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Jeff Meade

Food & Drink

Wanted: The Best Irish Stew in Philadelphia

The 4th Annual Great Irish Stew Cook-Off, sponsored by the Philadelphia Hibernian Hunger Project will be held on Thursday, March 13, from 6 p.m. ‘til 9 p.m. at Finnegan’s Wake on Spring Garden Street. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Hibernian Hunger Project’s Cook-In, being held on Saturday, March 29, at the Aid for Friends facility in Northeast Philly.

The Hibernian Hunger Project got its start right here in Philadelphia in March of 2000 and, since that time, more than 67,500 individual and bulk meals have been prepared, packaged and delivered to organizations like Aid for Friends, the Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service & Education Center, St. John’s Hospice, and others that feed the elderly, homeless and less fortunate. The Hibernian Hunger Project is now a national charity of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

We are challenging Philadelphia area restaurants and pubs to join in the Spirit of Saint Patrick’s Day and help the less fortunate, while competing for the bragging rights to “Philadelphia’s Best Irish Stew. Previous winners have included the Plough and the Stars Restaurant (2004), McFadden’s Restaurant – Old City (2006) and Chef Josh Landau of Colleen’s on the Parkway (2007).

Amateur winners have included Jude Fanning of AOH Division 39, Phil Bowdren of AOH Division 51 and Ann Marie Parkinson & Kathy Higgins of LAOH Division 1. Past Celebrity Judges have included CBS 3’s Larry Mendte & Bob Kelly.

The event is open to the public and, for a $5 donation; you will have the opportunity to sample some of the greatest Irish Stews made in Philly.

For more information on the event or to register for the competition, please contact:

Ed Dougherty – Hibernian Hunger Project National Chairman @ 215-338-4315
Donna Donnelly – Philadelphia Hibernian Hunger Project Cochairperson @ 215-964-7830
Phil Bowdren – Philadelphia Hibernian Hunger Project Publicity Chair @ 267-254-2219 or philly.hibernianhungerproject@verizon.net

January 29, 2008 by Jeff Meade

News

Irish Northern Aid Honors Three at Annual Testimonial Dinner

Michael Glass presents INA award to Charlie Schlegel.

For Kathy McGee Burns, the importance of her Irish heritage hit home on May 5, 1981, when hunger striker and Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer Bobby Sands died in the H-Block prison hospital at Long Kesh.

“That really made me sit up and take notice,” said Kathy, one of three honorees at the 2008 Irish Northern Aid Testimonial Dinner January 26 at the Irish Center. “That made me ask, ‘What would I starve myself for?’”

Sands’ heroism and sacrifice reinforced Kathy’s sense of Irishness as nothing before ever had. “That started me on a new ‘you’,” she explained in her acceptance speech. She began to devote herself increasingly to Irish causes and to exploring her connections to Ireland in general, and Donegal in particular.

Kathy’s story is just one of many that might have been told by all of the attendees, and not just the honorees. No one who subscribes to the beliefs and values of Irish Northern Aid can be said to be merely passively Irish.

Two other strongly dedicated Irish Americans also received INA honors: Charlie Schlegel, of the INA and the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and Bob Grover of Clan na Gael.

Lastly, Frances Duffy, a longtime and dedicated volunteer, received the INA’s Joe Cahill Award.

Check out the photos

January 28, 2008 by Jeff Meade

News

A Musical Tribute

Ed Jr. and Joe Reavy join in the tribute to their father.

It wasn’t Ed Reavy’s house in the old West Philadelphia neighborhood known as Corktown. Ah, but if you closed your eyes and just listened—to be caught up in the swirling reels, hornpipes and jigs, the rhythmic stomping of shoes against the Irish Center’s hardwood floor, and the background chatter of the folks at the bar—you could imagine what a house party at the Reavy home on Haverford Avenue might been like. At least, the four talented Baltimore-area musicians who visited Philly on Saturday night to pay a musical tribute to the late fiddler and composer tried hard to make it feel that way.

Jim Eagan on fiddle, banjo player Peter Fitzgerald, guitarist Andy Thurston, and Myron Bretholz on bodhran did the honors. Starting early in the evening, they treated the audience in the jammed Fireplace Room to one set of tunes after another, most of them composed or arranged by Reavy—including many of the hornpipes for which the man is justly famous.

