How to Be Irish in Philly

The Hall of Fame Dinner is on Sunday night.

This is one jumping weekend, Irish-wise. And the week is shaping up too.

We have the Delaware Valley Hall of Fame dinner on Sunday, honoring Jim McGill, former president of and moving force behind the Philadelphia Ceili Group; popular tavern owner Emmett Ruane who gave many local Irish musicians their start and, till his Emmett’s Place pub closed a few years ago, provided a dance floor for local ceili fans; and Bill and Frank Watson, twin brothers who brough the tragedy of Duffy’s Cut to light. This marks the first time that the Commodore John Barry Award will be given—and, appropriately, the winner is Commodore Barry himself, the Wexford-born father of the US Navy, a Revolutionary War hero, and a Philadelphian.
Tickets are not being sold at the door.

And for the rest of the weekend, let’s start from the top:

On Saturday, 11 AM is tee time for the Philadelphia Irish Golf Charities, which raises money for families in need. It takes place at Cobbs Creek Golf Course.

At 3 PM, catch Slainte—that Jamison’s Frank Daly and C. J. Mills—at Paddywhacks on Welsh Road in Philly.

At 6 PM, a little Celtic with a French flair—a Fest Noz, a traditional dance from Brittany, one of the seven Celtic nations—is happening at Sts. Simon and Jude Parish in Bethlehem.

And at 7 PM, the Jameson Sisters—Ellen Tepper on harp, Teresa Kane on everything else—will be performing their annual “Concert at the Castle,” at Fonthill, the concrete castle in Doylestown. Great ambiance, fabulous music.

At 9 PM, Jamison will be rocking out at Tir Na Nog in Philly, while the Broken Shillelaghs will be at Nipper’s Pub in Westville, NJ.

On Sunday morning, the Coyle School will be holding its feis at Sportsplex of PA in Feasterville.

At 2 PM on Sunday, Sister Marie Hubert Kealy of Immaculata College will be speaking on Celtic spirituality at the Riverton Library in Riverton, NJ.

At 4 PM, local musicians, including Bob Hurst of the Bogside Rogues, John O’Callaghan of Jamison, Joe Mullan and Pat Tohery of Celtic Connection, and the groups One Shot Paddy and the Shantys will be jamming at Ashburner Inn at 8400 Torresdale Avenue in Philadelphia, all to raise money for the AOH Freedom for All Ireland Christmas appeal, which helps many groups and individuals in Northern Ireland.

Also at 4 PM, Blackthorn is on stage at Spring Hill Manor in Ivyland also raising money, this time for Shamrock Reins, an equine therapy center in Pipersville for military veterans, first responders and their families. Read our story about the center.

At 5 PM, the Montgomery County AOH/LAOH will have its annual memorial mass at Sacred Heart Church in Swedesburg.

Well, that’s about all I can do in one weekend. But, wait, there’s more—the whole rest of the week!

On Tuesday, Galway Guild (Joe Magee’s band) will be playing the Smithville Irish Fest in Smithvill, NJ.

Also on Tuesday, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust Street, in Philadelphia will offer a free program featuring many experts on 19th century Irish immigration. The focus will be on Philadelphia. My people came here in the 19th century—did yours?

More Tuesday doings: The Irish Pub is hosting a fundraiser to raise money for a statue of Babe Heffron—one of the Philadelphia vets who was part of the “band of brothers”—to be erected in the city. Appropriate for Veteran’s Day, a is he program at the AOH Notre Dame Div, 1 Hall in Swedesburg, featuring Montgomery County Sheriff Russell Bono and the Irish Thunder pipes and drums.

On Wednesday, the Battlefield Band will bring some Scottish folk music to the Sellersville Theater. You’ll be surprised—or maybe not—at how it sounds a lot like Irish folk music. Same people, different country.

On Thursday, this may be your last chance to catch Black 47 as they hit World Café Live in Philadelphia as part of their farewell tour.

