Columns

Celtic Spring in concert.

If you’re up for a little drive—just to Pottsville—the Clover Fire Company is holding its 23rd annual Irish Weekend from Friday through Sunday. It’s a freebie on Friday and only $4 for adults to get in to hear groups like The Martin Family Band, the Irish Lads, The Breaker Boys, the Kilmaine Saints, and Charlie Zahm and Tad Marks.

In Newfield, NJ, her friends are holding Haley’s Ceili to raise money for the seven-year-old fiddler Haley Richardson to Ireland to compete in the Fleadh Cheoil (All-Ireland) competition.

Also on Saturday, another group of friends are coming together to raise money for a group that calls itself Carmel’s Crew. They’ll be walking in the Susan B. Komen three-day in October. A karaoke beef-and-beer is scheduled at Paddy Rooney’s in Havertown to raise money for the team, walking for Carmel Bradley who was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago. Carmel, now cancer-free, is walking too.

On Sunday, Celtic Spring—called the “vonTrapp family of Irish music” and featured on “America’s Got Talent—will be performing at the Keswick Theatre. The six Wood siblings all play the fiddle and dance—and yes, at the same time. Their dad plays drum and their mom plays piano.

This Thursday marks the return of Free Movie Night at the Irish Center. This week, watch a fascinating documentary that will take everyone back to their Irish roots—way back. Using archeological finds and DNA testing, researchers are now coming up with some interesting answers to the question, “Who are the Irish?” One clue: Part of the action takes place in Africa. Come for a late dinner—there’s a new menu at the Irish Center and most of the entrees are under $5.

Ceili Rain is taking the stage next Friday at the Sellersville Theatre. This Nashville-based band is led by Bob Halligan Jr., a songwriter who has penned hits for Cher, Joan Jett, Kathy Mattea, Judas Priest and Michael Bolton. Ceili Rain does Celtic music with a pop-rock flair.

Next Saturday, Celtic Women comes to the Mann Center for the Perfoming Arts.

And there’s plenty more on the way: The Kane Sisters with Edel Fox, are on tap for the Irish Center on Sunday, August 1. The two siblings are fiddlers in the Sligo style and Fox, who is on staff at the famous Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay, is one of the most accomplished Irish traditional performers in Ireland today. The three recently performed and taught at the annual Catskills Irish Arts Week in Durham, NY.

The Mairead Farrells Ladies Gaelic Athletic Club: Help send them to the nationals! They earned it.

Two big fundraisers this weekend, one for the Philly St. Patrick’s Day parade and the other for the Mairead Farrells Ladies Gaelic Athletic Club. (They’re going to the finals in Chicago!)

Raising money may be a year-long event for the parade, which has seen its costs rise over the last two years as the city backed away from providing services gratis as it has in the past. The event takes place on Sunay at Keenan’s Irish Pub in N. Wildwood, NJ (Far Northeast Philly or, as we like to think of it, Port Richmond by the Sea). For $30 you get beer, wine, music and fine—probably less than you pay when you’re in Wildwood for Irish Weekend.

Also on Sunday, it’s a beef-and-beer fundraiser at Cawley’s Irish Pub in Upper Darby to raise money for the women footballers who have been roughin’ up the competition on Sundays on the fields of Cardinal Dougherty High School in Philly. We expect they’ll do the same when they travel to the Midwest for the GAA nationals. You go, girls! Their coach, Angela Mohan, is a force to be reckoned with.

The Irish Pub’s annual Tour de Shore bike race to Atlantic City flicks up its kickstand at 7 AM Sunday at the pub in Philly and ends hours later at the Jersey Shore, this year raising bucks for the Philly FOP Survivors Fund, the Police Athletic League and the Daniel Faulkner Educational Grant Fund.

On Tuesday, listen to the amazing voice of Galway singer-songwriter Don Stiffe who is making his first Philadelphia appearance at the Irish Center, accompanied by fellow Gallwegian (is that what people from Galway are called?), Gabriel Donohue.

On Wednesday, Chestnut Hill’s Pastorius Park is the bucolic setting for a free concert by the Belfast group, McPeake.

Two members of the singing group, Sephira, who tour with sensations, Celtic Thunder will be conducting music workshops for kids on Wednesday at the Medford United Methodist Church in Medford, NJ.

On Wednesday at lunch time, Dublin-born singer-songwriter John Byrne will be serenading the regular Wednesday lunch group–and whoever else drops in—at the Irish Immigration Center at 7 Cedar Lane in Upper Darby. It’s a small place to call ahead to let them know you’re coming.

On Friday, a real treat: a house concert featuring musicians from various genres who will be creating a Celtic-Latin fusion: Cuban/Haitian-American drummer and bodhran maker Albert Alfonso; Philly Irish fiddler-guitarist John Brennan and singer-fiddler Deb Shebish who has performed with both the Irish Tenors and Ray Charles, will be playing for the Spring Hill House Concert series in Lansdale. Because it’s a house concert, it will be very intimate—and that means you need to make reservations.

