How to Be Irish in Philly

On November 13, 27-year-old Shane Kelly—an officer in the Ancient Order of Hibernians Div. 61, soccer player, pharmacy tech specialist at Jefferson Umiversity Hospital—was shot to death during an attempted robbery in Fishtown.

This Sunday,January 29, his friends and fellow Hibernians will be remembering him and raising money for his family at a benefit they’re calling “A Celebration of Shane’s Life” ay Cannstatters in Northeast Philadelphia. There will be lived bands, a DJ, live and silent auction, food and beer. Space is limited, so contact AOH Division 61 at 215-624-3007 for tickets, which cost $40.

Saturday night marks the return of Blackthorn to Archbishop Ryan High School in Philadelphia to raise money for the school’s scholarship fund. This annual event is always a sellout so check for details on our calendar and get tickets asap.

Also on Saturday night, the annual Celtic Spring concert at Sacred Heart Parish in Camden raises money for this parish and The Heart of Camden, a program founded by the late Sister Peg Hynes to help the poor and homeless. Singers Timlin and Kane, Marian Makins, fiddler Mary Malone, piper Den Vykopal, and the Miller Dancers plus other performers will be donating their talents.

On Sunday at noon, tune into WTMR-800 AM for the latest pledge drive for “Come West Along the Road,” the Sunday Irish radio show hosted by Marianne MacDonald. Eileen Lavin and the Tara Gael Dancers will be in the studio to take calls. Donors can win some great prizes, including tickets to see Solas, Paddy Maloney and the Chieftains, Altan, Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfetones. Pledge $50 or more and you’ll be entered into a a contest in which the grand prize is tickets to see “Evita” on Broadway–transportation included!–on March 24, or two tickets to Irish Night at the Phillies on June 19. Anyone who donates at least $50 will get a CD.

The Cara Irish Society of New Jersey is holding a membership drive open house on Sunday at the VFW Post on Black Horse Pike in Williamstown, NJ, from 1 to 5 PM. There’s food, beer, wine, and soda, and music will be provided by Celtic Spirit.

The Irish American Family History Society is meeting on Thursday at 11 AM in Voorhees, NJ. Genealogist Deborah Large Fox will present a program on the basics of Irish research.

Annalivia, five seasoned folk and Celtic performers, will appear at the Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, DE, on Thursday night.

Also on Thursday, the group Sylvia Platypus, is performing its rock opera, “Le Mirage/Dead City Philly” at the Rotunda at 4014 Walnut Street in Philadelphia.

On Friday, one of the most electrifying Celtic groups in the world, Solas, will be doing two shows at World Café Live in Philadelphia. And another of our favorite bands–this one local–will be playing at JD McGillicuddy’s. The John Byrne Band will be sharing the stage with the reunited band, Lazlo. Okay, so they share Andy Keenan, who also plays with Amos Lee and Citizens Band Radio. They’ll all be there together, and Keenan will be doing double duty.

On Friday, you can also catch up with Belfast Connection–they’re a spinoff ffrom Paddy’s Well–at Doc’s Irish Pub in Burlington, NJ (that’s right across the bridge from Bristol–you know, the Burlington Bristol Bridge).

We’ve been updating our calendar this week, and there’s plenty of craic coming up. Wait till you see the lineup in March. You’ll be seeing green! Have a St. Patrick’s Month event? You can put it on our self-serve calendar or email us with the information and we’ll put it on for you.

The mural, in Derry, depicting a famous photo taken on Bloody Sunday 1972. A Mass will be said at the Irish Center to commemorate the 40th anniversary.

You may not be making plans for St. Patrick’s Day yet, but lots of other people are. In fact, on Saturday, the High Street Grill in Mt. Holly is holding its Beer Tasting Fundraiser for the Burlington County parade, traditionally the first on the street in March in this region. There will be more than 30 craft beers to try at $30 for the event.

That’s not the only fundraiser this weekend. Blackthorn is back to help raise money for AOH charities supported by the AOH Black Jack Kehoe Div. 1 in Delaware County. Hone your knowledge of local history: Look up Black Jack Kehoe on the Internet and read about a fascinating chapter in Irish American—and Pennsylvania—history.

