How to Be Irish in Philly

If you thought last weekend was big, hold on to your shamrock deely bobbers. This is the really big St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

Here’s what’s happening Saturday:

• There are four St. Patrick’s Day parades, with Springfield, Delaware County, starting at West Springfield Road and Britton Road and ending at Saxer Avenue and Powell Road, beginning at 12 noon. Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 1 hosts the Montgomery County parade, beginning at 2 p.m., proceeding down Fayette Street in Conshohocken. Wilmington starts at 12 noon and runs through 1:45 p.m., stepping off from 4^thand King Streets. If you’re in the Lehigh Valley area, the Parade of Shamrocks starts at 1 p.m. in downtown Bethlehem, stepping off from 10^thAvenue and Broad Street, and continuing down Broad to Main, ending under the Hill-to-Hill Bridge. The weather looks great for all.
• Following the Bethlehem parade, it’s the Fáilte Festival at the Charles A. Brown Ice House, featuring a day’s entertainment, including Timlin and Kane with O’Grady Quinlan Academy of Irish Dance, the clown prince of Irish music Seamus Kennedy, and piper Robert Watt.(The festival continues Sunday.) Tickets here.
• Tenor Emmet Cahill of Celtic Thunder Fame is on stage at the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center, 601 North Lansdowne Avenue in Drexel Hill, starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets here.
• Michael Londra and the Celtic Fire—we interviewed him recently—appears with a big show of Irish music and dance at the Zellerbach Theatre, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut Street on the Penn campus. The show starts at 8 p.m. Info and tickets here.
• Catch Galway Guild at Xfinity Live, 1100 Pattison Avenue in South Philly. The band plays from 2 to 6 p.m.
• Starting at 2 p.m., the John Byrne Band takes the stage at Bucks County Playhouse, 70 S. Main Street in scenic New Hope. It’s part of the Playhouse’s weekend Irish Music Festival. Tickets are 20 bucks. It’s a fabulous venue. Following that, Celtic-American band The River Drivers appear on the Playhouse stage starting at 8. Tickets are $25.
• The 69^thPennsylvania Irish Volunteers Band hosts at St. Patrick’s Performance at Crooked Eye Brewery, 13 East Montgomery Avenue in Hatboro. The performance is from 7 to 11 p.m.
• Celtic Pride featuring Bill and Jim Monaghan and friends, plays the Washington Crossing Inn, 1295 General Washington Memorial Boulevard in Washington Crossing, at 8:30 p.m.
• Shenanigans returns to Marty Magee’s, 1110 Lincoln Avenue in Prospect Park, starting at 9 p.m. and continuing through the wee hours.

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The big question is … how can you not be Irish in Philly this week?

This is the week of the big Philly parade, among other things. And that’s kind of the point: there are a lot of other things.

Take a deep breath. Here’s what to do.

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It’s March, and we’re off and running.

First up, Saturday, and lots to do, more than we often have in a whole week:

• From 7 to 9:30 p.m., we have the very first ever Middle School Social at the Irish Center, 6815 Emlen Street in the Mount Airy neighborhood. The event is for 6^th, 7^thand 8^th (We’ve written about it before. Read the story.) It costs $10 to get in. Kids will be treated to D.J. music, pizza, snacks and soft drinks. Pre-registration is required. For details, contact Lisa Maloney at lisamaloney29@yahoo.com or call 215-514-1654. The social is well-chaperoned. Looks like a good time.
• Silver Lake Nature Center, 1306 Bath Road in Bristol, hosts the inimitable Irish singer Mary Courtney in concert in the Visitors Center. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 a person in advance (by March 1 at 5 p.m.) and $15 at the door. All the details here.
• Starting at 6:30 p.m., Good Shepherd Catholic School hosts Irish Night. The school is at 835 North Hills Avenue in Ardsley. This beef and beer is 40 bucks a ticket. Galway Guild provides the music, you provide the dancing. The tunes start at 8.
• Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 6 Montgomery County is kicking off the month with a St. Patrick’s Party, from 7 to 10 p.m., at Blessed Teresa of Calcutta School, 256 Swamp Pike in Schwenksville. Music by Reilly’s Daughter, featuring Tommy Conwell.
• The GAA hurling and camogie club Na Tóraídhe holds its biggest fund-raiser of the year at Tir Na Nog, 1600 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19103. It’s a formal, so you can play dress-ups. Contact Katkatrinaterrysterling@gmail.com or any club member. The fun starts at 7:30.
• Later that night (starting at 10 p.m., lasting ‘til the wee hours) the John Byrne Band plays music of the Pogues, also at Tir Na Nog.
• The Burlington County St. Patrick’s Day parade steps off at 1 p.m., marching down High Street from Fairgrounds Plaza in Mount Holly. In the neighborhood of 60 groups take part in the parade, including bagpipe bands and some of the area’s best Paddy Rock bands.
• It’s Irish Night with Round Tower, at Upper Darby American Legion Post 214, 6914 Chestnut Street in Upper Darby. The party starts at 8 p.m. Admission is $25 per person in advance, $30 at the door; or $40 per couple in advance, $50 at the door. Call 610-352-0702 for more information. Includes food and bottled beer. 50/50, raffles, and much more fun.

