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Forget the silly brunch you always take Mom to. There’s a Celtic Street Fair in Phoenixville this weekend. Don’t you think she’d rather check out all the vendors while wearing her new shamrock deely bobbers?

All the craic starts Saturday at 10 AM and it’s free. There will be Irish step dancers, 25 vendors, and many clan and fraternal organizations. There’s also a great array of bands and performers—the Bogside Rogues, the Malones, Oliver McElhone, the Brian Boru bagpipe band and DC’s favorite Balkan-Celtic band, Scythian, with Drew and Angus from the band Brother, opening for them at the Colonial Theater, famous for its starring role in the ancient film, The Blob.

Trad musician alert: This year will feature a seisun stage for some serious jamming. Bring your fiddles, concertinas, bodhrans, and harps.

That same evening, Blackthorn and the AOH Notre Dame division will be raising money for the Upper Merion Police Department at the Radisson in King of Prussia. If you’d forgotten that these men and women lay their lives on the line every day for us, this past week in Philadelphia should be a powerful reminder.

And so you’re not wishing you had planned ahead:

Time to get those discount tickets for Irish Heritage Day at the Phillies—it’s $4 off (whether you’re Irish or not) if you use the promotion code, “IRISH”, when ordering tickets for the May 16 game. The Phils are up against the Toronto Blue Jays. There will be Irish food and, of course, Irish dancing. Bob Kelly of CBS-3 is the emcee for the evening game.

Next Saturday, May 17, the Camden County Emerald Society Pipes and Drums is holding its Irish festival at the Riverwinds Community Center in Thorofare, NJ. Along with vendors, see a pipe band exhibition (natch!), step dancers and a fire truck pull. Music will be provided by Blarney, Birnam Wood USA, and Broken Shillelaghs.

That night, plan on being at the Irish Center for a one-man show by the amazing Sean Tyrell, who will tell the story, in words and song, of lesser-known Irish hero John Boyle O’Reilly. “Cry of the Dreamer” traces Reilly’s journey from early childhood set against a backdrop of famine, revolution, Fenianism and penal servitude for life in Australia and his great escape from there to the US where he became a newspaper editor and poet. It’s a coup to have this show in our area. Tyrell plans to take it wherever Reilly went: Dublin, London, Fremantle, Liverpool, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston.

On Sunday, head on over to Cardinal Dougherty High School in Philly to see the Philadelphia Shamrocks face off against a brand new hurling team from Allentown. The game starts at 4 PM. If you’ve never seen hurling this is the only place you’re going to in this area. If you like hockey, soccer, baseball, football, and Xtreme fighting, you’ll love hurling. Wear a hat and sunscreen.

Prepare for the coming of the great King of the Pipers, Paddy Keenan, who will be playing at upstairs at the World Café Live in Philadelphia on May 21. On May 22, Keenan will be giving both piping and whistling workshops at the Irish Center.

“The Irish and How They Got That Way,” a musical by Frank McCourt, is still playing at the Walnut Street Theater and will be there till the end of June.

Of course, everything you need to know is on our calendar, considered on a par with the Library of Alexandria in the depth and breadth of the information it contains. Hope we don’t end up like that one. (Okay, for you non-history nerds, it was once the largest library in the world, but books being flammable and all, it went up in flames several times before finally being destroyed at the behest of a fourth century Christian leader.)

The hit off-Broadway musical, “The Irish and How They Got That Way,” by Frank (“Angela’s Ashes”) McCourt is in Philly till the end of June at the Walnut Street Theater. It sounds “don’t miss” to us.

But you only have one chance to see “Celtic Spring,” winners of the “America’s Got Talent” show. Think the Osmonds—it’s a sibling group—but with Irish instruments. They’re appearing Sunday at the Sellersville Theater at a matinee performance at 3 PM.

Later that evening, AOH Division 65 will honor two stalwarts of the Irish community, Jim Kilgallen and Paul Phillips, both longtime members of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade Observance Association (Kilgallen does the color commentary on CBS-3 the day of the parade; Phillips is treasurer, so he makes sure there’s enough money to have a parade.” The event is being held at the Irish Center from 4 to 8 PM. Parade Director Michael Bradley calls the duo “two of a kind.

