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Denise Foley

News, People

Grand Re-Opening

It's a party!

When the opportunity arose to expand the digs of the Irish Immigration Center in Upper Darby, the organization’s board had one question.

“We wanted to know how much was this going to cost us,” said board President Liam Hegarty on Friday night, at a “grand re-opening” party at the new, larger offices that have spread into what was once an adjoining apartment. “So, in the great Irish tradition, we looked for volunteers.”

They got plenty. Volunteer workers knocked down and rebuilt walls, laid flooring, patched, painted, and built a custom frame around a large map of

Ireland marked with family names that now dominates the room. “We could have had more people,” says Hegarty, as the 50-some guests milled around the center, enjoying homemade beef stew, Irish bread, and drinks in the meeting area, which can now accommodate several round tables—not to mention a band and even dancers.

The Center was founded in 1998 to meet the needs of the region’s Irish immigrants. Today, it provides a broad range of services, from legal advice on immigration issues to, once a new social worker arrives from Ireland, outreach to the area’s many seniors. Some of those seniors meet every Wednesday for lunch. A genealogy group also uses the center for monthly get-togethers. The Philadelphia Gaelic Athletic Association is also a regular “customer.”

Musician John Byrne—himself an immigrant from Dublin—brought band member Rob Shaffer to entertain for the evening. We have photos—check them out.

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February 23, 2012 by
Dance, News, People

They’re Dancing Like Stars!

Lisa Sweeney and Danny Conway trip the light fantastic.

In January, 16 people volunteered for a dance competition that would raise money for the Delaware County Gaels, the region’s largest Gaelic sports club. More than  200 young athletes–footballers and hurlers–travel all over the country and to Ireland to compete, which, as you can imagine, gets expensive.

Some of the 16 had danced before. Others suspected they might have two left feet. Some weren’t sure they had even one left foot. At least one didn’t really volunteer.

That would be Bob Albino. He was “volunteered” by his boss, whose sons play for the Delco Gaels.

“He texted me one night. ‘Hey, Bob, I signed you up for “Dancing Like a Star,’” said Albino, after a grueling couple of hours on Sunday cha-cha-ing at the studio of the Cara Irish Dancers in Drexel Hill. “After I found out what it was, I said whoa, I’m going to be the only Italian. He said, ‘You’re probably going to be the only one that’s not Irish.’”

As it turns out, he’s not. His partner is Latina. She’s Diana Garcia, an Herbalife distributor and fitness buff whom one competitor described as “born doing the cha cha.”

Albino, who works for the US Department of Defense in Philadelphia, said he was surprised—and yet not surprised—that his boss volunteered him. “He knew he could get a lot of people out here to watch me and he was right. We have 25 people coming,” laughed Albino. “They just want to razz me.”

They’ll be joining about 700 more people who paid $40 a ticket for dinner and dancing—someone else’s dancing. The “Dance Like a Star” event, hosted by CBS3’s Jim Donvan, is Friday night, February 24, at the Springfield Country Club, and it is sold out. Not one ticket left. And dancers are encouraging friends, family and even strangers to vote for them online—each vote costs $1. That pretty much assures that the kids are going to Chicago this year for the Continental Youth Athletic Games championships. More than 100 players competed in the event, held in Boston last year, and the under-14 footballers brought home a trophy. The Gaels have also traveled to Ireland for the Feilie Na nGael, a competition for boys and girls under 14, sponsored by the Gaelic Athletic Association.

The competitors, who have had professional training since the practices began in January, come from all walks of life. Kilkenny-born Enda Keegan, for example, is a musician who spends most of the week in New York where he’s a fixture in the Irish music scene. Keegan ought to have an edge. His wife is a professional dancer in Philadelphia. Has she helped him? “She could be God and it wouldn’t help me dancing,” admitted Keegan with a laugh. His saving grace, he said, is that he’s paired with Siobhan Lyons, executive director of the Irish Immigration Center of Philadelphia, who has ballet training. “She’s good and she’s helping me out,” he said.