On Friday, Dublin singer-songwriter Declan O’Rourke will be headlining at World Café with Robert Williams, a critically acclaimed writer and filmmaker who is also a musician and songwriter. And apparently an overachiever. I’ve heard lots of great things about Declan O’Rourke too. Since he’s in Philadelphia, he’s likely to perform his new song about Duffy’s Cut.

All-Ireland fiddler Dylan Foley will be joining fiddler Rose Conway Flanagan of Cherish the Ladies and flute-player Laura Byrne at a house concert on Saturday in Ambler. This was originally scheduled for the Irish Center. Check the Philadelphia Ceili Group’s website for more information.

As always, check out the calendar for all the details and any late-breaking events that are added during the week. We always try to update you on Facebook, so join our group there. There’s more than 4,500 of us!

St. Malachy’s Church: Great venue for a Mick Moloney concert.

There is so much Irish fun this week it will make your head spin. I’m going to have to go out on Halloween as the kid from The Exorcist.

First, there’s an intercollegiate Irish dance festival at Villanova (we’re fighting over who gets to go out and take photos) on Saturday, starting at 9 AM at the Jake Nevin Field House on campus.

On Saturday evening, the Mayo Ball takes place for the 109th time at The Irish Center. I’ve seen photos of the ballroom and it’s already sparkling in Mayo red and green.

Also on Saturday evening, Blackthorn in coming out for its 13th year in a row to raise money for little Kayleigh Moran (who’s not so little anymore). Kayleigh has a rare metabolic disease and the fundraiser helps with her treatment costs. The festivities are at Cardinal O’Hara High School in Springfield.

For our friends in Wilmington, you get Timlin and Kane at Katherine Rooney’ Pub on Saturday night—great music, terrific comedy.

And The Broken Shillelaghs will be appearing at Tavern on the Edge in Gloucester City, NJ, just over one of those bridges from Philly.

On Sunday, an event many of us wait for—Mick Moloney and Friends will be at St. Malachy’s Church in North Philadelphia for their annual Irish Concert. If you’ve never been, Moloney has some talented friends and the church is a jewel of a place with great acoustics for concerts. The money raised goes to St. Malachy’s School, a remarkable institution with a great track record for its alums.

On Wednesday, the Irish Minister for the Diaspora (that’s us) Jimmy Deenihan will be visiting The Irish Center, 6815 Emlen Street, Philadelphia, at 10 AM. All are invited.

On Wedneday evening, Dublin singer-songwriter Declan O’Rourke and Tyrone’s Mickey Coleman will be appearing at St. James Episcopal Church in Lancaster in a tribute to the dead of Duffy’s Cut, 57 Irish immigrants who died or were killed while working on the railroad in Malvern in 1832. Joe Devoy, himself an Irish immigrant and owner of Tellus360, a concert venue in Lancaster, will perform a spoken word piece about Duffy’s Cut. This is a WXPN and Tellus360 concert.

On Friday, November 7, Pearse Doherty, finance spokesperson for Sunn Fein and TD for Donegal South West, will be speaking at The Irish Center on current economic and other conditions in Ireland today.

Also on Friday night, Jamison will be performing at AOH 39 on Tulip Street in Philadelphia.

Next weekend, the Celtic Cultural Alliance in Bethlehem is sponsoring a Fest-Noz, a traditional dance gathering from Brittany, much like a ceili, at Sts. Simon and Jude Parish Hall in the city. Brittany is one of the “seven nations” that traces their roots back to Celtic culture.

Next Sunday, the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame will be honoring the Philadelphia Ceili Group’s Jim McGill, former publican and Irish cultural promoter Emmett Ruane, and Bill and Frank Watson, twin brothers who brought the tragedy of Duffy’s Cut to light. A special new award, The Barry Award, will be given posthumously to Commodore John Barry, born in Wexford, who lived in Philadelphia and fought valiantly in the Revolutionary War. He is considered the father of the US Navy.

