How to Be Irish in Philly

I’m about to get all Scrooge on you. This is the kind of week I hate. There are so many fabulous events and many of them are scheduled at the same time so you’re going to have to make some tough choices. Let’s coordinate, people!

Not a tough choice: Saturday, the third annual Peter J. Hanlon Memorial Jingle Bell Run in Philadelphia—it’s an Ancient Order of Hibernians fundraiser. As a rule, I don’t find road races all that exciting. And if you stand too close as the runners pass, you can sometimes get drenched in sweat yourself—and it’s not your own. But in this race, many of the competitors dress up as their favorite Christmas character, which means that occasionally someone dressed like Rudolph really wins by a nose.

But Sunday is a different story. Here’s what’s up:

Noon to 8 PM: The Mid-Winter Irish Festival thrown annually by Finnigan’s Wake in Philly, featuring Paddy’s Well, the Broken Shillelaghs (they’re getting so much work, you’d think they’d have themselves fixed) the Bare Knuckle Boxers (they play rather than fight), Irish dancers, food, and vendors, all for only $10 admission. Though technically this is the Late Autumn Irish Festival (winter doesn’t even start for a couple of weeks), we quibble. It’s important to remember that your attendance will indirectly support the Philly St. Patrick’s Day Parade, for which Finnigans and owner Mike Driscoll are major sponsors.

2 PM. The Philadelphia Rose of Tralee Santa’s Workshop and Christmas Celebration takes place at the lovely Willows Mansion in Villanova. This kid-centric event features music, refreshments, arts and crafts, face painting and a visit from the bearded guy himself (no, not ZZ Top, you fool!). Bring nonperishable food items to share with the needy. And, like Finnigan’s Wake, the organizers of the Philadelphia Rose of Tralee Pageant (Sarah Conaghan and Karen Conaghan Race) are tireless supporters of various causes in the Irish community, so while this event is fun, it’s a fundraiser too and counts as a good deed for those of you counting.

2 PM. See? Over in Cherry Hill, the wonderful and melodious Andy Cooney will be bringing his “Classic Irish Christmas” to the stage at St. Mary’s Parish Hall. Fundraiser? You bet. And Cooney is a treat.

4 PM. “Once Upon a Winter’s Night,” will usher the Celtic Christmas season in with traditional Irish and American Christmas songs and a session at the Irish Center.

Okay now, days pass, you do some Christmas shopping, trim the tree, start baking cookies, fill out the Irish Community Survey, and suddenly it’s Friday and you have some choosin’ to do.

If you’re heading north to Bethlehem (which would be appropriate, as it is the Christmas City and no one does it better), you can enjoy a “Fine Winter’s Night” at the Godfrey Daniels Coffee Shop with husband-and-wife duo Matt and Shannon Heaton. They’re wonderful. If you have to miss them, though, they’re playing in Swarthmore the next night.

If you’re staying closer to home, Teada along with Seamus Begley and the amazing sean nos dancer Brian Cunningham are returning with their “Irish Christmas in America” show which will play for one night (Friday) at The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia. They brought the show to the Irish Center last year and it still makes me smile.

Remember to shop Irish this year and don’t forget those in need. Share with your favorite charity, or just toss a buck into the Salvation Army bucket. This year, it’s the rare person who doesn’t know someone who is struggling.

If you had pie for breakfast and finished all your Christmas shopping at the mall before the sun came up, you may be too tired to head to downtown Philadelphia to the Mid-Atlantic Oireachtas—the annual regional Irish dancing competition. If you just had pie for breakfast and were smart enough to realize that the stores also had online sales, you might just want to swing by the Downtown Marriott on Market Street, where all weekend you can see the top Irish dancers in the area.

Last week, the McDade-Cara School put its best dancers forward at a recital at Msgr. Bonner High School in Drexel Hill. We were there and have pictures to share.

But that’s not all that’s going on this Thanksgiving weekend. The Philadelphia Donegal Association is holding its 121st annual ball at the Irish Center on Saturday night. We heard through the grapevine that one of the attendees is coming all the way from Dublin for the event, which will feature the Sean Wilson Band from Ireland, DJ John McDaid (he’s from Ireland too, but lives here now) and the Mary from Dungloe contest.

And that will segue us right into the Christmas season. We have two Irish Christmas events coming up over the next week. McDermott’s Handy will be celebrating its Irish Christmas in music and song at the Audubon Senior Center in Audubon on Wednesday, December 2.