Born in the village of Barnagrove in County Cavan, Reavy came to Philadelphia with his parents in 1912. He clearly brought the music and the tradition with him, and he took great delight in passing it along.

His sons Joe and Ed Jr. also were on hand for the occasion—adding a nice note of continuity to the evening. Joe—praised by Mick Moloney as “the single biggest force in the popularization of his father’s music”—introduced the second half with his own tribute. The elder Reavy became a one-man tune machine after arriving in the States. He had hundreds of tunes filed away in his memory bank. Joe Reavy took note of his father’s extraordinary talent, saying that, here in Philadelphia, “he experienced an eipiphany and this great gift became Ireland’s treasure. It is our privilege to be of his lineage. No children could be more blessed than havng been born of Ed and Delia Reavy.”

Our treasure, too.

You can share it here. Take a look at our photo essay.

January 23, 2008 by Jeff Meade

People

For Conshy Grand Marshal Pete Hand, the Third Time Was the Charm

Drum majoring at a recent AOH tribute in honor of fallen Philadelphia police officer Chuck Cassidy.

You’ve been very active in the Ancient Order of Hibernians for quite some time. Obviously, it means a lot to you, but why?

The AOH means a lot to me because our organization has really grown over the years to helping people, schools and churches in need. The Notre Dame Division of which I’m a member received the AOH National Charity Award at the last national convention two years ago. This was a great moment for our division.

To be in the AOH, you have to a.) be a Catholic guy, and b.) come from an Irish family on one or both sides. What’s your background? What generation are you? Do you know where your family is from and how they wound up in Philadelphia?

My Irish roots come from my father’s side of the family, Bill Hand. His grandmother on his mom’s side, Jane McCann, whose maiden name was Tierney, came here to America from County Mayo. His mom’s name was Jenny and was cousin to the past mayor of Philadelphia, James Tate, who was a great Irishman himself.

On my father’s dad’s side, his roots go back to beyond the Revolutionary War. A Hand has served in every war up to Vietnam. My great, great uncle Christy lost his leg in the Civil War. My grandfather Jim Hand, who lived in Philly, lost everything when the Market crashed. He had a garage down off the Parkway around 22nd street. He owned just about the whole block and had the city contacts for vehicle repairs, along with other contracts. Well, he lost everything and to get by they began making their own beer and selling it. The neighbors used to call them the Irish Mafia. My dad used to say they had to eat corn flakes three times a day at times, just to have something to eat. A loaf of bread was only a nickel … but nobody had a nickel.

What do you do when you’re not being president of the AOH Division in Swedesburg, drum majoring for the Irish Thunder pipe band, chairing the Conshohocken St Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, putting out fires with the Swedesburg Fire Company, going to church, and generally hanging out with Bernadette, your wife of 32 years, and your four kids Jeannie, Denise, Pete and Patrice? (Oh, and sleeping from time to time.) In other words, what do you do for a living? Tell us a bit about that.

Well, you’re right about that sleeping. Seems like when I hit the lounge chair I have no trouble falling asleep.

I’m an employee of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission . I have been with the turnpike for 27 years. I collected tolls for 25 years and now I work in the maintenance office at Plymouth Meeting. I’m the production control clerk, which involves keeping track of the trades people, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and welders, and of their work, material, purchase of materials and time.

By the way, I’m an active member of the Swedesburg Firehouse, but I do not fight fires. I’m more of a member who supports the firehouse functions.

You’ve been drum major of Irish Thunder Pipes and Drums for quite some time. How did you get involved in that? Why did you want to do that?

Well I always had a liking for bands. I used to live in the Fairmount area by the Parkway and, as you know, there was always a parade for something and my parents always took me down to them. I became involved with the Irish Thunder, first, by marching with the division color guard, which participates with the band in events. Our drum major John Sargent became ill and was not able to return.

After a couple months without John, there was talk of needing a drum major. I told the band members that I would like to try it and Verne Leedom, another past drum major of the Thunder, gave me some lessons to get me started.

I have being drum major for 18 months now and I’m planning to go to my first workshop for drum majors in February down in Baltimore.

Were you surprised by your selection as Grand Marshal of the 2008 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Conshohocken? How did you find out? What was your reaction?

