How to Be Irish in Philly

This may be a first—there are no big events on our calendar this week. Given the vagaries of our weather, that’s probably a good thing. Of course, there are music sessions and ceili dancing from Philadelphia to Bethlehem as there are every week, but there are some big things coming up that you should know about.

First the Irish American Business Chamber and Network is holding its Ambassador Awards on February 20 at the Hyatt at The Bellevue on Broad Street in Philadelphia. SAP USA, a an international business software company with an office in Newtown Square, will receive The Ambassador Award from Anne Anderson, the Irish ambassador to the US at the luncheon event.

Also honored will be Denis P. O’Brien, senior executive vice president of Exelon Corporation and chief executive officer of Exelon Utilities, a provider of energy services who will receive the Taoiseach Award, and Ann Claffey Baiada, a founder and director of Bayada Nurses, a home health care company headquartered in Moorestown,NJ, will accept the Uachtaran Award.

For more information, contact the Chamber via its website.

The Delco Gael’s annual fundraiser, Dancing Like a Star, is scheduled for February 21 at the Springfield Country Club in Springfield, Delaware County. And it’s not too soon to order tickets. The event regularly sells out. Money from the event helps support the Gaels, a youth Gaelic sports club that’s the largest in the Philadelphia area, with more than 300 children playing footballs, hurling and camogie last year.

The dancing contestants this year: Siobhan Trainor and James Conboy; Anita Robbins and Joe McCormick; Laurie McGarrity and Bill McClafferty; Kathleen Seward and Tom Farrelly; MaryAnn Klein and Tom Ivory; Amy McKeever and Brian Gondek; Genevieve Smith and Paul Welsh; Charlotte Comasky and Caine Donaghy.

I shouldn’t play favorites, but this is my all-time favorite fundraiser of the year. The Gaels know how to put the “fun” in fundraiser and if you’re free that night, you’ll have a great time—guaranteed.

For more information or to buy tickets, go to the Gael’s website where you can also find out about the Delco Gaels Open House and Indoor Leage. The open house is on Tuesday, January 11, at Maple Zone Aston, 1451 Conchester Highway, Garnet Valley, and the indoor league follows over the next six weeks.

 

Merry Christmas to all of you from all of us!

Christmas is on Wednesday this week. There are some Wednesday events that recur weekly on our calendar so those are likely to be cancelled this week—but check. Some dancers will leave their Christmas table if there’s a good eight-hand reel to be had.

Going up till Christmas, we have some local groups performing: The Shanty’s at Paddywhack’s in Philly and Jamison at RP McMurphy’s in Holmes on Saturday.

On December 26, head over to the Knights of Columbus Hall for the 14th annual Wren Party, with live music and dancing and parade of wren hats. For more about the Wren tradition, read our story and check out some photos and a video from a past party.

On Friday, The Broken Shillelaghs will be at Dubh Linn Square in Bordentown, NJ.

Check back to see if more events are added to our calendar this coming week. We won’t be publishing, but we will be updating and letting you know on our Facebook page.

Snow may scotch your plans for the weekend. We’ve already had one cancellation—no Rose of Tralee Christmas party on Saturday. Call ahead to see if your event is going on like the US Postal Service—in spite of rain, snow, sleet, and freezing rain.

For instance, Timlin and Kane will be performing, God willing, at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, one of the best cities in the world in which to be snowed-in at Christmas time.

On Thursday, local singer-songwriter and former Blackthorn guitarist Seamus Kelleher will be opening for fellow Irish singer-songwriter Pierce Turner at The Tin Angel in Philadelphia.

On Friday, Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul will be appearing at Sellersville Theatre while Cathy Maguire will be performing music from her CD, Ireland in Song, along with Gabriel Donohue and Vonnie Quinn, at a special Christmas concert at Our Lady Mother of the Church in Woodcliff Lake, NJ.

Another embarrassment of riches this weekend as Solas comes to the World Café Live in Philadelphia and American Celtic Christmas featuring Jamison and John Byrne and the Celtic Flame Dancers, among others, happens in Bensalem.