If you frequent Cawley’s Pub in Upper Darby, you may have seen Chuck Cawley behind the bar, practicing his moves. “I’ve been cha-cha-ing everywhere,” said Cawley, who admits his dancing experience is largely limited to weddings. On Friday night, he’ll have a bus waiting at Cawley’s on West Chester Pike to transport the throngs coming to root for him and his partner, Lisa McAteer. McAteer admitted that, like Cawley, she too dances everywhere. “I think my fiancé is getting sick of the music,” she said, laughing. “I’ll be doing it when I go into the shower. He hears the banging and he knows I ran out of room!”

Karen Boyce McCollum is juggling and dancing at the same time. She’s juggling three children and a fulltime job in the communications department of a major Philadelphia pharmaceutical firm with as many as five nights of dance practice with her partner, Delco Gaels assistant coach Gabriel Brogan. “I’m doing this because my nieces and nephews play for the Delco Gaels, not because I have tons of extra time,” she admitted. “You have to know the people running this. They are all good people. They always have treats for us when we practice on Sunday. Donuts or lunch. Nothing really good for our cha-cha outfits.”

Though “Dancing With the Stars” contestants seems to lose more weight than the competitors on “The Biggest Loser,” McCollum said that despite dancing most days of the week, she hasn’t lost an ounce. “Is it because they bring us donuts every week—I’m not sure,” she joked.

All the contestants have one warning for the audience: Don’t expect Astaire and Rodgers. Don’t even expect Jerry Springer and Kym Johnson, considered by many the worst pairing ever on TV’s Dancing with the Stars.

But at least one thinks many of the competitors sell themselves short. “It’s been amazing watching the transformation since January,” said Siobhan Lyons. “If you saw everyone on the first day, we were a mess. Now, everyone can dance.”

 

Check out the competitors in our photo essay. 

February 23, 2012 by
How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

Ivan Goff

Wouldn’t worship services be so much better if, instead of church music, you could get all spiritual to the tunes of U2?

Well, you can. This Saturday, St. Thomas’s Church in Fort Washington will be holding a service that features the music of Bono and friends. It’s part of an Episcopal Church program aimed at rallying support for concepts such as global reconciliation, justice for the poor and oppressed, and the importance of caring for your neighbor. You know, the stuff Jesus talked about. Services start at 4:30 PM at the church, which is known for its Celtic services.

The Philadelphia Ceili Group has an unusual program planned for Saturday. In the afternoon, you can find out how Ireland’s West saved the uilleann pipes, the traditional Irish pipes which have a wider range of notes—and, to my ears, a sweeter sound—than the pipes most people know (accompanied by marching guys in kilts). Dr. Scott B. Spencer, an ethnomusicologist most recently the Visiting Research Scholar at the Centre for Irish Studies at the National University of Ireland at Galway, will talk about the uilleann pipes’ history. Then, in the evening, you can hear one of the world’s premier uilleann pipers, Ivan Goff, an All-Ireland champ from Dublin now based in New York, show you why the uilleann pipes were worth saving. Goff has played with some of the top Irish bands in the land, including Dervish, Danu, Teada, Lunasa, Green Fields of America with Mick Moloney, and Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul. He’s also been in Riverdance and Michael Flately’s Lord of the Dance.

Goff will be accompanied by Eamon O’Leary, singer/guitarist from Dublin, who has likewise performed with many of Irish music’s leading lights, including Paddy Keenan, Mick Moloney, Tommy Peoples, James Keane, Susan McKeown, John Doyle, and Patric Ourceau.

These events are part of a year-long Philadelphia Ceili Group program focusing on music from the West of Ireland. If you’re from Mayo, Sligo, Galway, Clare, Kerry, Limerick, Leitrim or Donegal, this is a wonderful way to get back to your musical roots.’’

If wild Celtic music is your thing, head over to the Radisson in Valley Forge where you can hear the high-voltage Albannach, Brother, and Barleyjuice and the unusual and lovely music of Irish-Native American musician Arvel Bird pretty much all night. This is usually the week of the Mid-winter Scottish & Irish Festival, but casino construction at the Valley Forge Convention Center forced Bill Reid of East of the Hebrides Entertainment to move the fest to the end of March. Since these topnotch groups weren’t available, he brought them in to a new venue for the weekend. Thanks, Bill!

Also on Saturday, Timlin and Kane will be at St. James Pub at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, and Jamison will be playing at Curran’s Northeast. Timlin and Kane will be at The Shanachie in Ambler on Sunday for family day. Bring the kiddies for specials and music all day.

