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Jeff Meade

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

St. Patrick’s month roars in like a lion. The first full week is jam-packed with Irish things to do.

Without further ado:

Friday, March 6

A lot of you have been waiting for this one: It’s the fabulous John Byrne Band, appearing at World Café Live, 3025 Walnut Street near Center City. John and the gang promise a night of tunes off their new album, together with music of the Pogues and a ton of surprises. Also on the bill: No Irish Need Apply. The show starts at 8 p.m. Doors at 7. A cool night of Irish music at one of the best venues in the city. Details and tickets here.

On the same night, and speaking of the Pogues, you can check out “Poguetry: Songs of the Pogues” at City Winery Philadelphia, 990 Filbert Street in Center City. Doors open at 6 p.n.; show at 8.

The concert features Spider Stacy & Cait O’Riordan with the Lost Bayou Ramblers. You can get tickets here.

A little farther afield, check out Scythian at Musikfest Cafe Steelstacks with Poor Man’s Gambit. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Doors and dinner at 6. There’s a $10 minimum food and beverage for all reserved seating. Details here.

Finally, Rob Groden and Dave Pedrick serenade the folks at Con Murphy’s 1700 Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The show starts at 8 p.m.

March 5, 2020 by Jeff Meade

People

Center Stage at Villanova: President Rev. Peter M. Donohue

The Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, never had any burning desire to become president of Villanova University. Formerly head of the university’s theater department and an award-winning director, he now says with a laugh, “I like to say they found me backstage and brought me out on stage to be president. It’s been the biggest acting job I’ve ever had.”

Father Donohue has been the university president since 2006. Since then, he has overseen a period of remarkable growth and transformation on the Lancaster Avenue campus in the heart of the Main Line, the product of two sweeping strategic plans. And he’s left his mark not just in the form of brick and mortar, but also on the curriculum, which places a solid emphasis on service learning.

Impressive for a reluctant aspirant to the topmost leadership position of one of the nation’s most prestigious Catholic universities.

Looking back on his ascent to the presidency, he recalls his initial response.

“Run. Run in the other direction,” he says, with characteristic wry, self-deprecating humor. “I was not really thinking about it at the time. I liked what I was doing. I enjoyed my work. I missed teaching a lot, and I still do, to this day. But my predecessor decided after 18 years to step out of the job, and it was advertised throughout the Augustinians that they were looking for a new president. Our superior, our provincial, was requesting names.”

Initially, Father Donohue’s was not one of those names. But one day an Augustinian friend asked him whether he had applied. The answer: No. But the friend persisted.

February 28, 2020 by Jeff Meade

How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

We’re getting into March! You know what that means! Spring!

Well, yes, that. And enough with the exclamation points. It means St. Patrick’s Day and all the hoo-hah that surrounds our favorite holiday.

We’ll even get into it a little bit in this particular dispatch. Which means you can get an early start.

Here’s what’s up.

Friday, February 28

Mentioned last week, but worth reiterating Glenside Gaelic Club is hosting its first ever Trivia Night Fundraiser at North Penn VFW Hall, 2519 Jenkintown Road in Glenside, starting at 7 p.m.

$25 to get in. Price includes dinner, beer, wine, dessert, and a night a trivia. Contact Noreen McAleer for tickets at 215-593-5502.

February 28, 2020 by Jeff Meade

How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

Welcome back to another episode of “As the Philly Irish World Turns.”

It’s a busy week, with plenty to do, see and listen to. Of course, compared to March, it’s the calm before the storm. We’ll touch on that a bit later on.

For now, here’s what’s happening this week.

Friday, February 21, 2020

Just a reminder that one of the best and coolest events of the Irish Philly calendar is happening tonight. The Delco Gaels present season 9 of “Dancing Like a Star” at Springfield Country Club, 400 West Sproul Road, Springfield Delco. Sixteen dancers are competing. It all starts at 7:30 p.m.

February 21, 2020 by Jeff Meade

How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

Plenty of tunes and two big fund-raisers to get you into the Irish spirit this week.

Let’s get right down to it.

Saturday, February 15.