On Thursday, a great Christmas gift for the Irish music lover—Solas! They’re at the Sellersville Theatre and if you haven’t heard former Hatboro guy, Seamus Egan  (he grew up in Ireland), and his group, you’ve been missing out. Here’s your chance to catch up with the rest of us. You will become an instant fan. Everyone does.

As we do occasionally, we’re going to give you a sneak peak into the week after this one because it’s a busy time and you want to make room on your calendar for the craic (especially the Christmas craic—we added that just because we like alliteration).

We’re going to specifically point you to Sunday, December 6, the date way too many groups in the area picked for their events. Here are your choices:

12 PM: The Mid-Winter Irish Festival at Finnigan’s Wake in Philadelphia will feature some of the best local Irish bands, including Paddy’s Well, the Broken Shillelaghs and the Bare Knuckle Boxers, along with Irish dancers, food, vendors, the works.

2 PM: The Philadelphia Rose of Tralee will hold its annual Santa’s Workshop and Christmas celebration at The Willows Mansion in Villanova. There will be music, refreshments, arts and crafts and face-painting, as well as a visit from Father Christmas, better known as Santa Claus. You need to RSVP by December 1 and they’re requesting that you bring canned or other nonperishable goods for the Delco Fish and Loaves Food Pantry Holiday Drive.

2:30 PM: Andy Cooney’s “A Classic Irish Christmas” is on tap at St. Mary’s Parish Hall in Cherry Hill, NJ. Along with his angelic voice (and face!), Cooney is bringing Ireland’s “King of Blarney” (there’s only one of those?), comic George Casey, soprano Emma Kate Tobia, and the Darrah Carr Dance Troupe.

5 PM: “Once Upon A Winter’s Night,” with noted guitarist and keyboardist Gabriel Donohue (he’s played with Eileen Ivers, Cherish the Ladies, the Chieftains and the Boston Pops); Alaskan Caitlin Warbelow who is a regular on the New York music scene, and singer Marian Makins (she recently wowed the audience at the Philadelphia Ceili Group’s annual festival) will be on stage at the Irish Center in Philadelphia.

Also coming up: Matt and Shannon Heaton will be bringing their Christmas show, “A Fine Winter’s Night,” to Godfrey Daniels Coffee House in Bethlehem on December 11. That same night, Teada is making a return visit with “Irish Christmas in America” at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

Over the holiday season, try to remember to support your local Irish merchant, publican, entertainer, and restaurateur. They help keep the Irish culture alive and well in the region and they need our business. So, get out there and give them the business! 

And if you haven’t already, fill out the Irish Community Survey being conducted now by the Philadelphia Irish Immigration Center. You don’t have to be an immigrant to do it. Even if your Irish family has been here since shortly after the Pilgrims arrived, the center wants to hear from you.

Leave the household errands behind this week. Sure, Thanksgiving is next Thursday, but let’s face it—you’ve made this dinner dozens of times and you could probably do it in your sleep. It doesn’t take that long to roast a turkey, mash some potatoes, and incinerate some tiny marshmallows on top of a goopy yam casserole. Go out. Be Irish.

You can start on Friday night at the Irish Center’s November Rambling House. There will be jokes, songs, dancing, and free food. Maybe you can pick up a little party piece to do when company comes.

On Saturday afternoon, two great Irish dancing schools join forces to present their pre-Oireachtas recital at Msgr. Bonner High School in Drexel Hill. On Saturday evening, Cherish the Ladies will be performing at Appel Farm Arts and Music Center in Elmer, NJ.

The ladies and gents of AOH Div. 87 will be holding their annual Ball at Romano Caterers on Saturday night, so you probably won’t see them out and about.

And St. Patrick’s Church in Norristown is holding Classic Rock Night that evening too. It’s a funraiser for the charities of LAOH Notre Dame Div. 2.

It’s not too late to sign up for the free legal clinic on Tuesday, November 24, at the Irish Immigration Center in Upper Darby. The center has partnered with the Brehon Law Society and Drexel Law School to provide free and confidential legal consultations, mainly in the area of immigration law, although family and criminal lawyers are available on request. Call 610-789-6355 to make an appointment, which is required.

On Wednesday night, forget about making pies. Enter the Haggis is playing at the Sellersville Theatre. Hmmm. Haggis. Might make a nice side dish. Never had it? It’s sort of like Scottish scrapple, only it tastes more like chopped liver.

If you’re in the Bethlehem area on Wednesday night, the Broken Shillelaghs are playing St. James Gate Pub at the Sands Casino.