For more information on these events and others, see our calendar. Tell it we sent you.

Hannah Griffin of Newtown Square is ready for Samhain–are you?

A Halloween-themed beef-and-beer, the first of several fundraisers for the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade, takes place this Saturday at St. Denis Church Hall in Havertown. Wear a costume—there are prizes!

And don’t forget, this week is also Samhain (pronounced sow-in, it’s Irish for Halloween). It’s traditional to eat barmbrack to celebrate this end-of-summer holiday. It’s also traditional to have plenty of candy on hand for the ghosts, ghouls, goblins, and Disney princesses who come to your house and yell, “Trick or treat!”

“A Night with Lady G,” featuring three plays by Irish playright Augusta, Lady Gregory continues this week at Plays and Players Theater in Philadelphia, as does “The Weir” by Conor McPherson in Jenkintown.

On Sunday, there’s a ceili at the Irish Center in Wilmington, a ballad session at Fergie’s in Philadelphia with John Byrne. You can ask John about his upcoming tour of Ireland—one you can join!

Irish language classes continue at Villanova on Monday.

Next Saturday is a biggie. There’s an Intercollegiate Irish Dance Festival at Villanova Field House, the 13th Annual Ceili for Kayleigh, a Blackthorn fundraiser for a young girl with a rare disease, and the 109th Mayo Ball will be held at the Irish Center.

And on Sunday, former Limerick and Philadelphia resident, musician Mick Moloney, will be bringing some talented friends to the city for a concert, an annual event to raise money for St. Malachy’s School in North Philadelphia. The event is held in the magnificent church, built more than a century ago by Irish immigrants.

The Dublin Guitar Quartet

The Cavan Ball is this Saturday at The Irish Center. There’s a long tradition of county society balls in the Philadelphia area. They’re a chance to get dressed up, have a nice meal, listen to—or, more often than not—dance to some great music, this time from the Vince Gallagher Band.

Also on Saturday night, the Glenside Gaelic Club is holding a fundraising “Wine and Dine” evening, with gourmet food and wine pairings. It takes place at the McSwiney Club in Jenkintown and benefits the youth leagues.

Catch continuing performances of the plays, “A Night with Lady G” and “The Weir,” both Irish plays, in the area this week. (See our calendar for more details.)

Irish language classes continue at Villanova on Monday. Learn to speak Gaelic with a Donegal accent.

On Tuesday, the Dublin Guitar Quartet will be performing at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square. Using eight and 11-string guitars, the quartet explores music not usually associated with guitars, including contemporary classical music. There’s a coffee reception with the performers after the show.

On Wednesday, the Shantys bring their musical talents—no shortage of rebel tunes!– to the stage at AOH Div. 61 Hall on Rhawn Street in Philadelphia.

On Thursday morning, it will be Rose of Tralee Day in Philadelphia, as city council issues a proclamation honoring the International Rose of Tralee, Maria Walsh, who lives in Philadelphia. Ceremonies take place at 10 AM at City Hall.

Singer Mary Black, making her last overseas tour, makes a stop in Phoenixville where she and her band—and her daughter, singer-songwriter Roisin O—will be at the Colonial Theater. Read our interview with the Dublin-born singer.

Next Saturday, try out your Halloween costume early at the first of several fundraisers for the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade—a Halloween party at St. Denis Hall in Havertown. There will be prizes for best get-up, as well as food and music because this, after all, is an Irish event. (That means there will probably be raffles and a 50-50.)

You can add your own event to our calendar. Go to the top of the page, click on “Events Calendar,” then “Submit your event” and do everything the nice instructions tell you to do. Don’t look for your event right away. We get notified via email, then we have to do some clicking ourselves to put it up on the calendar.

The real Lady Augusta Gregory, whose plays are in Philadelphia for a run.