Then, on Sunday, Irish Network Philadelphia holds its annual Christmas fundraiser at Tir na Nog in Philadelphia, featuring food, drink, live music and a visit from Santa. Proceeds will benefit the Kevin Neary Trust, to help the young Delaware County man who was shot and paralyzed in an apparent robbery attempt.

Also on Sunday, George Donaldson of Celtic Thunder will do his solo show at The Plough and the Stars in Philadelphia.

Please note that due to unforeseen circumstances, the Philadelphia Rose of Tralee Center’s Christmas party slated for this weekend has moved to December 14 at Maggie O’Neill’s in Drexel Hill. Lots of activities for the kiddies, plus a visit from Santa. The Center is collecting nonperishable foods for local food pantries.

On Wednesday., the Garden Theater in Princeton, NJ, will be screening an award-winning documentary on Bernadette Devlin, the Irish civil rights activist, which contains footage of the firebrand during the Troubles as well as rare interviews with her today. “Bernadette: Notes on a Political Journey” starts at 4:30 PM.

On Thursday, the Irish American Business Chamber and Network will be holding its annual 12th Night Before Christmas party at The Stotesbury Mansion (also known as the Philopatrian Club) at 1923 Walnut Street. Enjoy a pint and appetizers in front of the fire in this elegant mansion off Rittenhouse Square.

And to round out the week, the Broken Shillelaghs and the Culchies will be performing at the Gloucester County AOH on Friday night, and Jamison will be at Building 24—is that anything like Area 51?—in Wyomissing, PA.

Still recovering from turkey day? One of the best ways to work off all those extra calories is to attend the Donegal Ball on Saturday night. You can dance them away to the songs and tunes of The John Byrne Band. If you know John Byrne and his band, you know they do both Celtic and original songs, but we hear Byrne has an alter ego, a la David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, so technically you’ll be dancing to the songs and tunes of Johnny Shamrock. The guy’s from Dublin—he knows his jigs and reels and dance tunes.

You have other musical options on Saturday. The Broken Shillelaghs will be at Lazy Lanigan’s Publick House in Sewell, NJ; Jamison will be at Curran’s in Tacony; and the Shanty’s will be at the Red Rooster Inn in Philly..

This of course is Mid-Atlantic Regional Oireachtas weekend at the Downtown Marriott in Philadelphia—hundreds of Irish dancers competing through Sunday.

On Sunday morning at 11 AM, the St. Anne’s Historical Committee will be honoring the Irish Civil War soldiers buried in the church cemetery on Lehigh Street in Philadelphia.

In the afternoon, head to Westville, NJ, for the Shanagolden Sunday Set event. Bring your dancing shoes.

On Tuesday, the Sellersville Theater is holding a free event—yes, free! Singer Bill Monaghan will perform and there will be free cookies and hot chocolate.

On Wednesday, Albert Eintein Medical Center is holding doing free Tay-Sachs testing for people of Irish descent. This degenerative and fatal genetic disease of infants is more prevalent among certain ethnic groups, including Eastern European Jews, Cajuns, and the Irish.

On Wednesday night, celebrate “Christmas with the Celts,” featuring Irish and Scottish Christmas carols dating back to the 12th century combined with modern drums and pop vocals at the Sellersville Theater.

And on Friday, the amazing Moya Brennan of Clannad will be performing her Christmas show with her band at Sellersville Theater.

And to complete the Celtic Christmas mood, there will be two shows of An American Celtic Christmas at Bensalem High School on Saturday, December 7, featuring Jamison Celtic Rock, John Byrne, Kimberly Killen, DJ Dan Cronin, Celtic Flame Dancers and dancers from the Bucks County Dance Center.

The Philadelphia Rose of Tralee Center is holding its annual Christmas party with Santa on Saturday, December 7, at Maggie O’Neill’s in Drexel Hill. It’s kid-friendly with arts and crafts, face painting, music, and a visit from Santa. Bring non-perishable foods which will be donated to local food pantries.