You can also catch the cute and cuddly Gerry Timlin and Tom Kane at The Shanachie in Ambler on Saturday night.

On Sunday, the Sons and Daughters of Derry (The Derry Society) is sponsoring a Mass at the Irish Center, 6815 Emlen Street, Philadelphia, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the event that came to be known as Bloody Sunday, when 13 people were killed by British troops during a peaceful protest march in Derry on January 30, 1972.

On Thursday, join in the networking fun (and grab some free eats) with Irish Network-Philly at The Black Sheep, an Irish pub near Rittenhouse Square. There will be drink specials as well as a chance to meet up with other Celtic folks like yourself.

On Friday, look for the Broken Shillelaghs at Dublin Square Pub in Sewell, NJ.

And next Saturday, Blackthorn returns to raise even more money, this time for Archbishop Ryan Alumni Association’s scholarship fund. This event sells out so make your reservations quickly. You must be over 21 to attend.

Blackthorn is on tap this weekend--and for the following two.

A minor snafu last week put our calendar on the disabled list, but it’s back and you can post your events again, so please do.

Blackthorn is appearing this Saturday at MaGerk’s Pub, formerly The Bent Elbo, in Fort Washington. That’s always a good time. Looking ahead, the group is also going to be making return engagements to the Black Jack Kehoe AOH Div. 4 fundraiser on January 21 and Archbishop Ryan High School on January 28 for its benefit for the Ryan Tuition Assistance Fund, always a sellout.

Also this Saturday, the Centre Theatre in Norristown is presenting “She Moved Through the Fair,” a play adapted from the works of one of Ireland’s best known and critically acclaimed novelists and short story writers, Edna O’Brien, a native of Clare.

The Irish American Genealogy Group meets on Thursday at the Irish Immigration Center. This is a great way for family history newbies to get started on finding their Irish ancestors.

This is a slow week, Irish-wise, but we’re going to need a few slow weeks because the St. Patrick’s Day festivities always start gearing up earlier and earlier every year—like in February.

One thing that won’t be happening in February though, is the Scottish & Irish Festival in Valley Forge. No, don’t wring your hands and tear your hair out. It’s just been moved to the last weekend in March. Taking its place this year is a one-night (February 18) iconfluence of high-energy Celtic groups, two of which travel together so much they’ve combined their names, a la Brangelina. It’s Bronach—Brother and Albannach, two big favorites of the Valley Forge Festival. They’ll be sharing the stage in the Waterford Room (hope it’s big) at The Radisson Hotel in King of Prussia, adjacent to the Valley Forge Convention Center along with Barleyjuice and Arvel Bird. Bird is a Native American musician whose work is haunting and has a touch of Celtic because his father is Scots-Irish (his mother is Paiute). Listen here.

Another heads up for fans of the Vince Gallagher Irish Radio Hour. After moving his show to a new station (WNJC 1360 AM) for a few months, Vince is moving back to join his old partner-in-crime Marianne MacDonald at WTMR 800-AM at his old time of 11 AM the end of the month. That gives you two hours of Irish music without having to switch channels.

This week, you really can check out our calendar for all the details.

Dylan Priest modeling his Wren Boy hat.

If you’re Irish and in Philadelphia, what do you look forward to most of all after Christmas? No, not returning your gifts to get something you really wanted. The Wren Party!

The Delaware Valley Comhaltas is holding its 13th annual Wren Party, an Irish tradition, on Monday, December 26 at 7 PM at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Limekiln Pike in Glenside.

Bring a snack, your dancing shoes, your kids and a wren boy hat for the parade and contest. For more about Wren Parties and Wren Boy hats, see our story, photos and video from 2008.  It’s a great way for you and your kids to experience a little bit of Ireland right here.

On December 28, hear some more fabulous Irish music at the Mermaid Inn with Paraic Keane, Kitty Kelly and Mike Albrecht, the band called Tri na Cheile.

End the year on a high note. Really. Barleyjuice is ringing in the New Year at the Sellersville Theatre.

There’s also a New Year’s Eve Party at the Irish Center.

Check your local listings—that would be our calendar—for all the details.