Don’t forget: The critically acclaimed “Little Gem,” a production by the Inis Nua Theatre Company, continues this week through the end of the month.

On Sunday, classically trained violinist Heather Martin Bixler, who went over to the dark side. . .er, Irish fiddling. . .about 10 years ago, will be offering a free fiddle workshop at West Chester University, thanks to Kildare’s West Chester where she’ll be leading the session later in the evening.  A little birdie told us that the amazing Sligo fiddler Brian Conway is coming in from New York to play with her. So that’s two top notch fiddlers for the price of one. Oh right, it’s free!

The first of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day fundraisers happens on Sunday at the Second Street Irish Society where, along with some great celtic rock, you can hear the always wonderful Second Street Irish Society Pipes and Drums and watch their step dancers—a parade unto itself. Two more fundraisers will follow—on February 26 at Insulator’s Hall in Philadelphia, and on March 4 at Springfield Country Club.

For a slight change of pace on Sunday night, Archie Fisher, a leading Scottish folk singer, will be performing with Garnet Rodgers at the Calvary United Methodist Church in Philadelphia on Sunday night; John Byrne of The John Byrne Band will be on the Folk Show with Gene Shay on WXPN 88.5; and a bunch of guys who should know better—the men of Irish Network-Philly—will be taking on their first opponents in a series of 7-a-Side soccer games at Star Finders on Main Street in Manayunk.

Dancers, don’t forget: McKenna’s Gift Shop in Havertown is holding a used dance shoe/gear swap for the rest of this month. Take the stuff you’ve outgrown to McKenna’s and let them sell it for you. Pick up something that fits!

On Monday, historian Gavin Wilk will speak about one of Philadelphia’s leading Irish sons, Joseph McGarrity, a businessman from County Tyrone who was a leader of the pro-Republican Clan na Gael organization. The Philadelphia-based McGarrity provided arms shipments to the Irish Republicans and brought Eamon de Valera to the US for a tour to promote Irish independence.

Speaking of Irish Republicans, next Friday, Derek Warfield and the Youg Wolfetones will be at the Rising Sun VFW in Philadelphia where there will be dancing and fun, and maybe a few rebel songs.

And speaking of dancing, there aren’t that many tickets left for the Delco Gaels fundraiser, “Dance Like a Star,” on Friday night, February 24 at the Springfield Country Club. We’ve been talking to some of the dancers this week and they’re all practicing their waltzes, cha-chas, and swing dances like mad. CBS3 consumer reporter (and very funny guy) Jim Donovan is the host for the evening. We’re going to the last group practice this week so we can give you a preview mid-week. So come on back here for a look at Philly’s version of “Dancing with the Stars.”

And take a look at our calendar, for these and other events. Take a peek at March. It will make your head spin. Or is that just me? Along with parades and pub crawls, we’ve got RUNA, Altan, Enter the Haggis, Black 47, Paddy Moloney and the Chieftains, Dervish, the Saw Doctors (we’ll have an interview coming soon), the John Byrne Band, Grainne Hambley and William Jackson, Lunasa (at Longwood!), the Irish Rovers, Celtic Pride, Moya Brennan, Eileen Ivers, all the fab performers at the Mid-Winter Scottish & Irish Festival, not to mention the Donnybook Cup (USA Tomahawks face off against the Irish Wolfhounds in rugby, followed by Blackthorn), and a Tullamore Dew whiskey tasting. Yes, we’re squeezing all of that into March. And probably more. So keep checking back to see what fun the Irish have in store for you during our month!

February 17, 2012 by
News, People

Johnny They Really Know Ye

John Dougherty marching in a past parade.

By Kathy McGee Burns

I’ve known John Dougherty, business manager of IBEW Local 98 and this year’s Grand Marshal of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade, for many years. I’ve interviewed him many times and admire him greatly, so I’ve decided to leave the kind words to his friends.

When Parade Director Michael Bradley nominated the man everyone knows as “Doc,” he submitted a very succinct, business-like list of reasons that led the board to elect him unanimously. Here’s what Michael Bradley wrote about Doc:

1. His grandparents were Irish-born and he has nurtured the Irish traditions
2. He supports virtually every benefit involving the Irish community
3. He has been honored by the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame
4. He was a founding member of the Irish Memorial
5. He was honored by Maynooth College for his support of Irish seminarians
6. He and his union are lead sponsors of the parade
7. His strong presence has brought our parade to a new level of excellence
8. He has never sought the limelight
9. John Dougherty sets a good example for us to follow
10. He is a Treasure in the Irish community and best of all, he is one of us and we love him!