For all you Survivor fans, here’s your opportunity to meet and greet the show’s Janet Carbin at The Hearth, 1901 Darby Road in Havertown. (We’ve been to The Hearth. You must go.) Janet is a local. You can join her for breakfast from 9 to 11 a.m. She’ll sign autographs and share her experiences on this long-running show. Reserve your table by calling 484-454-3176.

Sunday, February 16

Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 87 hosts its annual fundraiser at the hall at St. George, Venango and Edgemont in Port Richmond, starting at 2 p.m. The Shantys and the Natterjacks will be on hand to provide the music.

Cost of admission is $35, which includes live entertainment, kielbasa, roast beef, meatballs, salad and dessert.

BYO beer and booze.

Soft drinks will be available, and domestic can beer for $1.

February 14, 2020 by Jeff Meade

How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

Call it the calm before the St. Patrick’s Day storm. We can see from our calendar that March is shaping up to be incredibly nuts. Sooooo much going on.

In the meantime, here’s what’s on tap for this week. It doesn’t compare to March, but what’s on is still plenty fun.

Sunday, February 9

We’ll start with a tasty Chili Cookoff at Hanrahan’s Irish Pub, 690 Burmont Road in Drexel Hill. Yum. It’s Hanrahan’s first event of this sort. Want to claim bragging rights for the best chili? Signups start at 1 p.m., and the contest kicks off at 2. There’s no fee to enter. There will be a 50/50, and the prizes for the winners are pretty great. First prize is a 32-inch flat screen TV. Second gets a $50 gift card, and third place earns a $25 gift card.

February 7, 2020 by Jeff Meade

News

An Ireland Trip of a Lifetime for Teens

A trip to Ireland is always a thrill, but here’s one for teens—rising high school sophomore, junior and senior, to be specific—that will leave lasting memories, not just of places, but of the peers they’re going to meet along away.

It’s the Summer Immersion Program, sponsored by Philly’s Irish Diaspora Center, and it takes place from June 21 to July 3.

This is the second such trip sponsored by the center, and organizers hope it will be even bigger and better than last year.

Some of the kids who went to Ireland for the trip last summer had been to Ireland before; some hadn’t. But it’s a cinch that even if they’d gone before, they had never seen Ireland in quite the same way.

“We’re trying to show them a different experience from what they might have seen previously in Ireland,” says Center Executive Director Emily Norton Ashinhurst. “I think the beauty of this program is that the students who are participating get a feel for Ireland that you don’t get when you’re on even the best bus tour.

“Our young people last year were able to meet up with young people in Ireland, and form networks and connections that they continue to maintain today. They’re still talking to friends they made over there. That’s really the point of the trip—to give them connections back to Ireland and build those connections for the long term.”

January 31, 2020 by Jeff Meade

How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

It’s a relatively short week—but the weekend in particular is pretty crowded with great goings-on.

Here we go.

Saturday, February 1

It’s time for Irish Rebel Saturday with the 2nd Street Plough Bhoys at Marty Magee’s, 1110 Lincoln Avenue in Prospect Park. Shaun, Matt and Joe will perform an all-rebel set for the Bhoys, our local Celtic Supporters Club, and it all starts at 4 p.m.

Also Saturday, Poor Man’s Gambit plays at Rigby Mansion, 523 East Church Lane in Philadelphia. It’s all tunes and food—bring your fave dish to share for the potluck. There’s a $20 suggested donation. The show starts at 6 p.m.

Later on, the John Byrne Band is in concert at the new Kelly Center for Music, Arts, and Community, 4 East Eagle Road in Havertown. The show starts at 7:30. Tickets are 15 bucks.

Finally, there’s a beef and beer Team Orange Fundraiser for Delco Gaels/Dancing Like a Star at Paddy Rooney’s Pub, 449 West Chester Pike, in Havertown. It starts at 8 p.m. Music by Shaun Durnin.

Tuesday, February 4

There’s ceili dancing—it’s billed as “stress-free,” always a good thing—at Annunciation Church, Brookline Boulevard and Wexford Road in Havertown. The foot-stomping starts at 7 p.m.

January 31, 2020 by Jeff Meade

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