We’re all taking a little time off—we think—but we’ll be back in the new year, telling you what to do. Until then, from Jeff, Lori, and me,  Nollaig Shona Dhaoibh—happy Christmas to you—and Athbhliain faoi mhaise dhuit (Happy New Year!). Please don’t ask us to pronounce it.

Eileen Ivers is also coming to town.

Take a break from all the holiday hustle and bustle this weekend. There are some great local acts playing at area pubs, like these on Saturday night:

• The Fair Trade at the Sligo Pub in Media, PA
• The Broken Shillelaghs at Clancy’s Pub in Brooklawn, NJ
• Jamison at Kildare’s West in West Chester, PA

There’s nothing like some rollicking Irish music and a pint to help you forget that you’ve just spent your children’s college money on their presents.

And mid-week, what a treat! Eileen Ivers and her band, Immigrant Soul, will bring their Irish fusion music to the stage at the Sellersville Theatre. I’ve seen Ivers perform many times and she never fails to bring the audience to their feet. In fact, she’s gotten more people up than TV healer Benny Hinn and she is way cuter.

Our calendar also says there’s an EP release party for the group Sylvia Platypus, “Philadelphia’s and possible the world’s only psycho-celtic glam blues band” on Thursday, December 22. This is the first we’ve heard of them but we’re intrigued. We want reports back!

Speaking of treats, one of our all-time faves, John Byrne of the John Byrne Band, is offering a freebie as his gift to you this Christmas: free downloads of some new songs, some old songs, and the band’s new Christmas single, “St. Stephen’s Day.” In the holiday spirit, you may also enjoy the band’s version of “Fairytale of New York,” the fabulous Pogues Christmas song. Also free: the audience favorite, “To Patsy.” Thanks, John!

Find your free gift here.

You probably know what’s happening next weekend. St. Nick is on his way, expected to touch down on a rooftop near you on Saturday night into the early hours of Sunday. We don’t know exactly what you asked for, but what we hope you get are “tidings of great joy.”

Don’t forget to shop Irish! Especially at the shop of our newest advertiser, McKenna’s Irish Shop in Havertown! It’s where all the Irish go. Really. Click on the ad and it will take you to McKenna’s online store.

Run, Santa, run!

Celtic Christmas is moving into full swing in the Philly area this week. Here’s the rundown—more details are on our calendar:

The Running of the Santas—yes, a bunch of Santas, running—kicks off Saturday  at Finnigan’s Wake at Second and Spring Garden Street in Philly, ending with some free and $3 beers at the pub and Jamison Celtic Rock performing at the Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing. Heated tent, anyone? On Sunday, Finnigan’s is holding its annual Irish Winterfest with the Bogside Rogues, Celtic Connection, and the Broken Shillelaghs, with music all day long, Irish vendors and Irish food. If there’s a hotel near Finnigan’s, you may want to stay the weekend.

The Delco Gaels will be revealing all—all the contestants of the “Dance Like the Stars” competition in February, that is—at their Christmas party and Night at the Races fundraiser at Maggie O’Neill’s Pub in Drexel Hill on Saturday night, starting at 5 PM.

If you’re just interested in taking a break from shopping and baking, head over to the Shanachie on Saturday night. Timlin and Kane are there, and they promise to play “Miss Fogarty’s Christmas Cake.” We love that one.

Sunday is a little like having so many presents you can’t see your Christmas tree. First, Oisin MacDiarmada and Teada are bringing their fabulous “Irish Christmas in America” to The Grand in Wilmington, DE. It’s been in Philly the last few years, and if you’ve missed it, it’s worth a trip south. MacDiarmada will be giving free fiddle workshops earlier in the day at West Chester University.

Head back to the Shanachie for an afternoon of top-notch musicians and some good deed-doing. Musicians Donie Carroll, Gabriel Donohue, Marian Makins, and the aforementioned Timlin and Kane will be playing and singing. Marianne MacDonald, host of “Come West Along the Road,” an Irish music show on WTMR 800-AM, and the queen of raffles, organized the day to introduce the fundraising CD, “Irish Musicians for the Mercy Centre Fundraiser.” It supports The Mercy Centre in Bangkok, Thailand, which does outreach to orphans, street kids, and children and adults with HIV/AIDS. In the world of Irish musical talent, these are A-listers: Mick Moloney, Black 47, Donie Carroll, Deirdre and Mattie Connolly, Gabriel Donohue and Marian Makins, Cathie Maguire, Jimmy Crowley, Athena Tergis, Mairtin de Cogain, Brian Conway and Brendan Dolan, and others, many of whom have performed many times in Philadelphia (and some who have moved here!).