Here’s what others have to say about this year’s Grand Marshal:

Ed McBride, friend, neighbor, coach, manager of the Edward O’Malley Athletic Association, Philadelphia
John grew up with my sons, Ed and Dan. They played football together. I coached John when he was a skinny 75-pounder from age 8 to 15. This all took place at the EOM Athletic facility in South Philly. John Dougherty became a major factor in Philadelphia, a lightening rod! He is a great family man, a great church man, and a great Irishman. He does the right thing for the right motives. He get things done and doesn’t want recognition. If we had more people like John Dougherty, we’d be much better off. This is the best choice.

Mick Treacy, neighbor and friend
John is a true gentleman. His hand has touched every Irish event. I’ve been his neighbor and friend for some 25 years. When sickness hit the Treacy family, John Dougherty was very kind to us. He is the finest Irish American I’ve ever met.”

Bobby Henon, Philadelphia City Councilman
John Dougherty has built his life and career around helping people. His mantra is, ‘You never forget where you come from if you never leave’. He took a near bankrupt business and with creativity, work ethic and vision built it up to a billion dollar enterprise with a brand. Local 98 is the fabric of Philadelphia. His financial stability and political power is used to help people who need it. He believes in giving it all back. He is my family. Once, after having surgery, I opened my eyes and they were all there; my Mom, Dad, my wife, and John. I think that being the Grand Marshal will be one of John’s most proudful days….a singlemost honor which will be held in the highest regard. He is Irish 365 days of the year, 24/7. To know John is to love him. Philadelphia is a better place because of John Dougherty’s commitment and service.

Bob Gessler, founder of the Hibernian Hunger Project and first vice president of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Observance Committee
Any man who starts out a speech with “I am Irish, I am Catholic, I am Union–and proud of it!” is the kind of man that I want to lead the parade. John Dougherty has a complete commitment to Irish America. He is ready, willing and able to help anyone. He does it citywide, in many ways that no one knows about. John Dougherty is a family man, neighborhood man and a Philadelphian. He is the ‘go-to guy’ who came up through Irish roots. When they were talking about the Irish Memorial, people said, too ethnic, not the right ethnic, scale it down’…Not John! He fundraised, did the original site work and involved the other trade unions. He got it done!

Bill Green, Jr., Philadelphia City Councilman
John Dougherty is a force for good in so many ways in Philadelphia. His charitable works whether it be Magee Rehabilitation or the Variety Club has reached thousand upon thousand of lives in our city. He is truly worthy of this recognition and I am proud to call him a friend.

Bill Green, Sr. Former Mayor of Philadelphia
John Dougherty as grand marshal is really a terrific choice. He is proud of his heritage and I look forward to seeing John lead the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade.”

Kevin Dougherty, Administrative Judge, Family Court, John Dougherty’s brother
How do I feel about having John Dougherty as my brother? Well, he’s just my big brother. He has never changed. The way he is today is the way he’s always been. Genuine! His heart is bigger than his body. When I was a law student and he was a struggling union apprentice with a young family, he would send me care packages, maybe $25, or food…always addressed to Kevin Dougherty, Esq., with a note of encouragment. John has the patience of my Dad and the assertiveness of Mom. He shares their hearts. He aspires to inspire. He doesn’t realize the impact he has! And at the end of the day…I love him.

Gerry Adams TD, Sinn Féin President, Northern Ireland
John, a chara, comhgairdheas / congratulations on your election as Grand Marshall of the Philadelphia St Patrick’s Day Parade for 2012.

It is an honour well deserved for your record of working for the rights and wellbeing of your members and for the whole community. Let me take this opportunity to thank you and the members of Local 98 for your support and help over the years. Your commitment to freedom, justice and peace in Ireland has helped us to move forward towards our goal of Irish unity and independence.

As you head the St Patrick’s Day Parade in that great city of Philadelphia ,I know that our friend, the late, great Mike Doyle, will be with you in spirit.

So to you and all our friends who will be proudly marching with you on March 11th, have a great St Patrick’s Day Parade.

