How to Be Irish in Philly

Thinking about heading up to Bethlehem for the annual Celtic Classic this weekend? Want a lift? The University of Pennsylvania Irish Club is offering a ride on Saturday morning, September 27, from 37th and Spruce on the Penn campus. The rented school bus leaves at 10, so get there around 9:45 AM. Anticipated return time is 6 PM. Cost is only $15.

It’s worth it. The beautiful city of Bethlehem hosts this convention of Celts of every stripe each fall, with a plethora of pipe bands, sheep dogs, Gaelic athletes, food, and traditional and rock music to keep you entertained for days.

If that doesn’t float your boat, there are plenty of other things that will. Villanova University has started a three-week run of Eugene O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey into Night,” about the dissolution of an Irish-American family and you can see starting this weekend.

On Saturday and Sunday, the Bucks County Visitors Center is hosting its second annual Ancestry Fair where you can learn about everything from searching your family history, old photo restoration, and scrapbooking. And it’s free.

On Saturday night, the band that the Fleadh built is coming to the Irish Center in Mount Airy. Beoga (the name is Irish for lively) is a five-piece band from County Antrim that met at a session at the All-Ireland Fleadh (music competition) in August 2002. In 2005, Beoga was nominated by Irish Music Magazine for the best traditional newcomers’ award. This promises to be one exciting evening of music. Prepare to clap and tap.

Also on Saturday, local Irish-American filmmaker Shawn Swords debuts his documentary on the Philadelphia music scene of the ‘50s, revolving around American Bandstand and the payola scandal, at the Wildwood By the Sea Film Fest. See our story for details.

On Sunday, you can go a little British with Rachel Unthank & The Winterset with Devon Sproule at the World Café Live. This wonderful all-girl group “with Geordie accents,” had their album, The Bairns, described thus in The Observer: “a bewitching, dream-like, down-to-earth masterpiece.” We’re sold. We’d go just for the Geordie accents.

Physicist-turned-poet (or is it the other way around?) Iggy McGovern will be reading his work at Villanova on Monday, September 30, at the St. Augustine Center at 4:30. Mcgovern is associate professor of physics at Trinity College in Dublin. His poetry relies on both humor and rhyme and he was, among other honors, the winner of the 2004 RTE Rattlebag Poetry Slam.

On Wednesday October 1, starting at 7:30 PM, you can see and hear Kevin Burke and Cal Scott (the stunning blend of Sligo fiddle and guitar) at the Moorestown Community Center in Moorestown, NJ. Burke is a graduate of the much acclaimed Bothy Band and Scott is a multiple-threat instrumentalist, composer, and arranger. They’ve played this area many times and to packed houses.

And we would be remiss if we didn’t mention Octoberfest at McGillins that starts this week. Yes, lots of German brews and food at the oldest Irish pub in the city, on Drury Street. You might find yourself rubbing shoulders with lots of tourists who read Gourmet Magazine’s list of 14 Coolest Bars in the US. Gourmet editors called McGillins one of their favorites, noting it “has plenty of old-time character.” It should. It was founded in 1860 and its current owners have operated it for the last 50 years. Congrats to our friends at McGillins, who have been generous with their recipes, sharing them with us for the last nearly four years.

Our calendar, which has been busy trying to figure out how it can qualify for government bailout money, has all the inside information on these events and more. Check it out.

You could be having this much fun. From last year's Wildwood weekend.

I hope very few people are reading this because they’re making their annual trek to North Wildwood for the Cape May AOH’s annual Irish Fall Festival, with Paddy’s Well, Searson, Derek Warfield and the Wolfetones, the Bogside Rogues, the Sean Fleming Band and many other terrific bands rocking the Music Tent by the sea.

I hope you’re pub-hopping, practicing for the Tink Haldeman 5K Run/Walk on Saturday morning (sign up at the AOH Tent between 1st and 2nd Streets on Olde New Jersey Avenue to benefit Shriners’ Hospital for Children), or spending what little money you have left after this week’s momentous financial crisis on some funny t-shirts or bumper stickers available from the hundreds of vendors (because you just gotta laugh, it’s the Irish way). Proceeds from this annual festival go to AOH charities, which number many.

Two bits of bad news for long-time festival-goers: No Blackthorn this year, and no Keenan’s Pub.

We spoke to several members of the popular Irish rock group that has been holding its Irish weekend at the shore as long as the festival has been around. They told us that the band had some gigs lined up for the summer, including Irish Weekend, at a venue in North Wildwood, but decided not to play when a bit of a political “quandry” seemed to be shaping up after word got about over their potential return to that end of the Cape May Peninsula. For the past few years, Blackthorn has operated from the Borgata in Wildwood. No word on whether the tradition will pick up again next year, but we hope so.

And Keenan’s, the block-long North Wildwood pub where you could always wet your whistle and attend Mass (though not at the same time), was closed for 55 days for underage drinking violations, according to the Philadelphia Daily News, though it sounds like the family-owned bar got snookered by some legit-looking fake IDs.

If you’re sticking closer to home, you still have lots of choices. The incredible group, Solas, is appearing Sunday at the World Café Live. They’re one of our favorites.

If you want to get some great tips on tracing your family history (where did those Murphys come from anyhow?), the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is sponsoring a day-long conference called, “Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond.” There are more than 20 sessions to chose from and more than a dozen exhibitors to visit. There’s a $10 fee and it includes a boxed lunch! It’s happening on Saturday, September 20, at the Valley Forge Family History Center in Broomall.

On Tuesday, you can meet Ireland’s Consul General Niall Burgess up close and personal at the September networking happy hour sponsored by the Irish American Business Chamber and Network, held on The Moshulu (sailing ship turned restaurant) on Penns Landing. You need to RSVP, so check the calendar for details.