“They are always there whenever I need advice and usually give you sound unbiased thoughtful responses,” he told www.irishphiladelphia.com. “Their years of experience in the various Irish organizations in which they belong, is truly priceless for the Irish Community of the Delaware Valley. AOH 65 is honoring 2 of the best we have in the Irish community. I would like to congratulate them on this and the many honors they have received in their lifetime, I am proud to call them friends!”

Next Saturday, plan to head over to the Radisson in King of Prussia for a benefit for the Upper Merion Police Department featuring Blackthorn and the Irish Thunder Pipes and Drums – wow, what a combo! Guys, consider a duet!

Looking ahead, time to think about getting tickets to a Phillies game. For the second year in a row, the Phillies are sponsoring Irish Heritage Celebration at Citizens Bank Park on Friday, May 16 at 7:05 p.m. when the team hosts the Toronto Blue Jays. Come out and enjoy Irish delicacies, live music and learn how to Irish dance. Emcee will be Bob Kelly from KYW – CBS 3.

To help honor the Irish community, the event features a $4 ticket discount off $16 – $27.50 regularly priced tickets. When you click on the “Buy Tickets” button on the Phillies’ website and enter the promotion code IRISH, you’ll get the special ticket offer. We think this is a very cool thing. Just don’t eat any green hot dogs.

All the details are you know where—the only calendar that Senator John McCain calls “friend.” And he’s seen plenty of calendars.

As usual, there are a couple of things we’d like to do this weekend that are going on at the same time. Ah well, it’s not such a bad thing to have an embarrassment of riches.

On tap for Friday night, County Cork’s Liam O’Riordan from the Irish group, Trad Roots, will be appearing at the Trinity Irish Pub and the Pier at Caesar’s in Atlantic City. Don’t worry if you miss him—he’ll be appearing again on April 20 at Emmett’s Place in Philadelpiha and on April 24 at The Shanachie Pub and Restaurant with local (but formerly of County Clare) musician Fintan Malone. We heard Liam about a year ago when Trad Roots made an all-too-brief appearance in the Delaware Valley, and he’s amazing.

On Saturday between 5 and 7 PM, the Irish-American Democrats are holding a rally for Hillary Clinton at Finnigan’s Wake in Philadelphia, featuring Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and New York Congressman Joe Crowley. Primary Day is Tuesday—don’t forget to vote. This is an historic election.

Also on Saturday, you can hear the remarkable voice of Terry Kane at her CD release party at McCoole’s in Quakertown. Kane will be performing with the group, Trad Linn to celebrate their debut CD, “The Roads of Clare.” See our story.

On Saturday night, the Coatesville Irish Music Series presents three superb musicians—Dana Lyn, Tina Lech, and Donna Long—in concert.

And on Thursday night, don’t forget to catch the latest in the Irish Film Series at the Irish Center—“Bloody Sunday,” about the 1972 clash between the British Army and Irish protestors in Derry that left 14 people dead. See our review.

As usual, you’ll find all the details on our calendar, the only one in the world blessed by the Pope. (Was that lightning I just saw?)

Two fantabulous Irish groups will be joining forces on Saturday, April 12, for a show at the Sellersville Theater. Tempest, that crazy Norwegian-Irish fusion group from California that creates so much energy you’d think they were the aurora borealis, are headlining the show with local group, Burning Bridget Cleary, doing the warm-up (we’ve seen them and they’re perfectly capable of doing a heat-up). Tempest has a strong local following, and they’ll also be appearing on Sunday night at Brittingham’s Irish Pub in Lafayette Hill.

But before that: On Friday night, think about heading to Ardmore for AOH Comedy Night. No, not a bunch of Hibernians cracking each other up—real Irish comics such as Joey Callahan and Ed McGonigle (with the wonderful Oliver McElhone providing the music) all coming together for a good cause, the “Treasures for Our Troops” project which provides essentials and comfort items to soldiers overseas and financial help to the wounded and their families. A worthy cause, a lot of laughs, music—that’s the AOH for you.