Friday also kicks off the Clover Fire Company’s 23rd annual Irish Weekend in Pottsville, where, reportedly, the band Blackthorn got its start. Admission is free on Friday night and only $4 for adults the other two days. Kids under 18 are free all weekend. Talk about your cheap thrills.

As always, check the calendar for dates, times, and maps.

The pipes are calling at Graeme Park in Horsham.

Picnic!

We love picnics, especially when there’s a pool nearby. And there will be at the second annual Irish Club of Delaware County event at the Knights of Columbus De La Salle Pool in Springfield. The terrific local group, Round Tower, will be providing the musical accompaniment along with a DJ and the Celtic Flame Irish Dancers (who have the coolest sparkly red outfits). No need to bring a pic-a-nic basket, Yogi: It’s catered and beer and other drinks are available. Costs $20 for grown-ups, $7 for kids.

Other than that it’s a relatively slow week for big events (though there’s something Irish to do every day of the week—don’t believe me? Check the calendar!). One new entry to our calendar is open mic night at Downey’s Irish Restaurant at Front and Second, home of the famous Downey’s Irish Whiskey Cake on Mondays. Kevin Ricci is the host this Monday—so bring your party piece all you singers, musicians, and songwriters (doesn’t have to be Irish either). There are cheap drink specials ($2 shots of Jagermeister, so you know they’re catering to a young crowd because, ewwww, I’d rather chug vanilla extract and Scope).

Also, just a plug for a local musician: John Byrne (The John Byrne Band) has been getting boffo reviews for his first CD, “After the Wake,” and getting airplay on WXPN (he’s doing World Café Live Friday night, July 9). We think that someday you’ll be paying loads to see him on stage, so grab your chance to see him for free on Monday nights at Slainte, the great pub on Market Street across from 30th Street Station.

Likewise, newly local musician Enda Keegan is burning up the Internet with sales of tracks from his new CD, The Bridge. He’s still playing mostly in New York, but some smart publican in our area ought to snag him while it’s still possible. Just a thought.

Next Saturday, at Graeme Park in Horsham, celebrate your Celtic heritage with the Martin Family, the Hooligans, the Bucks Caledonian Band and other musicians, dancers, and vendors at this historic, Colonial-era home.

And on Tuesday, July 19, plan on heading to the Irish Center to hear Galway singer-songwriter Don Stiffe in his first Philadelphia showing, performing with Gabriel Donohue. Stiffe has a distinctive, goose-bump-raising voice and an eclectic playlist that includes everything from traditional ballads to Richard Thompson, his own tunes, and even some surprises (if you liked Nat King Cole’s version of “Mona Lisa,” wait till you hear Don’s take on this Jay Livingston song!). We talked to him this week and we’ll have an interview up next time.

Free Blackthorn tunes this week.

Going to the beach this weekend? Think you can evade your duties as a respectable, card-carrying Irishperson?

Guess again, bucko.

If you’re headed down the Shore, you can get your Irish on big-time at Ireland and Old Lace in Historic Smithville, a few miles north of A.C., from 11 to 2 on Saturday. That distinctive little shop (615 East Moss Mill Road in Galloway) will host the kickin’ Celtic rock band Barleyjuice. You can also buy food and beer. Rumor has it, you can buy cheese and onion Taytos crisps.

Hmmmm … food, beer and Irish rock. All of life’s essentials, and all at the Jersey Shore over July 4th weekend, to boot. Does life get any better than this? Oh, yeah, it does … it’s free! Dip your pale Irish body in a vat of SPF 70, and get there.

Sunday, July 4th, brings us another Sunday of Irish tunes and community with the Vincent Gallagher Hour at 11 a.m., followed at high noon by “Come West Along the Road” with Marianne MacDonald, all on WTMR-800 AM. If you can’t pick it up on the radio, hear it clear as a bell on the Web.

You can keep the Independence Day Hibernian buzz going. Head out to Molly Maguire’s in Phoenixville for the Irish music session with Kane and Beatty, starting at 3.

Later in the week, Thursday to be specific, you have a tough, tough choice:

a.) Take yourself out to the ball game. The Camden Riversharks are celebrating Irish Heritage Night Thursday at the beautiful Campbell’s Field, 401 North Delaware Ave., in Camden. the Riversharks are playing the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. (So, wait … is it an Irish festival or a seafood festival?) Game time is 7:05. Special deal for our Irish Philly fans: Tickets are only 5 bucks when you use the group code “irish” to buy your tickets. Contact Mark in the Riversharks front office at 856-583-0031 or mschieber@riversharks.com.

b.) Pack up your lawn chairs and a picnic dinner for a special free concert by the boys of Blackthorn, at Prospect Park, starting at 7 p.m.

Baseball … Blackthorn. Blackthorn … baseball. Decisions, decisions …

You Delco Irish have a big, fun-filled day in the sun lined up. Next Saturday from 1 to 4, the Irish Club of Delaware County hosts its 2nd annual Irish Picnic at Knights of Columbus De La Salle Pool, 18 Baltimore Pike, in Springfield. Round Tower provides the music (they were great at the Penn’s Landing Irish Festival), the Celtic Flame Dancers will take to their toes, and you can spend the afternoon swimming, playing games, perusing the vendor stalls, and chowing down on picnic chow. Beer and other bevvies, too, of course.