Well, you never know who is going to get the Grand Marshal. I was nominated three times prior to this year and I turned it down every time. I decided to take the nomination at the end of last year’s parade if I was nominated this year. Many members and friends were upset that I turned it down again. My reason was that I was too young. But a fellow member spoke to me after the parade last year and said, if nominated next year, I should take it. You never know what’s going to happen. And that set in after I lost two friends, both in their early 50s. Even with that you don’t know who is going to be nominated. I was very happy as well with my family and friends. At the age 51 I’m the youngest Grand Marshal ever nominated in the Saint Patrick’s Parade in Montgomery County.

January 17, 2008 by Jeff Meade

News

Come Have a Ball!

Get ready for the Conshohocken St. Patrick’s Day Parade and toast the new grand marshal at the same time.

The Grand Marshal’s Ball will be held March 8 at the Jeffersonville Banquet Hall in East Norriton.

The Grand Marshal for the 2008 parade will be Pete Hand, a resident of Swedesburg, Upper Merion Township. Ed Halligan, Grand Marshal of the 2007 parade, will turn over the reins to Pete that night, with the 2008 Grand Marshal Sash and walking cane that is passed on to the next Grand Marshal each year

The parade will be on March 15 starting, at 2 p.m at 11^th and Fayette Streets. The theme of the parade is “Sharin’ of the Green.”

Tickets for the Grand Marshal’s Ball are $25 each. The bash starts at 6 p.m. and continues until 10. The ticket price includes dinner, beer, wine and soda. There will be a cash bar for mixed drinks.

Entertainment will be provided by Irish Thunder Pipes & Drums, Irish dancers from the Coyle School of Irish Dance, and D.J. Jim Mulholland, who will provide plenty of dance music all night long.

For tickets and more information please call (610) 666-1989. Deadline to purchase tickets will be February 25.

January 9, 2008 by Jeff Meade

News

Ushering in the New Year … and the Barry Club’s 50th

The grande dame of Philadelphia Irish culture is turning 50 this year. Unlike the rest of us, the Philadelphia Irish Center/Commodore Barry Club seems to be improving with age. What better way to kick off the yearlong celebration than with a posh black-tie New Year’s Eve bash.

(Dick Clark, eat your heart out.)

The revelers, many of them in costumes and elaborate masks, gathered in the lavishly decorated ballroom and danced until the wee hours to the music of Vince Gallagher’s very talented band. Contemporary, country, traditional Irish … these guys do it all.

Commodore Barry himself made an appearance. (He was tending bar.)

We dropped in just before midnight to catch some of the action.

Here are the pictures.

January 1, 2008 by Jeff Meade

Music

One More Time for “Rip”

Probably not for the first time, "Rip" McDonald takes the cake.

“Rip” McDonald’s career in the Mummers began casually enough. He was 15 years old at the time, and he knew how to play harmonica and guitar. “One day, some of the fellas said, ‘Hey, let’s join a string band,’” McDonald says. “I said ‘OK.’ So we joined the Uptown String Band. That was in 1938.”

Since then, James “Rip” McDonald’s commitment to the musical tradition that is Mummery has been anything but casual. He just turned 84 and has made more than 60 trips up Broad Street—with a few years off during the Second World War, when he was in the service. On New Year’s Day 2008, weather permitting, he’ll strut his stuff in his last Mummer’s Parade, marching with the unit he started in 1998, the Irish American String Band.

Before Irish American, Rip—a spry, talkative Bridesburg resident with a thick grey brushy moustache—was a member of the Ukrainian American String Band. “I was a member for five years,” he says, “and each year we came in last. I said to the guys, ‘If we come in last one more time, I’m gonna leave this band.’ Well, we came in last again. A few of the guys said, ‘Rip, whatever band you go to, we wanna go with you.’ But I said, ‘I’m not going to join another band. I’m gonna start the Irish American String Band. And in 1998, on St. Patrick’s Day, I started the band.”

Irish American is one of countless string bands that McDonald has belonged to, if not had a hand in starting. His devotion to the tradition is all-consuming. After World War 2, when Mumming was starting to become a bit more polished, he learned a new instrument, saxophone, which he still plays.

“When string bands first started, they were all string instruments—banjos, mandolins, guitars, violins. After the Second World War, they wanted harmony to get a better sound, so they started to add saxophones. You just can’t get the harmony sound with string instruments. So I had one of the great old-timers teach me sax.”

Not long afterward, observing the constant turnover in string band musical directors, he resolved to do something about it. “They had a lot of music directors, but they couldn’t seem to keep them,” he says. “So I went to the Granoff School of Music (at 17th and Chestnut in the old Presser Building, where Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane later attended) to earn an associate’s degree in music. It took me seven years. Then I became music director for several string bands, and started making arrangements.”