The Donegal and Mayo Associations are holding their joint Christmas Mass and party at the Irish Center on Sunday afternoon. There will be activities for the kids and we hear that Santa may pay a visit. (You can park in the SEPTA lot on Sunday, Nick! Plenty of vegetation for the reindeer too.)

St. Malachi’s of Doe Run is also holding its annual Christmas party and concert on Sunday afternoon. They’re in Chester County.

Blackthorn will be playing at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia on Thursday, December 15. They’re also the featured band at a special invite-only event being thrown by Tullamore Dew at The Chestnut Club on Chestnut Street in Philly on December 13. We’re invited, and apparently you can be too if you go to http://www.thrillist.com/IrishTruePHL . (And we thought we were special.)

Next Friday, meet the official chaplain of “The Colbert Report,” corporate bigwig-turned-Jesuit, Father James Martin, who will be signing his new book, “Between Heaven and Mirth: Faith Leads to Joy,” at St. Philip Neri Church in Lafayette Hill. He’s a local boy—a grad of Plymouth Whitemarsh High School and Penn’s Wharton School of Business.

Even though it’s a jam-packed week, there’s still time for you to go to your local Irish shop and pick up a few things. Regular readers know we’re big proponents of shopping Irish (we even have our own guide to Irish shops in the area). When you’re shopped out for the day, head to your local Irish pub for a relaxing brew. They can use the business—and you know you want to!

Speaking of Irish gifts, you can help support Ireland (our middle name is “austerity”) and make your relatives happy by getting them a Certificate of Irish Heritage. You have to apply, and to earn your certificate, you have to know the name of at least one ancestor born in Ireland and the people in your line of descent from that ancestor. You need to supply one document referring to your ancestor that indicates their Irish nationality. That might be a census document, or a birth, marriage, or death record. It takes about 3 weeks to process the application and send the certificate, which is 11 x 14 inches and ready to be framed, though you can also buy them framed for a little more money ($15 unframed, $22.50 framed). Go to the Irish Heritage Certificate website to find out more about it.

(This certificate does not give you Irish citizenship. To get that, you must have a parent or grandparent from Ireland. If you’re interested in becoming a citizen and getting an Irish passport (you’ll breeze through customs), contact the Irish Immigration Center of Philadelphia.)

In the Christmas spirit: Fiddler Oisin MacDiarmada, who will be giving free fiddle workshops on December 11 in West Chester.

Celtic Christmases are happening only a couple of days into the month.

Danu kicks it off with a concert at the Annenberg on Friday night. And the Beethoven Waldheim Club—they’re singers—have their Celtic Christmas show at the club in Hellertown on Saturday night.

Starting on Saturday, Team Ratty Shoes–they’re named for a Blackthorn song–will be wrapping gifts at Barnes and Noble in Willow Grove all month to help raise money for multiple sclerosis research. Stop by their table and get your books wrapped. Books. . .you remember those. And snap up those Nooks. We have one and love it. They’ll wrap it up nice and pretty.

On Sunday, the annual Celtic Christmas in Doe Run, at St. Malachi’s of Doe Run in Chester County, features music, dancers, Celtic gifts and free holiday hors d’oeuvres.

Not a Christmas event but in the spirit of giving, the Gloucester County AOH is holding a fundraiser to help support the Commodore Barry Gate and Monument at The Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Celtic Connection and the Broken Shillelaghs will provide the music and there will be dinner and dancing at the Rossiter Memorial Hall in National Park, NJ. In January 2011, the Academy’s Memorial Oversight Committee approved the memorial, which happened at the request of the Hibernians. Barry, an American revolutionary war hero, a native of Wexford and a Philadelphia resident, is considered the father of the American Navy (not you, John Paul Jones).