Bain sult as an lá! Is mise le meas, Gerry Adams

As for me, it will be one of my proudest moments as President of this great Parade when I put the Grand Marshal sash on John Dougherty.

Kathy McGee Burns is president of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association.

February 16, 2012 by
How to Be Irish in Philly

How To Be Irish in Philly This Week

Fiddler Jesse Smith at Coatesville this weekend.

Remarkable fiddler Jesse Smith along with guitarist Ryan McGiver will be taking center stage this Saturday at the Coatesville Cultural Center, as part of Frank Dalton’s Coatesville Traditional Irish Music Series.

Smith is a product of Baltimore’s lively Irish music scene, though he now lives and plays in Ireland now where he played with the band, Danu. The son of musicians, he studied with noted teacher and musician Brendan Mulvihill. Smith’s debut solo CD, “Jigs and Reels,” was named to the top 10 list of Irish traditional music CDs by the Irish Echo. His latest CD is called “The Ewe with the Crooked Horn.”

On Sunday, a quartet of superlative Irish musicians will be performing a free concert for children at Calvary United Methodist Church in Philadelphia. Guitarist Arty McGlynn along with virtuoso fiddler Nollaig Casey and harper Maire Ni Chathasaigh and flat-picking guitar player Chris Newman together make up the Heartstrings Quartet.

That’s not the only freebie coming up. Local musician Andy Maher and his band will offer a free concert to all ages on Saturday, February 17, at the Irish Center, 6815 Emlen Street, Philadelphia.

Continuing this week: The play, “Little Gem,” by Dublin playwright Elaine Murphy, presented by the Inis Nua Theatre Company at their new location, The First Baptist Church at 16th and Sansom in Philadelphia.

Jamison is performing on Saturday night at Brittingham’s Irish Pub in Lafayette Hill.

Two Irish transplants to Philly, John Byrne and Enda Keegan, will be performing separately and together at The North Star Bar in Philadelphia on Monday night. In keeping with the free-for-all going on this week on the Irish music scene, there’s no cover charge, but you must be 21 (they card you).

Starting on Sunday, Irish dancers have a place to sell those dance shoes or solo dresses that don’t fit and maybe pick up a replacement. McKenna’s Irish Shop in Havertown will sell your used items at no charge and will be offering other dance items for sale. This dance “swap” runs through February 29.

On Wednesday, bring your sweetie to the seniors’ Valentine lunch at the Irish Center (no, they don’t card you unless you’re ordering at the bar). Lunch will be served in the Fireside Room and the Vince Gallagher Band will perform. Dancing is encouraged.

The Irish American Genealogy Group meets on Thursday at The Irish Immigration Center in Upper Darby. Genealogist Deborah Large Fox will be talking about Irish records.

And Jamison is getting loads of work. They’ll be at Dublin Square in Cherry Hill on Friday night.

Put a note on your calendar to catch Matt and Shannon Heaton on Friday night at Trinity Episcopal Church. This delightful duo from New England are creatively traditional.

Next weekend is a blockbuster. Not only can you catch that free performance of Andy Maher at the Irish Center, you’ll learn how the West of Ireland helped save uillean bagpiping (that’s the Irish bagpipe) with renowned piper Ivan Goff and Eamon O’Leary at the Irish Center—informational lecture at 3:30 PM, and a concert that evening at 8 PM. This is part of the Philadelphia Ceili Group’s
year-long series on the music of the West of Ireland.

And if you’re a faithful devotee of the annual Mid-Winter Scottish & Irish Festival, hopefully you got the memo. Because of delays in the construction of the new casino in Valley Forge, the festival was moved to the end of March. But you’ll probably still want to head over to the area next weekend. Some of the top groups of the festival weekend are putting on a performance at the nearby Radisson Hotel. You can catch Albannach, the percussion group from Scotland, and Brother, founded by a couple of Australian brothers, along with Kyf Brewer and his wild crew, Barleyjuice, and Celtic-Native American performer Arvel Bird on stage for many, many hours.

You can also attend the first of three fundraisers for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Philadelphia next weekend, this one thrown by the Second Street Irish Society, which usually takes up a couple of city blocks when it marches in the parade.