And we shouldn’t have saved this for last: The day after Thanksgiving, hundreds of boys and girls, men and women, will converge on Philadelphia for the Mid-Atlantic Oireachtas, a fabulous Irish dance competition that runs all weekend.

Don’t forget the Donegal Ball—that’s on November 28. The Sean Wilson Band from Ireland will provide the music. John McDaid will also DJ. And the crowning event of the evening will be the crowning of the new Mary from Dungloe. The winner of this pageant will travel to Ireland to compete in the international competition next year.

As always, check the calendar for times and details.

Last week, I had to be Irish in Florida and let me tell you, we have it good here. Not that I didn’t enjoy Creel, the house band at Raglan Road, the Epcot Center’s version of an Irish pub (it’s about the size of a junior high gymnasium, so “cozy” was totally off the table). And the strip mall Irish pub my son took us to served good food, but the entertainment couldn’t hold a candle to the motley crew of mostly amateurs that shows up every Tuesday night at The Shanachie in Ambler.

And to top it off, the waitress took my Jameson’s before I was finished, so now they’re dead to me.

Needless to say, I’m happy to be back to being Irish in Philly. And here’s how I’m going to do it this week:

The 9th Annual Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame Awards are being held on Sunday at the Irish Center. Read what Hall of Fame President Kathy McGee Burns has to say about this year’s winners.

Also on Sunday, one of my all-time favorite groups, Cherish the Ladies (with the inimitable Joanie Madden) will be at Penn’s Zellerbach Theatre, quite possibly raising the roof. (If you miss them this week, you’ll have to travel to the Appel Farm Arts and Music Center in Elmer, NJ, next week to catch them.)

On Monday, Penn is sponsoring a celebration of Irish poet Thomas Kinsella, with Kinsella himself reading from his works. Also on hand: Father John McNamee, retired pastor of St. Malachy’s Church in North Philadelphia, himself a published poet.

On Wednesday, consider joining the Irish Immigration Center at St. Lawrence Church in Upper Darby for a prayer vigil for immigration reform followed by a conference call with Rep. Bob Gutierrez.

On Thursday, another Irish act you shouldn’t miss: Karan Casey, who wowed audiences a year ago when she performed with Teada’s Christmas Show at the Irish Center (they’re bringing it back this year to the Kimmel). She’ll be at the Sellersville Theatre.

We’re heading into dance season (the Mid-Atlantic Oireachtas, a huge Irish dance competion comes to Philly at the end of November), but you can get a glimpse of some local talent next weekend when the McDade-Cara Dancers (two schools that have joined forces) put on an exhibition at Msgr. Bonner High School in Drexel Hill.

Prepare to get spiffy this weekend! The 104th annual Mayo Ball is coming to town. All the Mayos—and they are a fun group of people—wlll be dancing to the Noel Henry Irish Show Band in the ballroom of the Philadelphia Irish Center on Saturday night. You don’t have to be from Mayo to attend (I know—they invited me) and they’re a very hospitable bunch.

It’s total immersion time in Jamison again—the Gaeltacht Weekend during which very little English is spoken. That kicks off on Friday night and goes through Sunday.

There are workshops on Saturday featuring (Pat) Egan, (Laura) Egan, and (Jim) Eagan who are performing on Friday night at the Irish Center, singing many of the songs written by local tunesmith Ed Reavy.

On Sunday, the Irish Club of Delaware County holds its monthly meeting at the Irish Immigration Center in Upper Darby.

And St. Thomas Church in Whitemarsh is holding a Celtic worship service starting at 5:30 Sunday night.

Also on Sunday night: The Swell Season at the Merriam Theater in Philadelphia. That’s Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, Oscar winners for “Falling Slowly,” a song from the movie, “Once.” In which they starred. This is their second visit to the area.

On Tuesday, look for a visit from Irish Consul General Niall Burgess to the Irish Immigration Center and the kick-off of a survey aimed at assessing the needs of the local Irish community. We’ll have more about that for you later.

On Friday, AOL and LAOH Div 22 are holding their annual awards dinner honoring Municpal Court Judge Patrick Dugan, retired fireman and past president of Div. 22 Thomas Meehan (Hibernian of the year), LAOH Div 22 President Maureen Daly (Hibernian of the year) and, as Irishman of the Year, Michael Callahan, president of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association (way to go, Michael!).