On Tuesday, join the actors from the Inis Nua Theatre Company—the only theater company in Philly to produce contemporary Irish plays—as they play rock stars on stage at the World Café Live. “Craicdown” is a major fundraiser for the company and features the talents of real singers too, including Reagan Richards.

On Thursday, Irish Network-Philadelphia will hold its Christmassy Happy Hour at JD McGillicudy’s Kirklyn in Upper Darby where you can mix, mingle, pass out business cards, and learn to ceili dance to the musical stylings of John and Jimmy McGillian.

On Saturday, December 10, head over to Finnigan’s Wake at 3rd and Spring Garden for the annual “Running of the Santas.” Imagine, a couple of thousand people all dressed up as Santa running through the streets. And that’s before you have the free and $3 beers. Celtic rockers Jamison will be performing at the Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing when the running stops. There are other groups too, but they’re not Irish so we don’t care.

Also next Saturday — the Delco Gaels GAA is holding a fundraising “Night at the Races” at Maggie O’Neills Pub in Drexel Hill. Word has it that they’ll be announcing the contestants for the “Dance Like a Star” competition that will raise money to send players to Chicago for the championships this year. We’ve already heard about a few of the contestants (from the contestants themselves!) so we know this is going to be a must-see evening.

Then, on Sunday, December 11, Teada’s Oisin MacDiarmada, an All-Ireland fiddler, will be giving free workshops for aspiring and experienced fiddle players at West Chester University’s Swope Music Building from 1-2:30 PM. For more information about the event, contact sponsor Kildare’s Irish Pub, at 610-431-0770.

Now, a little tune to get you into the spirit: Miss Fogarty’s Christmas cake featuring Mick Moloney, Athena Tergis, and John Doyle.

Danu brings its Christmas show to Philly on Friday, December 2.

Finish Christmas shopping at 4 AM at Walmart. Check!

Grab a few elastic waistband pants for self. Check!

Eat rest of pie for breakfast. Check!

Go back to bed. Check!

It’s only 7 AM on Friday, but already you’ve put in a full day. Well, when you wake up, check out all these non-shopping Celtic things you can do over the coming week.

The Donegal Association of Philadelphia is having a ball on Saturday night. Right, they always have a ball, but this is a capital B Ball where they’ll also pick the 2012 Mary from Dungloe. The current Mary, Stephanie Lennon, will turn over her crown at the end of the dinner and dancing at The Irish Center.

A real treat: Timlin and Kane are appearing at The Shanachie. For more than 30 years, this duo has been drawing laughs and setting toes to tapping in the Philly area. The Shanachie is Timlin’s own pub in the heart of Ambler.

Also this weekend: The Mid-Atlantic Oireachtas will see the Downtown Marriott overrun with little girls wearing curly wigs and sparkly dresses who like to jig everywhere they go. (I’ve seen them jigging in the ladies room, though I guess that could be something else.) In any case, this is the big competition that draws Irish dancers from up and down the east coast to Philly every year and it’s always a great time.

On Monday night, you can bowl with the stars—all for a good cause. The first Annual Claddagh Fund Celebrity Rock ‘N Bowl Tournament will have you strolling down the lanes at North Bowl on Second Street (actually, on second thought, they frown on that) with the likes of Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys, Boston boxer Micky Ward, who was played by Mark Wahlberg in the biopic, “The Fighter”), actor Kevin Chapman who co-stars with Jim Cavizel in the hit TV series, “Person of Interest,” and some Philly stars, including Ian Laperriere, Jody Shelley, Matt Read, and Zac Rinaldo of the Flyers.

The event raises money for The Claddagh Fund which was started by Casey in his hometown of Boston where it supports charities including the Boys and Girls clubs, the Franciscan Hospital for Children, veterans organizations and programs for recovering substance abusers. The Fund recently expanded to Philadelphia where its first beneficiary is Stand Up for Kids, a nonprofit staffed by volunteers that helps homeless and street kids.

And before you know it, it’s December. On Friday, December 2, have your first real Christmas experience the Irish way. Danu, one of the hottest bands on the Celtic circuit, is bringing its Christmas show to Philadelphia. “An Nollaig in Eirinn” is at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts for one show.

Check our calendar for any last-minute entries or for more details on these events.