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Jeff Meade

Audio, Music

Podcast: Interview with Joanie Madden

Joanie Madden brings her band Cherish the Ladies to the Commodore John Barry Arts & Cultural Center (The Irish Center) Saturday, December 1, for the first stop of the Celtic Christmas tour. Tickets here.

Joanie, who recently won the Eugene O’Neill Lifetime Achievement Award from the Irish-American Writers and Artists, recently took time for a chat about the award, the band, her career, and the new Christmas music tour.

Jeff: So I guess I’ll just jump right into it. You recently received the Eugene O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award from the Irish-American Writers and Artists. That had to be gratifying after so many years of performing.

Joanie: Well, you know, Jeff, first off it’s great to speak to you again, and secondly, you know, it’s always nice to receive awards and honors and we had a great night. It was actually Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas presented me with the award, and it was great to join this illustrious list of names of people that have won it previously. But it was a great night. What was great about it for me, more importantly, was that so many of the musicians in New York and New Jersey and Connecticut came out. You know, all my great friends in the music business, so it was wonderful to see them all there for that.

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November 20, 2018 by
Photos

Photos! Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame 2018

There was a whole lot of love in the ballroom of the Commodore John Barry Arts & Cultural Center Sunday night. A full house of friends and family members joined in honoring the 2018 Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame awardees Sunday night.

Honorees included irishphiladelphia.com co-founder Denise Foley, Pearse Kerr, whose lifetime experience included a stint in British custody during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and Sister Frances Kirk, SSJ, renowned as the Delaware Valley chairperson and organizer of Project Children, a program that provided a summer holiday in the United States. away from those aforementioned Troubles for literals thousands of Catholic and Protestant kids.

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November 19, 2018 by
How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

This coming week, there’s a lot to be thankful for—including some night-before-Thanksgiving Irish activities sure to get you in the holiday spirit.

One quick reminder: Sunday night, the 18th, starting at 5 p.m., we’re celebrating the contributions of four of our favorite peeps at the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame Dinner, at the Commodore Barry Arts & Cultural Center (the Irish Center), 6815 Emlen Street in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia. Honored will be irishphiladelphia.com founding editor Denise Foley, Pearse Kerr and Sister Frances Kirk, SSJ. Receiving the Commodore John Barry Award will be Sister James Anne Feerick, IHM. Details here.

Now … on to the Thanksgiving week festivities.

On Thanksgiving Eve, you’ll have a lot of choices:

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November 16, 2018 by
Audio, Music

Podcast: Irish Christmas in America Comes to Sellersville

A bright, balanced blend of Irish music and dance drawing on seasonal inspirations, Irish Christmas in America arrives on stage at Sellersville Theater 1894 Tuesday, November 27. Fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada, of the Irish traditional supergroup Téada, has been producing the show for 14 years, which never ceases to delight audiences from one end of the country to the other—regardless of whether their roots are Irish.

“We started in 2005, a few years into touring with Téada, he says. “We really enjoyed it, so we kept on doing it.”

March, of course, is perhaps the best time of year to acquaint people with Irish culture, but, he adds, Christmas is a great time, too.

Irish Christmas in America features some of the finest musicians and dancers you’re likely to find, including well-known singer, accordionist and story-teller Séamus Begley and harper Gráinne Hambly, who has performed frequently in the Philadelphia area over the years.

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November 14, 2018 by
Arts

Nathan Carter: A Sneak Preview!

Here’s a good reason to keep your night before Thanksgiving open.

On Wednesday, November 21, Irish Country mega-star Nathan Carter will be on stage at the Commodore Barry Arts & Cultural Center (The Irish Center). Take a look at this video, and you’ll see what all the fuss is about.

Tickets are currently available online here or by contacting the Irish Center at (215) 843-8051.

The Irish Center is at 6815 Emlen St., Philadelphia, PA, 19119, in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia.