And they’re doing it a second time this weekend. AOH Division 1 in Gloucester County, NJ, is holding a benefit for Project Children, a 33-year-old program that brings Protestant and Catholic children from Northern Ireland to the US for the summer so they can get to know one another away from any strife. There will be beef and beer, the Shantys and friends, and raffles.

Also on Friday night: New local group The Pointe will be releasing its first CD at a special performance at Molly Maguire’s in Phoenixville.

One thing you can take off your calendar is the Young at Heart Luncheon scheduled for Sunday at the Irish Center. That has been rescheduled for June. More details to come.

Sign up now to have breakfast on Friday, April 18, with Temple basektball coach Fran Dunphy, one of the all-time winningest coaches in Philadelphia Big 5 history. It’s sponsored by the Irish American Business Chamber & Network and will be held at The Pyramid Club in center city.

A portion of the admission of $35 for members/$40 for non-members will be donated to Coaches vs. Cancer which Dunphy chairs in this area with St. Joe’s coach Phil Martelli. Space is limited so call 215-772-3101 or email irish_event@iabcn.org to make your reservation.

Don’t forget Movie Thursdays at the Irish Center! This week’s film will be “The Snapper,” an hilarious adaptation of the Roddy Doyle novel (adapted by Roddy Doyle himself), starring the ubiquitous Colm Meaney and Tina Kellegher (Niamh from “Ballykissangel”). The plot: A young woman (Kellegher) becomes the talk of the town when she becomes pregnant and refuses to name the father, to the consternation of her Da (Meaney). This is one of Meaney’s best performances (and he’s had plenty).

Start your weekend off right and go to the Irish Center on Friday night, April 4, to listen to a Frenchman play Irish music on his fiddle.

Patrick Ourceau was born in Paris in 1967, but the minute he first heard Irish music he was hooked. He had planned to learn the concertina, but he had such a hard time finding one in France that he switched to the fiddle, which he started learning at the age of 12. He moved to the US in 1989 to play Irish music in New York with the likes of Andy McGann, Paddy Reynolds, Brian Conway, and Tony DeMarco (whose last performance in Philly earned him three standing Os).

Ourceau is accompanied by Dublin guitarist Eamon O’Leary who also came to New York in the late 1980s.

Expect a toe-tapping, get-up-and-dance kind of evening.

Expect an equally rousing adventure if you join the Shamrocks Hurling Club on Friday night at the Irish Times in Philly’s Queen Village for a social. Learn about this great sport that’s exciting to watch and, we hear, equally exciting to play. The Shamrocks and other Gaelic Athletic Association sports teams play on summer Sundays at Cardinal Dougherty High School in Philadelphia and it’s always a blast. What’s hurling look like? Check out the photos.

Blackthorn fan alert: On Saturday night, your boys are playing a benefit for a very worthy cause—the Special Equestrians, which provides equestrian experiences for disabled children. Tickets are $25 and it starts at 7 PM at Finnigan’s Wake.

On Sunday, at Holy Cross Cemetery in Yeadon, the 69th Pennsylvania Volunteers, Irish Brigade, will provide the honor guard for the annual commemoration of the late Irish activist and Philadelphian Joseph McGarrity, who played a pivotal role in the Easter Uprising of 1919, which led to the independence of the Irish Republic. A social will follow at Galileo Hall, 401 Bailey Road, Yeadon, PA, across from the graveyard. Admission to the social is $25 and includes food, drink, and music by Declan McLoughlin.

Monday night offers you a chance to hear Kevin Burke and Cal Scott at Moorestown Community House in Moorestown, NJ. Burke has been called “one of the great living Celtic fiddlers” and you’ll find out why.

On Thursday, join www.irishphildelphia.com and WTMR radio host Marianne MacDonald for Thursday night at the movies at the Irish Center. We’re co-sponsoring this six-week series of Irish films that you need to see—and if you’ve seen them, you need to see again. (We’re on our third go-round with “The Boys and Girl from County Clare,” our first film; and we can recite most of the dialogue for our second, “The Secret of Roan Inish.”) Up next: The Butcher Boy, a gritty film about a young boy’s tumultuous childhood, based on a novel by Patrick McCabe that was shortlisted for the 1992 Booker Prize and won the 1992 Irish Times Irish Literature Prize for fiction. The bar will be open (host Marianne McDonald says you may need a drink with this one–read her review here) and Barry Club manager John Nolan will be serving up his soon-to-be world famous hand-cut fries.