We’ve been typing our little fingers to the quick entering new events for both February and March. So saunter over to the calendar to see what’s coming up in the weeks to come. You’ll be in shock. Or maybe that’s just those of us who are trying to figure out to get to all these things.

February 10, 2012 by
Travel

Travel 2012: Ireland Off the Beaten Path

How would you like to eat your way through Ireland? Or get such an insider’s view of the countryside that you’re climbing over stone walls and pushing through hedges, maybe even with a famous Irish writer? Or dance every night away to some great Irish music—and maybe even do a little dancing while you’re still on the sightseeing bus?

If those trips sound appealing, you’re no ordinary tourist. And you’re going to love these off-the-beaten track tours that we’ve found. Click on the links to read about trips that will take you down back roads, through back gardens, and back behind the scenes.

Explore Sligo and Ireland’s West with the natives. Bring boots–you may be crossing farmer’s fields to find some hidden treasures. Read about Wild West Irish Tours. 

If you’re tone deaf, Trad Tours aren’t for you. A local Irish radio host knows where the best music in Ireland is. And sometimes, she brings it with her. Read about Trad Tours.

Imagine traveling to Ireland with an Irish cookbook author. You don’t have to imagine it. Taste the “Flavors of Ireland” with the author of more than six popular Irish “cookery books.” Read about the Flavors of Ireland tour.

February 10, 2012 by
Travel

Travel 2012: Go Wild West

You'll visit Ben Bulben--and some secret places thereabouts.

If Michael Waugh said to you, “How would you like to come with me to Ireland for 10 days to meet all my neighbors?” you might not jump at the chance. But the small groups who’ve traveled to Ireland’s West on Waugh’s “Wild West Irish Tours” have enjoyed every minute of his tours to his old ‘hood.

After all, one of Waugh’s neighbors is Dermot Healy, award-winning novelist, playwright and poet. They became such good friends that when Waugh took up residence in Sligo after retiring from the U.S. Coast Guard he would dog-sit for Healy when he was away.

Waugh and wife, Trish O’Donnell Jenkins, now divide their time between Virginia and Sligo, where they lead small groups—only 4-8 people—on tours of Ireland’s breathtaking west coast, including Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo and Donegal, and occasionally points south.

You’re not going to miss the best parts of Yeats Country. You can’t go to Sligo without visiting Ben Bulben, after all, and Waugh can arrange for a day of hill walking with a friend “who just likes doing it.” But Waugh also has unexpected treats in store for you.

“We pride ourselves in going places the Irish Tourist Board doesn’t know about,” says Waugh, a Bronx native whose family came from Clare and Derry.

That includes the mysterious fairy glen near Knocknarea, the burial spot of Queen Maeve. Most people make the arduous climb to the top of the cairn for the panoramic views. They don’t go to the fairy glen, because nobody but the locals knows about it. “I’ve taken many people here and they all react the same way—they become stunned and quiet,” Waugh told me when we met recently for coffee in Chestnut Hill. “I’ve had people from all faiths tells me they felt close to God or to nature. Everyone who goes there has a spiritual experience.”

He’s also pressed his friend, folklorist and author Joe McGowan, into leading tours of holy wells that are often hidden away on farms. “We have to tiptoe over the walls,” laughs Waugh. One of his groups insisted on stopping to watch a group of men tug a bullock out of a mud pit. Afterwards, the farmer invited them in for tea.

You’ll go to the local ceilis (“Not something put on for tourists”) and enjoy evenings at Ellen’s Pub with Healy and other locals who tell stories, recite poems, and punctuate the night with laughter. “We went to see Dermot at his cottage one day and when we were leaving, I noticed that one of the group wasn’t there,” recalls Waugh. “Then I see her in Dermot’s car and they’re driving to Ellen’s!”

A friend has border collies so he can arrange a live demonstration of sheepherding. And for a group he took at Halloween, he even found a local haunted house. “This house was occupied by poltergeists,” he says. “The people who own it are Protestant, but they brought in the Jesuits to say Mass for three months in a row.”

In fact, says Waugh, since his groups are so small, he can customize the tours to each individual. “What makes us work is the people,” he says. “No matter what you want to do, I can call up a friend who does it.”