Duffy’s Cut dominates the calendar this week. Along with a day-long symposium on Saturday at Immaculata which employs the arts to explore the mystery of the deaths of 57 Irish railroad workers in Malvern in 1832, Immaculata Professor William Watson, who led an archeological dig that found the bodies, will also be speaking on Tuesday at AOH Division 39 Hall on Tulip Street in Philadelphia.

History buffs might also enjoy “A Night with Lady G,” a trilogy of funny plays by celebrated Irish playwright Augusta, Lady Gregory, which opens at Plays and Players Theater on Delancey Street in Philadelphia. My favorite Lady Gregory quotes: “It is the old battle, between those who use a toothbrush and those who don’t” and “I feel more and more the time wasted that is not spent in Ireland.”

For some great music, head to the Tin Angel, where The John Byrne Band opens for the Palm Ghosts at the Tin Angel on Second Street in the city.

The JBB will be in Jim Thorpe on Sunday for the Fall Foliage Fest. History buffs can enjoy the fest and also check out the jail where the Irish miners, the Molly Maguires, were hanged, in this beautiful little town.

On Sunday, be prepared to burn some serious calories at the Ceili at AOH Notre Dame Div. 1 in Bridgeport.

Later, head down to the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts to hear the Makem and Spain Brothers (yes, that Makem—they’re the sons of Tommy Makem) for an evening of Irish folk music.

There won’t be any Irish language lessons at Villanova on Monday, October 13 because the university is closed that day. Classes will resume on October 20.

On Friday, the Pulley and Buttonhole Theater Company is performing Conor McPherson’s play, The Weir, which will run Fridays and Saturdays, the 17, 18, 24. and 25 at 305 Old York Road in Jenkintown (the theater is on the second floor and there is no elevator).

Looking ahead: Iconic Irish singer Mary Black will be appearing on October 24 at the Colonial Theater in Phoenixville. This is her “last call” tour—she’s retiring from touring the world after 30 years. The first of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day fundraisers takes place on October 25—a beef and beer at St. Denis Church Hall in Havertown.

Please check our calendar for details and updates.

Get ready for some Gaelic football on the brand new Limerick Field October 4.

For as long as we’ve been cranking out this website (I think we’re heading into our ninth St. Patrick’s Day season in 2015) the Philadelphia Gaelic Athletic Association has been planning, fundraising, and creating its new field in Limerick. And now, it’s opening for the first time for play.

On Saturday, October 4, Irish Vice Consul Anne McGllicuddy and head of the US GAA board Gareth Fitzsimons will be on hand as teams take to the brand new field, starting at 11 AM with a St. Joe’s Vs. Alumni game followed by McCartan Cup play, hurling, an over-40 game (hopefully there will be a defibrillator standing by) and a game pitting American-born players vs. the Irish born. The McDade Cara Irish Dancers will be there, and there will be food and festivities all day at the field, which is located at 485 Longview Avenue, Limerick.

If you’ve never seen Gaelic football or hurling, you’re in for a treat. Warning: You might get hooked. We are!

It’s quite a busy day in Irish Philadelphia land. At 2 PM on Saturday the Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 87 is holding a forum on the question of Irish freedom, an issue that has taken center stage again as the result of the Scottish independence vote last month. Guest speakers from the 1916 Societies of Ireland, an Irish separatist movement, will be on hand.

On Saturday night, top trad performers Jackie Daly (accordion) and Matt Cranitch (fiddle) will be on stage at the Irish Center for a Philadelphia Ceil Group concert. There are also workshops in the afternoon.

On Sunday, head to the high seas—oh, okay, just the Delaware River—for Irish music on the A.J. Meerwald, a 120-foot oyster schooner, a tall ship of New Jersey. The mini-cruise, featuring Friends of Eric, will sail the river from Penns Landing.

