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Jeff Meade

How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

You might want to pack your sunscreen and head down the shore. Plenty of live tunes there. Or you can stick closer to home and check out some traditional Irish music in Bucks County. Plus, more excitement to come.

Here’s what’s on:

Friday, June 25

Jamison Celtic Rock will rock the house at Seaport Pier in North Wildwood, starting at 6 p.m. You’ll find Seaport Pier at 2201 Boardwalk. You could hardly ask for a more summer-y location, down along the Irish Riviera.

Saturday, June 26

Jamison Celtic Rock is back, this time at The Inlet, 101 East Walnut Avenue, North Wildwood. The show begins at 6 p.m. 

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How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

Several ways to celebrate your heritage this week, from live Irish tunes to an event honoring the literature of Irish author James Joyce. 

But we begin with a bittersweet remembrance.

Friday, June 18

Philadelphia-area Gaelic athletes will be honoring the memory of one of their own tonight as the Young Irelands play the Kevin Barrys at the Philly Gaelic Athletic Association field, 485 Longview Road in Limerick.

Sean Hughes, 27, who recently passed away after being hospitalized several months ago for injuries sustained in a job site accident, was a native of County Armagh, a beloved member of the Young Irelands Gaelic Football Club and a former member of the Kevin Barrys. He leaves behind wife Emily O’Neill and young son Sean-Paul. 

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How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

It’s a relatively short week, but expect more opportunities to get out there and be Irish in weeks to come—a lot of it down at the beaches.

For now:

Friday, June 11

Down the shore? While you’re there catching rays (OK, yeah, we know it’s rainy, but still), take the opportunity to catch Jamison Celtic Rock at North Shore, 301-303 New York Ave., Wildwood, starting at 6 p.m.

Saturday, June 12

Enjoy a good cocktail? Interested in James Joyce’s “Ulysses?” (Bear with us, there’s a connection.) Head to The Rosenbach, 2008-2010 Delancey Place in Philadelphia, for “The Spirit of Bloom Cocktail Mixing Workshop.” It takes place in The Rosenbach Garden. 

A mixologist from “Art in the Age” will be on hand to help you learn the fundamentals of creating a special Bloomsday cocktail, using a bottle of Tamworth Garden Gin. (You can take it home with you!)

The event includes an opportunity to check out Joyce’s manuscript of “Ulysses,” which is in The Rosenbach’s collection. Space is limited in each one-hour workshop time slot. It all takes place at 4, 5:30 and 7 p.m. $85 per couple. Learn more and register here.

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How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

Get ready for the weekend. We have all the upcoming fun listed out for you. 

As before, there are more opportunities to hear live Irish tunes. But more than that … we’re starting a monthlong celebration of James Joyce’s “Ulysses.” 

Here’s what’s happening.

Friday, June 4

Celebrate an extended happy hour with Round Tower at Hanrahan’s Irish Pub, 690 Burmont Road in Upper Darby, starting at 6 p.m.

Down the shore, Wee Neil Mac Thiarnáin and Moira will be playing tunes at the Anglesea Pub, 116 West 1stAvenue in North Wildwood, from 6 to 10 p.m. Drop by if you’re lucky enough to be at the beach.

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Arts

Inspirational Irish Women Portraits on Display at Irish Center

Eleven years ago, a small committee of friends of what was then known simply as the Irish Center put together an awards program to honor a very special group of 10 women, from a local TV meteorologist to a highly respected nun to a beloved princess. Proceeds of the hugely successful event benefited the Irish Center.

Now also known by its formal name, the Commodore John Barry Arts and Cultural Center, its home is a sprawling building at Carpenter and Emlen Streets in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia. As with so many institutions, the Irish Center closed its doors for many months during the pandemic, but it is gradually coming back to life as more and more restrictions are lifted.

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How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us, and it looks like one of the best places to be is at the Jersey shore. You’ll find music in a few other places, but the beach is the hot spot.

Friday, May 28

Starting at 7:30 p.m., Neil Mac Thiarnáin and Moira will perform at the Anglesea Pub, 116 West 1st Avenue in North Wildwood, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Jamison Celtic Rock appears at The Wharf, 708 West Burk Avenue in Wildwood, from 8 to 11 p.m. 

Saturday, May 29

It’s worth getting up a little early to hear one of the best in the business—County Kerry singer Mary Courtney, appearing on Facebook Live for the East Durham Irish Festival, presented by Irish Music Magazine. Her set begins at 9:39 a.m. All details here

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How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly this Week

More live Irish tunes this week, and looking out into the not too distant future, one of the Jersey Shore’s great Irish events is back. 

Here’s what’s up:

Friday, May 21

Singer-guitarist Seamus Kelleher is performing at Bucks County Brewery and Hewn Spirits starting at 5:30 p.m. Bucks County Brewery is at 31 Appletree Lane in Pipersville. 

Jamison Celtic Rock takes the stage at Sweeney’s, 13639 Philmont Avenue in Philadelphia. It’ll be the last full band gig in Philly until the fall. The show starts at 7 p.m. Reservations recommended: (215) 677-3177.

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News, People

Irish Diaspora Center Hosts Mindfulness Event

It has been an incredibly difficult time for many, if not most of us. The covid-19 pandemic has triggered bouts of stress, anxiety and even depression for people who normally might not be subject to those mental health issues. 

As we begin to emerge from the worst of the pandemic, maybe now is a particularly good time to take a candid self-assessment and explore ways to give our emotional health a boost.

The Irish Diaspora Center, working through its CHAT committee—it stands for Community Help Awareness and Trust—is hosting “Mindful in May,” an open-air event providing a day of opportunities to do just that.

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