Also on Friday, the Catholic Leadership Institute of Exton will present its 2009 Award for Outstanding Catholic Leadership to Irish-born Sister Briege McKenna, OSC, and three other Catholic leaders at a reception and dinner at the Drexelbrook in Drexel Hill. Sister Briege, who entered the Sisters of St. Clare at the age of 15 was crippled by arthritis and then miraculously healed during a Eucharistic celebration. She supports the priesthood by hosting healing and support retreats. The other honorees are Barbara Henkels, national Catholic philanthropist and advocate for Catholic education; Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, the Archibishop of Galveston-Houston and Jim Nicholson, former Vatican ambassador.

But check out our calendar. Did you know that in any given week you could learn to speak Irish, pick up a few authentic set dance steps, get Irish guitar, tin whistle, or flute lessons, hear live traditional Irish music every night of the week, and tune into four radio shows playing Celtic tunes? If you can’t be Irish in this town, you can’t be Irish anywhere.

So get out there and be Irish!

We could all use a few laughs and there will be more than a few when the Irish Comedy Tour rolls into town on Sunday at the Sellersville Theatre. It’s also your chance to see former Philly guy, Pat Godwin, late of the John DeBella Morning Zoo and Howard Stern radio programs.

But, before that happens, local documentary maker John Foley’s poignant and patriotic film, The Color Bearers, which features former Eagle Vince Papale, will be shown at the FirstGlance Philadelphia Film Festival at the Franklin Theater at the Franklin Institute on Saturday. The film explores the courage of those who carried the flag in the Revolutionary and Civil wars.

So, you think you can dance? Or sing? Or play a bodhran? America’s Got Talent Season 5 auditions are being held at Pennsylvania’s Convention Center on Saturday and they’re looking for Irish acts. So drag your harp or your pipes on down and show them how it’s done.

There are also a couple of fundraisers on Saturday. AOH/LAOH Div. 87 is holding a benefit to raise money to help member George Lees repair his motorized wheelchair. Paddy’s Well is at Brittingham’s Irish Pub in Lafayette Hill on Sunday afternoon to drum up support and money for Jessica Reed, daughter of Paddy’s Well bass player Frank Reed, who suffers from cystic fibrosis. Jessica recently underwent a lung transplant and her medical costs are high. Also on the bill, Oliver McElhone, The King Brothers, and Seamus McGroary.

What happened to the Celtic Tiger? That’s the focus of a panel discussion on Tuesday at the Rittenhouse Hotel, sponsored by the Irish American Business Chamber and Network. Dublin representatives from Baker Tilly, one the world’s leading accounting firms, will explore the issue of Ireland’s economy.

On Friday, don your scariest costume (yes, anything you wore back in the ‘80s will be fine) and head over to the Irish Center in Mt. Airy for the Samhain Rambling House and celebrate Halloween Irish style. We’ve heard that there have been some ghostly manifestations at the center (no, really), so you may want to bring your ouija board. Check back with us later in the week to get the whole story!

It’s beginning to look a lot like ball season. The Cavan Society is having theirs (the 102nd) on Friday night at the Springfield Country Club, with the Vince Gallagher Band providing the music. Next up, Mayo, followed by Donegal, but there’s still a little time to drop five pounds to fit into that dress. . . .they’re not rocking till next month.

A couple of benefits this Saturday: AOH/LAOH Division 87 is holding its annual scholarship fund golf outing at Juniata Golf Course in Philadelphia. And in Delco, the group Misty Isle is providing the music for the Be True to Your School Beef and Beer, which raises money for Catholic grades schools (and you get to choose your own school as beneficiary), at the St. Denis parish gym in Havertown.

Also on Saturday, wear your scariest costume. Or not. But the Irish Club of Delaware County is holding its Halloween party at McGilllicuddy’s on West Chester Pike in Upper Darby.

On Sunday, the New Castle, DE, Irish Society is running its 16th annual Irish fest at the Irish Center on Rodney Street in Wilmington. It starts at 11 AM with mass, and entertainment by the Seven Rings Band and the Willie Lynch Band follows at noon, along with homemade baked goods and “tae”—that’s tea to you—and a raffle for great prizes, including a two-night stay at a Chesapeake Bay B&B. There will also be Irish vendors, so you can get some of your Christmas shopping done. Remember, Irish sweaters save energy costs.

Gloucester City, NJ, resident Ken Doyle, co-author with his brother, Patrick, of “Mother From Hell,” a shocking memoir of their horrific abuse as children at the hands of their mother, will be at the Irish Center in Philadelphia at 4:30 PM to speak and sign copies of the book. If you haven’t read this Irish bestseller, you should. You won’t soon forget it. Read our interview with Ken Doyle.