November 11, 2018 by
How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

Your weekend starts out with a full day of Irish dance. If you’ve never taken in the Intercollegiate Irish Dance Festival at Villanova, now’s your chance to see some of the best college-level Irish dance teams strut their stuff. Saturday marks the sixth festival hosted by Villanova’s dance team. We’ve gone, spent the day, gotten the T-shirt. It’s incredibly fun to see how creative the competitors can be. This year, there will be 10 teams.

The festival takes place in the Jake Nevin Field House, 800 East Lancaster Avenue on the ‘Nova campus in Radnor. The competition starts at 9:30 a.m., with a Grand Irish Show starting at 4:30 p.m. Tickets available in advance for $10 on VUTix, and $12 at the door. Kids and student admission, $5.

On Sunday, two big events.

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November 8, 2018 by
How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

It’s baaaaaaaaaaack!

This week, highlights include a delish Sunday dinner, music, and a fund-raiser. Here’s what’s up.

  • On Saturday, November 3, at the Commodore Barry Arts and Cultural Center (The Irish Center) … the Mayo Association of Philadelphia’s 113th Annual Mayo Ball! Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door for $30. Dinner will be available starting at 6 p.m. for an additional $25. The Center is at 6815 Emlen Street in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia.
  • Mick Moloney & Friends return to St. Malachy Church, 1429 N. 11th Street. in North Philadelphia Sunday, November 4. The show starts at 2 p.m. Always a memorable performance. No tickets are required but a free-will donation to support St. Malachy School will be collected at the concert intermission.
  • Sona Pub & Kitchen, at 4417 Main Street in Manayunk, is hosting a Sunday Carvery Sunday, November 4, from 3 to 6:30 p.m. If you’re looking for a delish Sunday dinner, here’s a good place to start. It’s a three-course dinner, with live Irish entertainment from Davie Furey. Among the other tasty entrees—ham, salon, roast beef and much more—you can chow down on turkey with stuffing. Get an early preview of your Thanksgiving feast. More details on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/245307212817743/.
  • Also on Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., get your breakfast at the Commodore Barry Arts and Cultural Center. It’s a great value, and a splendid opportunity to check out the Center, if you’ve never been. The full menu is here: https://i1.wp.com/phillyirishcenter.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/irish-center-menu-1.png?ssl=1&w=450.
  • On Saturday, November 10, Celtic Connection returns to Breen’s Tavern, 704 Huntingdon Pike in Rockledge, from 8 p.m. to midnight. Guest singers and players are welcome. Prep your party piece.
  • Also on Saturday, November 10, this one starting at 8 p.m., check out the John Byrne Band at The Locks at Sona, 4417 Main Street in Manayunk. More details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/293859921186632/
  • The Irish Immigration Center is hosting Youth Mental Health First Aid classes, designed for adults who assist young people. The class is eight hours long, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Saturday, November 10. The course introduces common mental health issues confronting young people, reviews adolescent development, and teaches how to help youth in crisis and non-crisis situations. Places are limited. Call the Irish Immigration Center at 610-789-6355.
  • Finally, on Sunday, November 11, the AOH/LAOH Annual Fund-Raiser for Irish charities and educational organizations in the North of Ireland. Philadelphia FOP Lodge 5, 11630 Caroline Road in Northeast Philly. Starts at 3 p.m., lasts till 7 p.m. Guest speaker: Carmel Quinn of Relatives for Justice. The $35 donation includes, buffet, beer and soft drinks. You can get tickets at the door. To reserve group tables in advance, contact Pearse Kerr at 267-253-9001.

As always, you can find lots more, including traditional Irish sessions, on our Irish events calendar, here: http://irishinphilly.com/calendar

If you have an Irish-related event in the Greater Philadelphia/Delaware Valley area, you can also submit your event here: http://irishinphilly.com/submit

Your event will appear both on our calendar and the Irish Immigration Center of Philadelphia’s website.

November 2, 2018 by