See you next time!

The Roses

Yet another festival this weekend, this one Scottish (but hey, a Celt’s a Celt). The Celtic Fling and Highland Games goes on in Manheim, in Lancaster County, on Saturday with music, dancing, craftsmen and big, beefy athletes who toss things that look like telephone poles into the air to see who can heft them the farthest. Trust us, this is way fun.

Closer to home, you can watch a group of smart, talented, lovely young women compete for the coveted Mid-Atlantic Rose of Tralee crown. There are four Philly entries (good luck, girls!) plus young women from up and down the eastern seaboard vying for the chance to compete for the international title in Ireland. It all takes place at the Irish Center on Saturday night. The bargain price of $35 per tickets gets you dinner, dancing, and a chance to play along (come on, we know you pick the winners when you’re watching Miss Universe at home!).

AOH Black Jack Kehoe Division is holding its annual Night of Irish Music at the Briarcliffe American Legion Hall in Glenolden on Saturday night. The Shantys and other local groups are on the bill, and there’s food and drink as well.

Then, can you take another festival? Sure you can! On Sunday, Bristol Borough holds its annual Celtic Day on the waterfront, featuring the Irish American String Band, bagpiper Ian Ferrick, McHugh and Company, Paddy’s Well and the Fitzpatrick School of Irish Dance. BYO lawn chair, but there’ll be food and goodies to buy and entertainment for the kids.

Other than the sessions just about every night of the week, it’s a bit slow, probably because of the July 4 weekend coming up. We’ll peek a little ahead because there’s some fine stuff coming up, including a free concert with Barleyjuice in Galloway, NJ, on July 3.

Later in July, the incredible Don Stiffe, a singer-songwriter from County Galway, is coming to the Irish Center. You won’t believe this voice! You’ll probably be hearing it on Marianne MacDonald’s “Come West Along the Road” radio show on Sundays at noon on WTMR 800AM since she’s bringing this enormously talented musician to the area. Writing about Stiffe’s first release, “Start of a Dream,” Sean Laffey of Irish Music magazine said “the album is in the premier league… style, taste, pace and final execution are flawless and his choice of songs is inspired … a class act, with a class album.”

Later in the summer, the fiddle-playing Kane sisters, Liz and Yvonne, from Connemara, will be on stage at the Irish Center for a Philadelphia Ceili Group concert.

Some serious networking going on here—at the first get-together of the Irish Network-Philadelphia at Tir na nOg.

Irish Ambassador Michael Collins makes an appearance in Philly this week at the official launch of Irish Network-Philadelphia, an organization that brings together Irish and Irish-Americans from every walk of life for networking of every stripe. It all takes place on Thursday night, June 24, on the rooftop of the Phoenix Building at 16th and Arch. The first round of tickets ($50) were sold out, so a second batch was issued and they’re going fast.

Don’t forget—this weekend is the 10th annual Penn-Mar Irish Festival in Glen Rock, near York. Enjoy music by Amhranai Na Gaeilge, Barleyjuice, Irish Blessing, Martin Family Band, Raining Hearts, Rossnareen, The Spalpeens, and Susquehanna Pipes & Drums. Irish dance performances will be presented by Broesler School of Irish Dance, Hooley School of Irish Dance, McGinley School of Irish Dance, Ni Riain School of Irish Dance, and Oh! Gill’s Irish Dancers. There are children’s activities, vendors, prize, food, and you get points because the proceeds goes to fund Penn-Mar Human Services, a nonprofit that provides support for people with disabilities and their families.

On Tuesday, go to happy hour at the AOH Div. 87 hall on Wakeling Street in Philadelphia and help supply food for the needy: To get in, you need to bring a food card or a money donation for the Hibernian Hunger Project.

On Wednesday, author Tom Lyons will be at the Irish Immigration Center in Upper Darby to talk about his new book, “You Can’t Get To Heaven on the Frankford El” during the regular 12:30 lunch.

On Friday, Green Willow is bringing Scottish musician Paul McKenna and his band to Timothy’s at Wilmington Hall on the riverfront in Wilmington. This is the first U.S. tour of this band that combines traditional music with original songs and tunes. You can have your dinner at Timothy’s and enjoy the river breezes while listening to the music.

And don’t forget—get your tickets now for the 2010 Mid-Atlantic Rose of Tralee Selection Gala on Saturday, June 26, at the Irish Center. Four Philadelphia-area women will be competing with Rose winners from the Mid-Atlantic states to be crowned the Mid-Atlantic Rose. The winner will go to Ireland this summer to vie for the international crown on national TV in Ireland—it’s the most watched program on Irish TV!

The 2009 Rose of Tralee, Charmaine Kenny, of London, will be coming to Philadelphia for the event.

For $35, you get a buffet dinner, entertainment, and a chance to be part of a real reality show! And you can order your tickets online.