On Monday, get teed off at the Jack McNamee Masters of the Green Golf Tournament at Paxson Hollow Country Club in Broomall—a fundraiser for the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

On Wednesday, Anne Cadwallader, author of “Lethal Allies: British Collusion in Ireland,” an Irish bestseller, will be speaking and signing books at AOH Div. 39 in Philadelphia. Drawing on police files, Cadwallader documents collusion between the Ulster Defense Regiment, the Royal Ulster Constabulary, and illegal loyalist paramilitaries on both sides of the Irish border. The book names more than 20 police and soliders involved in murders and coverups and includes interviews with the relatives of the 120 victims who were killed on both sides of the border.

On Thursday, Plays and Players will present “An Evening with Lady G”—no, not Gaga, but Lady Augusta Gregory, the Irish playwright—at its theater on Delancey Street. The play runs through October 25.

On Friday, the John Byrne Band teams up with old friends, Citizens Band Radio, at Havana’s in New Hope. The JBB will also be playing at the Tin Angel on October 11 and at the Fall Foliage Fest in Jim Thorpe on October 12.

Look for more details on these and other events on our calendar.

She’s having a good time at The Irish Center. Come on Sunday!

There are two really big events this week–open house at The Irish Center in Philadelphia and the Celtic Classic, three days of music, highland games, and haggis eating in Bethlehem.

There won’t be any haggis at the Irish Center on Sunday, but there will be authentic Irish edibles from the Irish Coffee Shop in Upper Darby (try the sausage rolls—they’re amazing!), dancers from five different Irish step dancing schools who will not only perform but will show you how to do a few steps, and music all day featuring local talent including two-fifths of Blackthorn (John and Michael Boyce) and their singing sister, Karen Boyce McCollum; sean nos singer Terry Kane; McDermott’s Handy, a duo made up of Dennis Gormley and Kathy DeAngelo, and some of the talented young musicians from The Next Generation musical group.

Festivities start in the morning at 10 with a full Irish breakfast. Vince Gallagher will be broadcasting both his radio show and Marianne MacDonald’s show (she’s in Ireland) starting at 11. There’s also a scone-baking contest (just whip up your best bread and bring it by about 2 PM) and you may be able to pick up some baking tips from the authentic Irish bakers who are entering their scone. I got some yesterday from Jimmy Meehan of County Donegal, but since Irish Philadelphia is sponsoring the competition, I’m not entering. But Jimmy is!

Face painter and balloon artist Sue Foo will be there to turn your little animals into, well, animals. There are also crafts projects for the kids, and a poster contest on “Why I Love Being Irish.” Kids can bring a poster they already made, or make one there.

There are also dozens of raffle baskets, many of them very kid-centric. Winners of the Golden Raffle—special items such as a bodhran made by Irish political prisoners, a pendant made from a 1769 Irish coin, and a Celtic Cross painted on glass—will be picked around 5:30 PM.

In Bethlehem this weekend, you can hear the Hooligans, Jamison, Searson, Burning Bridget Cleary, Cassie and Maggie MacDonald, the John Whelan Band, the Kilmaine Saints, Timlin and Kane, and many more at Celtic Fest in Bethlehem. That’s when you’re not watching big burly men toss telephone poles or border collies herding sheep or trying haggis for the first time (tastes like liver).

On Saturday, Blackthorn is headlining the Norwood Community Day and Irish Festival in Norwood. Festivities start at 10 AM and run till 6 PM.

On Sunday, the Theresa Flanagan Band will be playing at McGillicuddy’s in Upper Darby and there’s a ballad session at Fergies in Philadelphia with John Byrne.

On Monday, the first in a series of Irish language classes (Donegal dialect) starts in the Falvey Library at Villanova. These classes are free.

On Tuesday, catch Dublin-born Imelda May (now of Northern Liberties) and her band, the Bellfuries, at Union Transfer in Philadelphia. Her first CD, “Love Tattoo,” has gone triple platinum in Ireland.

On Thursday, the High Kings will be performing at the Sellersville Theater.

On Friday, the Gloucester County AOH will be holding a fundraiser in memory of Damian Gallagher that provides scholarships to students at Gloucester County Catholic High School. Damien Gallagher, a Donegal native, was a student at the high school who died at the age of 23.