We added a new session to our session finder this week—Monday night at the Rocking Stone Bar & Grill in Paulsboro, NJ. Local musicians Fintan Malone and Kevin Brennan are the anchors.

On Wednesday, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, daughter of Robert Kennedy, will be at the Church on the Mall in Plymouth Meeting to talk about her book, “Failing America’s Faithful: How Today’s Churches are Mixing God with Politics and Losing Their Way.”

Don’t forget the jive and ballroom dancing classes at the Irish Center on Thursday nights. Isn’t it about time you learned to shake your groove thing? And consider watching the baseball playoffs in the comfort of the center’s Fireside Room. They just installed three 42-inch plasma TVs and are offering free food (hotdogs, popcorn, and pretzels). You’re allowed to cheer for any team you want. Within reason. Don’t forget to tip the bartender.

If your group is having an event, you can list it on our calendar for free. You can even put it up there yourself. Click on Events on the upper left hand of the home page, then on the highlighted phrase “Notify us about your Irish events,” and follow the instructions. If you need help, just hit the “contact us” button and one of us will get back to you. Our calendar lets your prospective attendees add your event to their e-calendar, send them an email, or even a text message reminding them of the date and time. If your event is on our calendar, we mention it in our weekly “How to Be Irish in Philly” feature. You may have to put up with some snarky comments, depending on our mood, but you get what you pay for.

You may know Mark Doherty from his standup, or his stint as Father Alan on the popular British series, “Father Ted,” about a group of off-kilter Irish priests, or from his acclaimed film, “A Film With Me In It” in which he starred with Irish funny man Dylan Moran. You can get to know his genius and wit this weekend as the Inis Nua Theater Company presents, “Trad,” Doherty’s award-winning play, Sunday night at 8 at the Irish Center.

How can you go wrong with a story whose characters are both over 100—a farmer and his son who have set off looking for the son’s offspring (who is 70 if he’s a day), conceived in a rare—possibly first and only–moment of passion? The play explores the culture shock of two rural denizens who encounter 21st century Ireland on the road. And since Doherty is a comic, you can expect laughs along with the biting commentary.

But let’s back up a moment. On Saturday night, settle back for a wonderful “evening of Irish music, dancing and storytelling” with the Martin Family Band and the Hooley Irish dancers at the Bucks County Community College Library Auditorium. There’s also a post-concert reception featuring fresh-baked Irish breads (we can smell them now!).

The Irish Club of Delaware County is holding its monthly meeting at the Irish Immigration Center in Upper Darby at 2 PM on Sunday. This relatively new group celebrates Irish culture and heritage, so this is your chance to join up.

And talk about your embarrassment of riches. The Scottish pipe and drum group (if you’ve never seen them, don’t be imagining any band you’ve ever seen in a parade), Albannach, will be appearing at Brittingham’s in Lafayette Hill on Sunday at 7:30 PM. They’re a unique act with a huge following. They put the barbarian back in pipe-and-drum music–where it belongs.

On Monday, join other members of the Irish community at an immigration reform rally at Philadelphia’s City Hall. Representatives from the Irish Immigration Center will be there. Executive Director Siobhan Lyons asks that you wear green as a reminder that some of the nation’s undocumented workers have Irish accents, a fact often lost in the national discussion on immigration reform.

Don’t forget that there are now ballroom/ceili dance classes at the Irish Center on Thursday nights. The county balls are coming up (Cavan’s is next Friday night!), and so are the holidays. And at $10 a lesson, it’s way cheaper than the gym. Did you know that you could burn 204 calories just by doing the foxtrot or cha cha? That’s the calorie equivalent of nearly three glasses of wine (which you can have at the Irish Center bar afterwards because, calorically speaking, you paid for them). Irish dancing earns you 306 calories which gets you almost 4 glasses of wine (not recommended if you have to drive home, but you can eat a Snickers bar and then some).

“Happy Days,” by Samuel Beckett is still running at the Lantern Theatre Company in Philadelphia. It’s Beckett’s most cheerful play (written, it’s said, because his wife suggested he lighten up a little), although truth be told a play about a wife who is buried up to her waist in soil and has a gun in her purse, but still manages to look good is not necessarily anyone’s idea of a laugh riot. What can I say, it’s Beckett and he’s Irish. You know it will be good.

Check out our calendar. Lots of fun stuff coming. And a reminder to support your local Irish pubs, restaurants, gift shops, and organizations. These are tough times and many of your brothers and sisters are struggling. Let’s keep the Irish community strong and vital! Hope to see you out and about.