It’s turkey week and you’d think all would be quiet on the Irish front, but it’s not. Guess not everybody has to make stuffing, bake pies, iron tablecloths, polish silver and clean up before and after.

For example, it’s Mid-Atlantic Oireachtas Week! Hundreds of Irish dancers will descend upon the Philadelphia Downtown Marriott for three days of competition, from the littlest step dancers to adult dancers. If you’ve never been to an Oireachtas, it’s worth a trip. They are literally jigging in the aisles. You’ll be reeling.

But before that:

This Saturday, Jamison is performing at RP McMurphy’s in Holmes. And it’s Irish night in Glenside, lots of music, dancing, food and vendors to benefit the Glenside Gaelic Club and the Sean McBride Div. 2 of AOH.

On Sunday, the annual AOH/LAOH Winterfest Fundraiser, featuring live performances all day by Bogside Rogues, Celtic Connection, and other bands, takes place at Finnigan’s Wake in Philadelphia.

The Shantys are cutting it close with a happy hour performance at Paddywhacks at Welsh Road and the Boulevard on Wednesday night. That’s also the evening that Slainte performs at Curran’s in Bensalem and the Young Ireland Gaelic Football Club holds its Thanksgiving Eve Beef and Beer fundraiser at Paddy Rooney’s Pub in Havertown.

And if that’s not enough for you on Thanksgiving Eve: It’s Celtic Invasion at the World Café Live in Philadelphia! Invading are Barleyjuice, which has a new CD out, as well as Garaahan’s Ghost and Celtic Cross.

On Friday, catch Olive McElhone at JT Brewski’s in Primos, PA. (We saw him last night at St. Declan’s Well Pub in University City and he’s terrific.)

Or you can “get your Irish up” with Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfetones at the MacSwiney Club, that hotbed of republicanism and music, in Jenkintown.

Or you can hear harpist Ellen Tepper play a holiday concert at historic Glen Foerd on the Delaware on Grant Avenue in Philadelphia.

A week from this Saturday, the Donegal Association holds its 125th Ball and the Mary from Dungloe Pageant. There are nine smart, lovely women of Irish descent competing for the crown—and the trip to Ireland. That’s held every year at The Irish Center in Philadelphia.

On that following day—the first day of December– there will be a special 11 AM service at St. Anne’s Church in Philadelphia to honor the Irish Civil War soldiers buried in St. Anne’s historical cemetery.

Check our calendar for more details on all of these events–and the ones that are added during the week. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us and remember to eat responsibly.

Some of your favorite Celtic rockers are jamming this weekend to support the Philadelphia AOH Freedom for All Ireland committee, which is dedicated to the reunification of Ireland. You can hear Luke Jardel (The Hooligans), Bob Hurst (the Bogside Rogues), Jamison, the Shantys, the Celtic Connect and many more. The $30 ticket to get into Finnigan’s Wake in Philadelphia covers food, draft beer, wine, soda, and your donation to the AOH FFAI charities. (Catch the Shantys at Paddywhacks on the Boulevard on Saturday afternoon!)

Also on Sunday, the Coyle School will be having its feis at the Sportsplex of PA in Feasterville, the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame will induct four more Irish community stalwarts, and you can hear Paul Byrom, formerly of Celtic Thunder, at the Sellersville Theatre.

The play, “Once,” based on the movie set in Dublin, continues at the Academy of Music to rave reviews.

On Monday, Villanova University is sponsoring a talk by Maria McGarrity, associate professor of English at Long Island University, called “Framed Forever in the Last Century: James Joyce and Dublin Museum Culture in Derek Walcott’s Omeros.”

On Tuesday, dig up some ancestors with The Irish American Genealogical Society of Delaware County at the Irish Immigration Center in Upper Darby.

On Thursday, the Irish band Comas, featuring Isaac Alderson, will be at the Blue Ball Barn in Wilmington, DE.

And on Friday, catch Jamison at AOH 39 on Tulip Street in Philadelphia.

Check our calendar for more information and for late-breaking events.

Enjoy the week, and remember to be Irish responsibly.