Next Saturday, plan to make a trip up to Limerick for the grand opening of the new Gaelic Athletic Association field. You can see Gaelic football, hurling, dancers from McDade Cara, with special guests that include the Deputy Consul General of Ireland, Anne McGillicuddy and Gareth Fitzsimons, chair of the national GAA board in the US. This field has been many years in the making, the result of lots of hard work and fundraising by the Philadelphia GAA. Go cheer them on!

Also on Saturday, October 4, two top Irish trad musicians Matt Cranitch and Jackie Daley will be performing at the Irish Center. This is a Philadelphia Ceili Group production.

You might run into these guys from Irish Thunder in Wildwood.

Oh, do we have a weekend for you.

First of all, we’re still raising funds to help keep the Philadelphia Irish Center doors open. You can help (and have a lot of fun doing it) by trying your hand at Quizzo tonight at the Irish Center, starting at 7:30. $10 a person, teams of six. Games, prizes and tunes. We’ve mentioned it before (and it’s been on our calendar since forever), so consider this last call.

(Hey, and if you can’t be there, you can still help with a donation. Visit our fund-raising site: http://www.gofundme.com/save-the-irish-center.

Next up, we know you love the shore, and frankly, it’s probably not going to be 90 degrees and humid again for a long while, but on the other hand, we don’t have four feet of snow on the ground yet, either.

My point: Get to the shore while the getting is good. And here’s where you should go this weekend, specifically: North Wildwood. It’s the weekend of one of the biggest honkin’ Irish festivals on the East Coast, if not anywhere.

The North Wildwood Festival actually started yesterday, but it really begins to hit its stride tonight, and on into the weekend.

You have a pretty nice weekend for it, too. Mid- to high-70s Saturday and Sunday, partly sunny.

If you’ve never been, steel yourself. The North Wildwood Irish Festival is an endurance test. How early than you get up? How late can you stay up? Because there is always something going on along Olde New Jersey Avenue, with vendors from 8 a.m. to 7p.m., and that includes some really incredible food. (We’re a sucker for the fresh-made, right-on-the-spot curly fries.)

There’s music everywhere along the avenue, much of it free, including bands like the Birmingham 6, Ballina, the Broken Shillelaghs, singer Timmy Kelly (ask him to sing “McNamara’s Band” … it’s a crowd pleaser), and our own 12-year-old fiddle phenom Haley Richardson.

There’s no dearth of pubs in North Wildwood an thereabouts, and a lot of them have non-stop music. Among the best known: Blackthorn, at La Costa Lounge on 4000 Landis Avenue in nearby Sea Isle. Talk about your crowd-pleasers.

Saturday morning, there’s a 5K starting at 8 a.m. Registration is between 1st and 2nd on Olde New Jersey Avenue.

If you don’t want to exert yourself, watch the Brian Riley Pipe Band Exhibition starting at 10 a.m. at 8th and Central.

BIG parade Sunday, starting at 12:30 at 20th and Surf, with the bands making their way up to Spruce and Olde New Jersey Avenue.

Details here:
http://www.cmcaoh.com/pdf/iff/2014/daily_events.pdf

The festivals don’t end there. One of the biggest highland games and festivals on the Coast—the Celtic Classic—starts September 26 in Bethlehem. You owe it to yourself to go. It really is one of the best.

http://www.celticfest.org

Enough with the festivals, already.

If you’re a fan of Gaelic Athletics—and you really should be—you can catch the live televised Donegal vs. Kerry All-Ireland Finals at the Irish Center Sunday morning, starting at 8:15. Pretty safe bet there will be a few folks from Donegal on hand. As in, dozens.

A quick look ahead to next Saturday: It’s the Norwood Community Day and Irish Festival with Blackthorn. Norwood Borough Lower Park. Music from 10 to 8:30, with Blackthorn closing out the day.

Please check our fabulous calendar every waking hour so you don’t miss anything!