Tour Dates for Wild West Irish Tours are April 19-29, May 3-13, May 17-27, June 7-17, July 5-15, July 26- August 4, August 16-26, September 2-12, September 19-29, October 4-14. The price, $1599 per person, doesn’t include airfare but covers the cost of mini-bus travel and accommodations at a family owned guest house with cottages on a scenic peninsula in West Sligo. For more information, call 571-236-9650 or email info@wildwestirishtours.com. Go to Waugh’s website  to read more about its “life-altering” vacations.

February 10, 2012 by
Travel

Travel 2012: Music Wherever You Go

Expect to attend loads of sessions with Trad Tours.

You don’t have to worry about finding great music when you go to Ireland with Marianne MacDonald. The host of the WTMR 800 AM Irish radio program, “Come West Along the Road,” not only knows dozens of musicians in Ireland, she usually has a few on her Trad Tours trips. That’s come in handy more than once

“On my trip to Donegal last year, we were at a ceili at Ardara and the ceili band didn’t show up so the musicians on my tour played the ceili,” she recalls, laughing.

On one trip to Crane’s, a famous pub in Galway owned by Mick Crehan, whose sister was a friend of MacDonald’s, the famed fiddler and singer Desi O’Halloran sauntered in to meet the tour group and sang for them. He comes in whenever he hears they’re there. “I made friends with him the first time after I began playing his music on my show,” explains MacDonald. “My group just loved him. The last time we were there, on the last night of the tour, the group did a Desi O’Halloran soundalike contest. They came up with it on their own and we had a lot of fun.”

A few times her tour members have had the “locked in” experience: Once Irish pubs are officially closed, the doors are locked until the next morning and whoever the publican allows to remain is attending a “private party”—actually, a way around closing time laws—where the beer still flows and the music can go on till the sun rises.

The highlight of another of her tours involved the late Tommy Moffit, a popular and well known musician from Roscommon who lived in Philadelphia where he had a long-running radio show. The same one MacDonald does now. “We had a ceili at the White House in Roscommon and Tommy played. His whole family from Roscommon came to see him and he was thrilled to be playing in his hometown. He was pretty sick at the time and this may have been his last trip to Ireland. It was wonderful to be there for it.”

In case you haven’t figured it out, MacDonald’s tours aren’t for the tone deaf or anyone who hates Irish traditional music. When she launched her first trip a few years ago, MacDonald knew exactly what she wanted to offer—music, music, and more music. “Because that’s my interest,” she says. “I have an Irish radio show and I was a dancer for years. I actually started them out as dance tours. I’ve maintained all these friendships in Ireland so I’m able to expose people to music they might not have an opportunity to hear otherwise.”

She’s led tours to all parts of Ireland, Cape Breton in Canada, as well as Boston and Nashville.

“As an Irish trad musician, having traveled on my own to Ireland several times, I can say that Marianne arranges visits to the best venues for hearing Irish trad music and experiencing the culture, the craic, and the dancing,” says local fiddler Mary Malone, who has gone on several of MacDonald’s tours including one the radio host arranged just for her family, who wanted to experience Bloomsday in Dublin. “Everyone still talks about it,” says Malone.

MacDonald’s 2012 journey (October 4-11) will take you from Philadelphia to the Beamish Cork Folk Festival in Cork City where some of Irish music’s leading lights are on the bill, including Lunasa, Cherish the Ladies, Kilfenora Ceili Band, Paddy Keenan, John Doyle, Karan Casey, Mundy, and Julie Felix. While in Cork, you’ll stay at The River Lee Hotel, a luxury, 4-star hotel within walking distance of the festival venues. In addition to the headliners, there will be some special musical guests playing just for the tour, including Noel Shine and Mary Greene and their daughter, Ellie, as well as Rory McCarthy whose music she plays on her show regularly. The tour, which costs $2,199 plus $195 tax, including airfare, will also explore the largely hidden gem of the Beara Peninsula. “It’s where my family came from and it’s beautiful,” says MacDonald.

You’ll spend some time in Dublin at the prestigious Burlington Hotel, accessible to Stephen’s Green, Trinity, and the pubs, shopping and session scene of Ireland’s capitol city. A side trip to Avoca (setting for the series, “Ballykissangel” and home of the Avoca Weavers), the magnificent gardens of Powerscourt, and County Wicklow, known as Ireland’s garden spot.

For more information, contact Marianne MacDonald at 856-236-2717, or rinceseit@msn.com. See her website for details.

February 10, 2012 by