And on Friday, the AOH Comedy Show—sold out last year!—goes on stage at the Palombaro Club in Ardmore. Proceeds from the fundraiser will go to “Treasures for our Troops,” a program that supplies American soldiers with daily essentials and comfort items, as well as providing financial assistance to wounded troops.

You know where to get all the details: Our calendar, which will be seen on the next season of “Dancing with the Stars” if it doesn’t make the “American Idol” cut.

Apparently some in the Irish community did not get the memo asking for a moratorium on all things Celtic for a respectful period after St. Patrick’s Day. After all, we need the time to get the green Jello coloring out of our hair and wean ourselves off the early morning Guinness.

But no, there’s no rest for the Irish. There’s plenty going on this week—and it’s quite varied.

For example, on Friday, March 28, you can hear Kevin Burke and Cal Scott—a popular duo in these parts—at the Cultural Center in West Chester. Or you can go the the AOH Div. 67-sponsored Irish Night Benefit for Our Lady’s House in Glenside, a home for unwed mothers and their babies. The Stanton Family singers and the Timoney Dancers are scheduled to perform. That starts at 7:30 PM.

But get a good night’s sleep, because the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Ladies AOH are holding their big Cook-In on Saturday in northeast Philly for the Hibernian Hunger Project, a program that started in Philadelphia and has spread across the country. Their goal: To make and freeze 10,000 meals for the needy. All hands welcome.

On Saturday night, join the Donegal Association of Philadelphia as they welcome Bishop Boyce, the Bishop of Raphoe in County Donegal. He will say Mass at the Irish Center and talk about the Ards Friary in Donegal. Dinner will be available for purchase. Later that evening, the Tyrone Society will hold its annual ball at the Irish Center, starting at 9 PM with music and dancing. It’s their 99th—so expect big things for the centennial next year.

If you’re in Delaware, stop in at the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts in Dover to hear McDermott’s Handy perform as part of the In Harmony series.

Sunday is Allentown’s day to go green. It’s the last St. Patrick’s Day parade on the roster and opens with breakfast and a Mass.

It gets a little quiet until Thursday when the second in a series of six Irish films will be shown at The Irish Center. See our story here. The first one was way more fun than we’ve ever had at the Regal.

There are some terrific events scheduled for next weekend too. For details on all the Irish events in town, go to our calendar, which combines the good looks and intelligence of George Clooney with the zaniness and hot body of Jenny McCarthy (and aren’t you proud to know that they’re both Irish?).

As the old saying goes, there’s no rest for the Celtic. We’ve barely put our “Kiss Me I’m Irish” beads away for another year and we’ve still got things to do.

This Wednesday, March 26, for instance, you can take a break from all things Irish and catch the Battlefield Band at the Sellersville Theater. They’re Scottish and Grammy-nominated too!

Then it’s back to Ireland on Thursday, March 27, when the first of the Irish Film Series debuts at the Irish Center in Mt. Airy. Jointly sponsored by the Irish Center, irishphiladelphia.com, and WTMR radio personality Marianne MacDonald, the first in a series of six great Irish films will be “The Boys and Girl from County Clare,” a romantic comedy centering on a ceili band competition. Fintan Malone, who knows more than a little about ceili bands, will be on hand to moderate a discussion afterwards. Malone, who plays in at least two bands (Blarney and the Malones) and anchors sessions at The Shanachie and McKinley’s Tavern, is a native of Milltown Malbay, County Clare, where his family’s pub is a hotbed of Irish traditional music. Admission is free. And unlike most movie theaters, you can watch the flick with your favorite brew in hand and some of Barry Club manager John Nolan’s world famous fries. You may never eat popcorn again. Read about it here.