Since then, it’s hard to think of a string band leadership post McDonald hasn’t held at one time or another. It’s become something of a family tradition. One son Brian is the Irish American String Band’s music director (a position initially held by Rip).

Of course, being a Mummer is not a full-time position, and it’s far from his only extracurricular interest. Years ago, he owned a tavern at Rising Sun and Wyoming, the Sun House Tavern.

Rip has also served as chaplain of several veterans’ organizations. Not a bad set of accomplishments for the son of a one-time Girardville coal miner and, later on, Philadelphia paper hanger and occasional political speech writer. “That’s where I get my ‘gift of gab,’ from my father Joe McDonald,” he says. By all accounts, he says, his grandfather, who was born in Ireland, was at least equally garrulous.

Though he does not know where in Ireland his grandfather was born, Rip—like so many Irish Americans—feels a fierce attachment to the country. In 2002, when the Irish American String Band traveled to Ireland to perform in the Dublin St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Rip had an opportunity to reinforce those emotional bonds just a bit. It was his first trip to Ireland. “What a thrill it was for me,” he recalls. “I got off the plane, kissed the ground and said, ‘Grandma and Grandpop, I’m here.’ I never thought that would happen.”

(Bonus: The band won the “Spirit of the Parade” prize, a glittering Waterford cup.)

As memorable as that parade was, though, nothing can top the thrill of marching in the Mummers Parade for this longtime vet. “I’ve been playing for 70 years, but every year when I get to the judge’s area, I just fill up. I think: Here we are again. I love it.”

Update: In the 2008 New Year’s Day Parade, Irish American came in 16th out of 18 bands; the band’s Kelly Marie Mahon was ranked 15th of 17 string band captains. (One band, Pennsport, had no captain.)

Watch video.

December 31, 2007 by Jeff Meade

Music

And For All, a Very Good Night Indeed

Guitarist Seán McElwain, in "wren boy" guise.

If you weren’t in the holiday mood before the Irish Christmas in America concert Saturday night at the Irish Center, then you would have to have been made of stone not to be full of the yuletide spirit afterward.

Holiday or not, it would have to have been a deeply satisfying experience for lovers of Irish traditional music. The core of the band consisted of three members of the supergroup Téada: fiddler and producer Oisín Mac Diarmada, Seán McElwain on guitar and Tristan Rosenstock on bodhrán and serving as the show’s narrator. Singing and playing flute and whistle was Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, lead singer of yet another supergroup, Danú. Rounding out the ensemble was local favorite, harper Gráinne Hambly and the superb uilleann piper Tommy Martin.

Joining the band from time to time on stage were two fine dancers from the great Irish state of Texas, Abbey Magill and Siena Hickey.

Surely, all that A-list Irish entertainment on one stage would have to be enough to melt even the iciest of hearts on this, the iciest of nights.

The show, presented by the Philadelphia Ceili Group, artfully blended the Christmas traditions of Ireland and America—including one all-too-brief appearance by the “wren boys” (Oisín, Seán and Tristan in the guise of the costumed merry-makers who hit up their friends and neighbors for food and drink on December 26, the feast of St. Stephen, an age-old Irish tradition.

The musicians also blended some familiar tunes and sets from their own work, such as a set of jigs from Martin’s “Shady Woods” CD (“Wallop The Spot,” ”The Leg of the Duck” and “Temple Hill,” accompanied by McElwain) and Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh’s latest release, “Fainne An Lae : Daybreak” (“The Emigrant’s Farewell,” accompanied beautifully by Martin) and “An Spealadóir,” accompanied by everybody). Nic Amhlaoibh and Martin also paired up later on for a memorable whistle duet.

The regular performance closed out with Nic Amhlaoibh singing “Silent Night” in Irish, and then leading the audience in a verse in English. The band had time for precisely one killer encore before packing up the minivans and driving down to Charleston, West Virginia, in the freezing rain for a 3 p.m. performance on Sunday. (Anyone who thinks this sounds like fun is nuts. For all that, they stuck around and graciously spent time chatting with members of the audience, posing for pictures and signing autographs.)

Still, I could just swear I heard them exclaim, ere they drove out of sight, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

If you missed it, don’t worry—we shot some photos.

December 17, 2007 by Jeff Meade

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