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Think of this week as a warm-up for March, which promises to be jam-packed. March 17—the big day itself—merits a “How to Be Irish in Philly” all by its own at this point, and the events keep pouring in.

It seems right to start with an event that can get you into the proper spirit for the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It’s a parade fund-raiser Sunday at Heroes Hall FOP Lodge 5, 11630 Caroline Road in Northeast Philadelphia. The event starts at 3 p.m.

You’ll get a chance to meet this year’s grand marshal, Sean McMenamin, as well as the Ring of Honor.

If you’re going—and by all means, go—the fund-raiser promises to be one super-fun afternoon. It costs $40 at the door, and $20 for children 13 and under. (Checks to be made out to SPDOA.) For your money, you get music from local Irish bands and the Philadelphia Emerald Society Pipe Band, and some high-stepping from the Cummins School of Irish Dance. There will be baskets of cheer, too, and plenty of food and draft beer. You get a lot for your money, and you can help support one of the best causes we can think of.

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One of the most exciting highlights of the Philly Irish calendar is set to step off this week. It’s Dancing Like a Star, a great competition to benefit the Delaware County Gaels Youth GAA Club. Details on that in a few moments.

But before that happens …

There’s a fundraiser Saturday sponsored by one of the dance teams—Team Red, a/k/a Tommy Higgins and Heather Crossan—at McKenna’s Kitchen and Market, 1901 Darby Road in Havertown. It’s a delectable brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and part of the proceeds will go to the Delco Gaels and helps Team Red in Dancing Like a Star. Go and strap on the old feedbag for a worthy cause.

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This week’s roundup includes a couple of activities for the kids that are really guaranteed to help them learn how to be Irish. Of course, there’s a lot for the rest of us, too.

First, a couple of quick reminders:

Tonight, try your luck at LAOH Division 87 Our Lady of Knock, 2171 Wakeling Street in Philly’s Port Richmond neighborhood, by playing Mystery Prize Bingo. It’ll cost you $35 for 10 rounds of bingo, desserts and coffee. BYOB and snacks. The event is from 7 to 10 p.m.

The winner of each round will pick up a “mystery” prize with a minimum retail value of $100. With 10 or more paid tickets, reserve a table. For tickets contact Nancy Jones at 267-241-4677 or nancyssimplefood@gmail.com

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If you like bingo and other games, this is your week.

Let’s start with a quick reminder. There’s a cash bingo tonight at St. George’s Church, 1 West Ardmore Avenue in Ardmore, to benefit the Irish Immigration Center of Greater Philadelphia’s Foróige Youth Club. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets $35. There will be 10 games and raffles. BYOB.

On Friday, you can try your luck at Mystery Prize Bingo, sponsored by Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 87 Our Lady of Knock, at 2171 Wakeling Street in Philly’s Port Richmond neighborhood. Tickets are 35 bucks and include 10 rounds of bingo, bringing you 10 chances to win cool mystery prizes valued at $100 each. The event includes coffee and desserts. BYOB and snacks. The games start at 7 p.m. For info, contact Nancy Jones at 267-241-4677 or email nancysimplefood@gmail.com.

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Sure, it’s cold. Hey, it’s January. But that’s no excuse not to get out and get Irish.

Here’s how to get your week started on a roll.

The Notre Dame Ladies Football Club is sponsoring a bowling night Saturday, starting at 5 p.m. at MacDade Bowl, 2105 MacDade Boulevard in Holmes, Delaware County. Admission fee is $20 per person and, just in case you don’t have bowling shoes, bowling shoe rental is included. It’s BYOB, and there will be raffles.

On a more serious note, on Sunday, the Derry Society of Philadelphia hosts a Bloody Sunday commemorative Mass at the Philadelphia Irish Center/Commodore John Barry Arts & Cultural Center. The Mass commemorates the 47^thanniversary of Bloody Sunday, and begins at 3 p.m. The Irish Center is at 6815 Emlen Street in the city’s Mount Airy neighborhood. (Right across from the Carpenter SEPTA station.) Refreshments to follow in the Fireside Room.

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