radio Shows at WTMR 800AM is about halfway there, but more help is needed, says “Come West Along the Road” host, Marianne MacDonald.

“We still need to raise a good bit of money,” Marianne told us. With ads in a slump along with the economy, Marianne and her fellow host, Vince Gallagher, have been pulling money out of their own pockets to pay for radio time, which totals more than $30,000 a year. Two fundraisers are planned for this winter—one at McGillicudy’s in Drexel Hill on Saturday, January 15, and another on February 27 at the Shanachie Pub and Restaurant in Ambler.

Marianne is looking for musicians willing to donate their mad skills and time. She’s also in the market for prizes for raffles. You can contact Marianne at rinceseit@msn.com to volunteer and donate. It you’d like to contribute to the general fund, make checks out to WTMR Radio and send them to 2775 Mt. Ephraim Avenue, Camden, NJ 08104.

And a big shout out from Marianne and Vince to the volunteer pledge takers and co-hosts: St. Paddy’s Day parade director Michael Bradley; singer Karen Boyce McCollum; Jane Kane and Kathleen Murtagh from the Mayo Association, Larry Prelle and his wife from AOH #1, National Park, NJ, dance instructor John Shields, historian and writer Frank Hollingsworth and John Kildea. Oh, and me.

Aon Sceal is Irish for “what’s the story.” Got a story? Let us know! We’ll tell everyone. Email denise.foley@comcast.net.