On Friday night, March 28, legendary fiddler Kevin Burke and guitarist Cal Scott will appear at the Chester County Cultural Center in West Chester.

And though we usually wait to tell you about the next weekend, we want you to have a heads up: On Saturday, March 29, there will be a massive cook-in in Northeast Philadelphia to benefit the Hibernian Hunger Project. An estimated 10,000 meals will be cooked and frozen to feed the needy. This might be a good time to join the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, who do this several times a year, God bless them!

This is also the weekend you can see:

•McDermott’s Handy at the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts in Dover, DE
•Tiarna O’Duinnchinn and Stephanie Makem performing Irish music from Counties Monaghan and Armagh at the Coatesville Cultural Center.
And if you’re in a dancing mood, the Tyrone Society’s 99th annual Ball is on tap at the Irish Center.

Haven’t seen a St. Pat’s Parade yet? Allentown is bringing up the rear on Sunday with its parade, which is preceded by a Mass and a full Irish breakfast.

As usual, all the gory details are on our calendar, which is under consideration for a Pultizer, an Emmy, and the Nobel Peace Prize. Martha Stewart wants to decorate it with tiny little marzipan flowers for Easter too, but we said no.

Okay, let’s cut to the chase—we have a lot to cover.

It’s a big weekend for parades. There’s one in Levittown, another in Conshohocken, and yet another in Springfield, Delco, on Saturday. Since the staff of www.irishphiladelphia.com consists of two and a half people, you do the math. So if you take some good digital pictures of the parades, can you hit us with your best shot? We can’t be everywhere, though it sometimes seems like we are. Just e-mail us (hit the “contact us” button) and we’ll tell you where to send them.

But before the parades hit the streets, you have some decisions to make for Friday night. Because here’s what’s going on:

Fiddler Danny Meehan is making a rare stateside appearance at the Irish Center in Mount Airy. Exuberant, spontaneous, he rarely plays a tune the same way twice, says Frank Dalton, who organizes those wonderful Irish performances in Coatesville. Tom O’Malley from the Philadelphia Ceili Group, which is bringing Meehan to town, says “the last time Danny was here we actually started the concert 15 minutes early. He just kept on going after the soundcheck. He kept on going for hours in the Fireside Room after the concert. The lame were dancing and the dumb were singing.”

We don’t know about that last part, but it promises to be a mighty good time. Irish in a “no Mardi gras beads and green beer” kind of way. You know, the real thing. If you ask us, going to hear Danny Meehan is the best way to get in touch with your roots.

That said, here’s the rest of Friday’s agenda:

• The 7th Annual Chester County Emerald Society Paddy’s Day Celebration at the Coatesville Moose Lodge—Irish dancers and DJ
• The St. Patrick’s Coronation Celebration at the Fearless Fire Company (we like the sound of that) ballroom in Allentown, where the 2008 King and Queen of the Allentown St. Paddy’s parade (which happens March 31) will be crowned.
• Singer Carmel Conway will be at the World Café Live
• The Belles of Dublin show will be making another appearance at the Red Room at Society Hill Playhouse
• Singer Andy Cooney will be bringing an entire Irish extravaganza to St. Mary’s Church Hall in Cherry Hill. We interviewed Andy last year–he’s a sweetheart. Voice of an angel. Face of an angel too. Oops, we’re gushing now. Time to stop.
• Finnegan’s Wake with The Barley Boys will be making its farewell appearances this weekend
  When Saturday rolls around, there will be the aforementioned parades. But if you have the energy, check out the Leprechaun 5-Mile Run starting at Philly’s Art Museum in the morning. It benefits the Special Olympics. There’s also a two-mile walk.