After rubbing elbows with the Irish consul, head over to Villanova University’s Vasey Theatre for the opening performance of Eugene O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” the Pultizer Prize-winning play that chronicles the unraveling of a tight-knit Irish-American family. A laugh riot it is not (though there is some humor!), but it’s truly an unforgettable story. My favorite quote from the play: “There is no present or future, only the past, happening over and over again, now.” Sadly, true. It’s always been my contention that it’s important to not make the same mistakes over and over again when there are so many new mistakes to be made.

That same evening (lots going on for a Tuesday), you can hear Julie Fowlis singing Gaelic songs of Scotland’s Hebrides at The Grand in Wilmington, or, if you’re in the Quakertown area, attend the CD release party for the Canadian all-girl Irish band, Searson, fresh from their gig in North Wildwood.

On Thursday, it’s Tool Time at McGillin’s Olde Ale House in Center City: TV host and writer Joe L’Erario, host of TV’s Furniture on the Mend, Furniture to Go, and Men in Toolbelts, will be signing his new book, Wood Finishing. You can see more of his work upstairs at McGillin’s too—L’Erario refinished a 20-foot antique oak bar for the bar’s newly refurbished second floor.

Still reeling from this week’s Wall Street meltdown, our calendar, which will never be able to retire, has all the answers, except for the big philosophical ones, like, “What is the meaning of life?” Pay it a visit.

You may not realize it, but September is the biggest Irish month in the Philly region after March. You could call it Irish Festival Month.

For example, you can immerse yourself in traditional Irish music this weekend as the 34th annual Philadelphia Ceili Group festival concludes on Saturday night or you can  head up to Gloucester, NJ, for the yearly Shamrock Festival (Black 47 is on the bill—this New York-based band has a huge fan base here too). Closer to home: The BoothandLowe~Stock Festival will be held at the Knights of Columbus De La Salle division in Springfield, Delaware County, to raise money for MusicWorks, an organization that provides music therapy sessions for children and young adults with autism and special needs. Among the groups on hand: the King Brothers (they’re great, even though they’re not really brothers),  Scanlin and O’Leary, and John Lee. The Festival runs from noon till 6:30, then an hour later, Blackthorn takes the stage for another MusicWorks fundraiser.

Or maybe you’d rather watch some athletic women bend it like Beckham. The US National Women’s Soccer Team is taking on the Irish women’s team Saturday night at the Linc, home of the Eagles.

Wow – way too many choices. Lucky for me I have a broken leg. I can’t go to anything. There’s something to be said for having no choice.

On Monday, September 15, you can do a good deed while getting in a round of golf. That’s the date of the third annual Ciara Kelly Higgins for CP Golf, Dinner and Auction at the Plymouth Country Club in Norristown. Five-year-old Ciara was born prematurely at 26 weeks and has Cerebral Palsy (CP) with Spastic Displasia in both legs, requiring years of physical therapy and medical treatment.
This annual fundraiser will help her parents defray some of their costs. There are a couple of tee times and a dinner later, even for nongolfers, and the local group, Paddy’s Well, will play. There will also be both as silent and live auction.

That evening, the High Kings of Dublin are peforming at the Perelman Theater in Philadelphia. You may have seen them on one of their PBS specials: four good-looking Irishmen who play instruments and have fantastic singing voices. As a bit of a music snob, I didn’t want to like them but I did.

Then you’ll need to get ready for the Cape May AOH’s Irish Weekend in North Wildwood, starting on September 18, where you can sample every variation of Irish music known to man, including Paddy’s Well (check out their new CD, First Friday), Canada’s Searson, crowd-pleasers Derek Warfield and the Wolfetones, as well perennial favorites, The Bogside Rogues, The Sean Fleming Band, The Glensiders, The Broken Shillelaghs, and The Highland Rovers. The weekend kicks off with some Irish boxing on Thursday night, then there’s nonstop music, killer food, vendors hawking everything from clever t-shirts and silly shamrock deely bobbers to pretty jewelry and crafts.

If you’re in Philly on Thursday, you can catch Gaelic Storm at World Cafe Live. It’s been 10 years since they played for our poor doomed people in steerage in that great scene from the movie, “Titantic.”They can still make a bad time seem good.

A week later, head up to Bethlehem for the 2008 Celtic Classic where you can listen to even more music, from pipe bands to Celtic rock, or you can watch grown men toss telephone polls (a Celtic sport known as the caber toss) or beautiful dogs that are too smart for their own good herd sheep.

This is one great week to be Irish in Philly, and not just because the Philadelphia Ceilii Group’s annual (year 34, folks) traditional music and dance festival starts on Thursday (but let’s face it, if you’ve ever been there, you know it’s an exciting three days on nonstop music, dancing, and carrying on and you love it.)

There’s also the Green Lane Scottish Irish Festival, which promoters say will go on rain or shine.

On Sunday, you have a good deed to do.

Now, you won’t need your walking shoes until October for the annual Susan B. Komen 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk, but you can put on your dancing shoes for the fundraiser a group of local Irish women have planned for Sunday, September 7.

Courtney Malley, BethAnn Bailey, Rosaleen McGill and Anne McNiff—all “residents” of our online Irish community, BallyPhilly—will be participating in the annual walk to raise money for breast cancer research as part of a team of 14 whose goal is to drum up $35,000. They first posted news of the benefit on BallyPhilly to encourage other virtual residents to help out. (There’s lots of interesting stuff going on in the little village of BallyPhilly—proof that if you build it, they will come and take over.) