Denise Foley

Jim Murray, left, with Linda and Michael Bradley.

You gotta love a parade grand marshal who dons a gold yarmulke and tells irreverent stories of how, when asked to arrange former boss Leonard Tose’s funeral on a Sunday in April, responded, “The last Jewish guy buried on Easter got up and left.”

And you gotta love a parade grand marshal who dedicates his honor to his friend, the late Bishop Joseph McFadden, a former chaplain of the parade. And starts to choke up when talking about his father.

That’s Jim Murray, former general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles (when they were owned by Leonard Tose)who helped found the Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides a homelike atmosphere for the families of critically ill children near where their children are hospitalized.

He was the star of Thursday’s annual party at the studios of CBS3, which is in its 11th year of broadcasting the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which Murray will lead on March 16. Members of the St. Patrick’s Ring of Honor, including longtime parade host, meteorologist Kathy Orr, were also introduced at the event that featured music by members of the Boyce family (Blackthorn’s John and Michael Boyce, their brother Brian, and sister, Karen Boyce McCollum) and the McDade Cara Dancers.

We were there and took loads of photos.

It is totally time to rock this look.

This is the time of year when I wish teleporting technology was not just part of the fictional Star Trek universe, because my molecules would be scrambling and re-forming several times a day to get to all the great Irish events dueling for my attention. You too? Thought so.

Next weekend, there are at least four local parades, including the biggie, the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade, on Sunday March 16. But the calendar is packed even before that. Let’s start with this Saturday:

At noon, the kick-off of the Running of the Micks and McPatty’s Fest, a giant pub crawl and festival that starts at Finnigan’s Wake on Spring Garden Street in Philly, heads up the Art Museum steps, a la Rocky, and ends at McFaddens for a par-tay, with lots of music going on everywhere. You can hear Jamison at Finnigan’s Wake at 3 PM, for example.

Other Saturday goings on: the Conshy Parade’s Grand Marshall Ball at the Norristown Zoo Banquet Hall; the wonderful duo, McDermott’s Handy (Dennis Gormley and Kathy DeAngelo, about to be inducted into the Comhaltas Hall of Fame) will be performing “The Ballads of Irishtown” at the Carslake Community in Bordentown, NJ; Paul Byrom, formerly of Celtic Thunder, at the World Café Live; the Broken Shillelaghs at Cap’s Bar and Restaurant in Gloucester City, NJ, and Galway Guild will be rocking out at Marty Magee’s in Prospect Park.

On Sunday, the second annual AOH Mass will be celebrated at St. Malachy Church, the jewel of North Philadelphia. At 3 PM, Irish singers Ciaran Nagle of The three Irish Tenors and Tara Novak will be performing at St. Francis Xavier Church in Philadelphia, with special guest, local singer Theresa Flanagan Murtagh; Bill Monaghan and Celtic Pride will be making their annual visit to the Sellersville Theater; you can join the other “RUNA-tics” as they cheer on RUNA, an award-winning band that blends Celtic trad with bluegrass, jazz, and other influences, at the Irish Center; and Karan Casey, formerly of Solas, will be appearing with her trio at Crossroads Music at Calvary Center for Culture and Community in Philadelphia.

If you happen to be in Carbon County, local band Galway Guild will be performing in the Carbon County St. Patrick’s Day parade.

On Monday, Celtic Crossroads brings a variety of influences, from bluegrass to gypsy to jazz, to an all-star spectacular at the Sellersville Theater.

Survive hump day with The Shantys who are appearing at AOH Div. 61 Clubhouse in northeast Philadelphia. The Brehon Law Society is also having its St. Patrick’s Day party at The Philopatrian on Walnut Street in Philadelphia. The John Bryne Band is performing.

On Thursday afternoon, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick will honor the Irish who played a role in the US Revolutionary War by laying a wreath at the plaque at Philadelphia’s City Hall that lists some of their names. Traditionally, the mayor reads a proclamation declaring March Irish month. The day is capped by a dinner and sashing ceremony for the parade grand marshal—this year, former Eagles General Manager Jim Murray—and members of the St. Patrick’s Ring of Honor.

On a serious note, there’s a free Tay-Sachs screening at Upper Merion High School in King of Prussia on Thursday afternoon. It’s part of a study by researchers at Albert Einstein Medical Center attempting the identify the number of carriers in the Irish community. A simple painless blood test can help the researchers determine whether Irish people should be routinely tested for the gene mutation that causes the fatal disease which affects babies.

On Thursday evening, AOH Notre Dame Division 1 throws one of the best parties going—their annual Irish coffee contest—at their Swedesburg digs. And yes, there are tastes all around.

Black 47, the iconic Celtic rockers from New York, are making a stop in Philadelphia on their ”Last Call” tour before the band dissolved. They’ll be at World Café Live on Thursday night.

On Friday. the Irish Society will hold its traditional toast to St. Patrick at noon at Finnigan’s Wake in Philadelphia. It’s also the kickoff of the fourth annual Newtown Irish Festival with Clancy’s Pistol (on Friday) and other performers such as Raymond Coleman, Tommy McHugh, and others up through St. Patrick’s Day. On Sundaynight, catch the Shantys at Schileen’s Pub in Westville, NJ.

Also on Friday night: The Women of Ireland, a show featuring the next generation of Ireland’s female performers, will take the state at Upper Darby Performing Arts Center, and at The Ardmore Music Hall, Enter the Haggis will perform.

It’s almost sold out, but there are a few tickets left for the John Byrne Band with No Irish Need Apply at World Cafe Live on Friday night.

If that’s not enough, Blackthorn will be rocking Kildare’s St. Patrick’s part in their Manayunk location on Friday night.

But wait, there’s more. The Shantys will be at Tir na Nog in Philadelphia, the Broken Shillelaghs at Dubh Linn Square Pub in Bordentown, along with Galway Guild.

And take a peek at our calendar for next week. Your little Irish head will spin. We don’t even have all the local band gigs on the calendar (we encourage the bands to add their gigs themselves, for which we reward them with a shout-out).

Beam me up, Paddy!

This is how you dress for the Burlington County parade.

The first parade of the season is the Burlington County St. Patrick’s Day Parade which marches through Mt. Holly on Saturday. There’s a heated tent in the township parking lot for the after-party (because it’s going to brrrr on Saturday) where you can hear Jamison Celtic Rock, the Broken Shillelaghs. Birmingham Six, the Paul Moore Band, the Shantys, Clancy’s Pistol, and other performers. Jim Logue, who has been organizing the parade for years, is its grand marshal this year.

If you’re in or near New Castle Delaware, the New Castle Historical Society will be recreating the atmosphere of an Irish Pub in the historic Buck Library at Buena Vista Mansion on Saturday night. Students at the William Penn Culinary Arts program will provide some authentic Irish fare (no Irish nachos!) and you’ll be entertained by the group Slyte of Hand, playing a host of traditional instruments and featuring Michele McCann, the 2013 winner of the Delaware Division of the Arts Emerging Folk Artists Fellowship. Proceeds from the evening benefit the historical nonprofit.

Also on Saturday night, the Gloucester County NJ AOH is throwing a St. Patrick’s Day party featuring the Broken Shillelaghs (who will be driving over from Mt. Holly for their second gig of the day). It takes place at the Richard Rossiter Memorial Hall in National Park, NJ.

And if you’re in Bucks County, the Bucks St. Patrick’s Day Committee is honoring this year’s parade grand marshal, State Senator Chuck McIlhinny Jr, at its annual Irish Ball at Kings Catherers in Bristol. Jamison Celtic Rock will be performing—also driving over from Mt. Holly for their second gig of the day. The Bucks parade is scheduled for March 15, starting at St. Joseph the Work Church in Levittown at 10:30 AM.

You’d think that would be plenty for one weekend, but no, there’s more. Also on Saturday, Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfetones will be playing at the Rising Sun VFW Post in Philadelphia and the First Highland Watch—bagpipes and rock ‘n roll—are taking the stage at Jimmy D’s in Folcroft.

On Sunday, Timlin and Kane are performing at the beautiful Glen Foerd on the Delaware on Grant Avenue in Philadelphia. Later this month, they’ll also be performing for members of the US Congress and the President in Washington, DC–more about that to come.

On Tuesday, the Sellersville Theatre will be alive with the sound of Claddagh, a music and dance extravaganza with a fusion of classic and modern styles.

On Friday, catch the Broken Shillelaghs at Molly Maguire’s Pub in Lansdale, but don’t stay out too late or you won’t be up and ready for Saturday’s “Running of the Micks,” the unusual pub crawl (with buses to keep everyone out of the drunk tank) that takes participants in a run up the Art Museum steps (and to a bunch of Irish pubs, starting with Finnigan’s Wake). That’s followed by McPatty’s Fest, a day of live music at McFaddens 3rd Street. Don’t shoot us—we’re only the messengers.

Next week will make this week look like a night at home, so don’t strain yourselves too much. There’s a lot more of March to go. Check out our calendar (which is changing daily) to see what’s going on. And while you’re at it, put your event on the calendar. Just go to the orange bar at the top of our home page, click on Irish events listing, and follow the instructions.

A couple of fun-raisers: Bob Hurst of the Bogside Rogues and Frank Daly of Jamison.

Every year the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade has to raise money to pay for all the things most people don’t notice because they’re too busy looking at the floats, dancers, and bands– like police presence, port-a-potties, and bleachers.  This year, they needed only one fundraiser–and a big one–at the new Fraternal of Police Lodge #5 on Caroline Road in Northeast Philadelphia.

Local Celtic rockers Luke Jardel, the  Bogside Rogues,  Jamison Celtic Rock, and folk singer Raymond Coleman provided the background–and often the foreground music–for the hundreds of people who made the huge hall seem crowded on Sunday afternoon, February 22. There was dancing, eating, raffle ticket-buying, and lots of dancing–both amateurs and the remarkable Celtic Flame Dancers.

But don’t take our word for it. We have pictures that prove people were having fun.

Genevieve Smith and Paul Welsh: Dancing Like a Star’s 2014 winners.

They danced like Gene Kelly to “Singing in the Rain,” like Travolta and Newton-John to “Grease,” and Peter Sellers and, well, the Pink Panther, to “The Pink Panther Theme.” In the end, Genevieve Smith and Paul Welsh were the winners of the 2014 Delco Gaels’ “Dancing Like a Star” fundraiser at Springfield Country Club on Friday night, February 21 with their “Great Gatsby” themed individual dance.

Two other couples, Siobhan Trainor and James Conboy and Kathleen Seward and Tom Farrelly, participated in the finalists’ dance-off.

Fox-29’s Jenaphr Frederick was host for the evening with music spun by DJ John McDaid. Money from the sold-out event will help fund the Delco Gaels, the largest Gaelic sports club in the region.

But what you really want is to see the photos. We took plenty. Check out Caine Donaghy and partner Charlotte Comasky pulling a Mary Poppins to “Singing in the Rain.”

View our photo essay here. 

Get ready–it’s almost that time again.

The events are starting to multiply as we inch toward March. You can get some St. Patrick’s Day practice this weekend when The Next Generation, the youngest trad performers in the area, appear at the Garden State Discovery Museum’s Irish Festival (on Sunday at 2 PM, though the festival runs both weekend days); The John Byrne Band appears at the new Brittingham’s in Lafayette Hill (Saturday); the amazing (this fits all of them) Brian Conway, Billy McComiskey, Brendan Dolan and Mary Courtney perform together at West Chester University (on Saturday night) along with local fiddler Alex Weir, dancer Josh Srour, and the Do Cairde Irish dancers; and Jamison Celtic Rock, the Bogside Rogues, Raymond Coleman, and the Irish Flame School of Irish Dance help raise money for the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade at the FOP Lodge 7C in Northeast Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon.

And that’s not all: Celtic Pride is appearing on Thursday evening at Washington Crossing Inn.

Or you can catch The Broken Shillelaghs at Schileen’s Pub in Westvill, NJ on Thursday night as well.

Or. . .you can catch the supergroup Solas at the Sellersville Theatre on Thursday night.

The Philadelphia Rose of Tralee Center is holding an information meeting for anyone interested in entering the competition  to become Philadelphia’s next Rose of Tralee. It will take place on Thursday evening at The Radnor Hotel in Wayne, where the Rose of Tralee event is held every year. The Rose of Tralee is open to any young woman of Irish descent. The winner will compete in Ireland in the summer.

On Friday, three-time All Ireland concertina champion Caitlin Nic Gabhann will be joined by fiddler Ciaran O’Maonaigh, a former TG4 Young Musician of the Year, in a house concert in the Philadelphia area. For more information and location, email phillyceiligroup@gmail.com. These are two up and coming young Irish musicians who are worth seeing. Nic Gabhann is also an accomplished Irish dancer who performed in Riverdance.

And a big head’s up: The Burlington St. Patrick’s Day Parade is always the first one in our area, and it’s coming up in a week. Yes, on Saturday, March 1, there will be bands, pipers, dancers, and floats all heading down High Street in Mount Holly. It’s grown every year since we’ve been around (we’re heading into our eighth year of being Irish in Philly). You could top the day off be going to the Gloucester County AOH St. Patrick’s Day Party at 8 PM that evening with The Broken Shillelaghs, or hear Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfetones at the Rising Sun VFW Post 2819 on Martins Mill Road in Philadelphia, which starts at 8 PM.

Looking even further ahead. the “sashing” of the Grand Marshal of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade–this year it’s Jim Murray, former GM of the Eagles and founder of Ronald McDonald House–takes place at a dinner on Thursday, March 13, at the Doubletree Hotel in Philadelphia. Contact Kathy McGee Burns, chairperson of the event, at mcgeeburns@aol.com or 215-872-1305 for tickets and more information.

Then, after this, all Irish breaks loose. More on that next week.

If you have a March concert, gig, party, performance, play, anything going on, please put it on our calendar. It’s easy to do yourself: Go to the orange bar at the top of our page, click on Irish Events Listing, and fill in the blanks. If you have trouble, give me a shout-out on our Facebook page or email me at denise.foley@comcast.net.

Keep checking our calendar for late-breaking events.