And then:

• If you’re in Bucks County, check out the Crossing Vineyards in Washington Crossing for its all day (starts at noon) Irish celebration, featuring the Boys from County Bucks.
• The Chieftains are appearing at the Kimmel Center—a Philadelphia tradition
• The 237th annual Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner-dance is being held at the Montrose Mansion in Radnor. Did you know that group pre-dates the Declaration of Independence?
• Chestnut Hill College is holding its Emerald Evening Casino Night and Auction as a fundraiser with an Irish theme
• Sacred Heart Church in Camden is holding its own St. Patrick’s celebration with music, poetry, “and good Irish soda bread.” Since Pastor Michael Doyle is a poet from Ireland, we suspect that it will be quite authentic.
• The Boys from County Bucks will be quite busy today—they’re also on tap for a fundraiser for multiple sclerosis research at the Gardenville Inn in Pipersville.
• The Doylestown Moose Lodge is holding its second St. Patrick’s Day Party.
• Scythian, that crazy Balkan-Celtic band from Washington, DC, will be live at the World Café.
• The Philadelphia Celtic Currach Club (they race in Irish boats) is having its annual beef and beer fundraiser at Fran Lee Caterers in Philadelphia.
• McDermott’s Handy will be at the Higher Grounds Coffee House in Bridgeton, NJ, and Catch It Grog ‘N Grill in Oaklyn, NJ on Sunday.
• The Cara Irish Society will hold its St. Paddy’s Day do at the VFW in Williamstown, NJ.
• The Erin Express leaves from various bars in Philadelphia, the safest way to drink beer to your heart’s content this season. There are eight buses to take imbibers from place to place. Again, we encourage you not to drive home if you’ve overdone it. See the list of participating saloons here.
• And fresh from their stint at Showboat Casino, The Barley Boys will be mixing it up at the House of Blues on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City.

Is it Sunday yet? Oh yeah, it is, and here’s what’s going on:

• Learn how to research your Irish and Scots ancestry at the Bucks County Visitors and Convention Center in Bensalem.
• Incredible Irish-American fiddler Liz Carroll and her partner in music John Doyle will be doing two shows at lovely Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square.
• The Crossing Vineyards will continue its St. Patrick’s Day Celebration with the Boys of County Bucks today.
• A few of the Barley Boys are taking the afternoon off but the Barley Boys Duo will be performing at the Masque Bar at the Showboat in Atlantic City. Listen to Irish music while you lose your shirt!
• The Philadelphia Immigration and Pastoral Center is holding an Immigrant Reunion for all those who were born in Ireland but now make their homes here. It’s at the Irish Center.
• You can still see The Belles of Dublin Show at Society Hill Playhouse.
• OMG, the Barley Boys are back together for yet another showing of Finnigans Wake at the Showboat. How do they do it?
• Speaking of which, The Boys from County Bucks will be performing (how many times this weekend, guys?) at Newtown Presbyterian Church’s Palm Sunday services.
• Black 47, an amazing Celtic rock group, is booked at the World Café Live. This would be a great way to rock out the weekend in Irish style.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! It’s Monday. Hope you took the day off. If you did, start it with:

• Breakfast for charity, AOH style, at Fado in Philadelphia. (Breakfast starts at 7 AM, for those of you who have to go to work.)
• Lots of pubs and restaurants are having St. Patty’s Day celebrations, including Casey’s Tavern in Quakertown; Slainte, New Deck Tavern, The Irish Times, McGillins in Philly; Brittingham’s and Shanachie in Montgomery County, the Erin Pub in Norwood. . . and those are just the ones we either know about or who put their events on our calendar (anyone can do it!).
• Blackthorn will be performing at Brownie’s Pub in Ardmore. They’re always a good time!
• Solas at the World Cafe Live!
• The Barley Boys (do they never rest?) will be at Maloneys in Atlantic City and doing Finnigan’s Wake. Not sure how that’s happening, but we’re hoping someone will clue us in. We frequently need to be two places at once.
• The Belles of Dublin is still at Society Hill Playhouse.
• Crossing Vineyards in Washington Crossing is offering a St. Patrick’s Day dinner with all the appropriate wines, of course.
• The amazing duo, McDermott’s Handy, will be at the Porch Club at Riverton, NJ, as well as at Murphy’s Market.
• And you can see Bill Monaghan and Celtic Pride with Irene Molloy at the Sellersville Theater, one of our favorite music venues.

We’re going to stop here, not because this is when the fun stops, but because we are coming down with repetitive strain injury from typing. As always, you can get more details from the calendar all the Hollywood Stars are talking about.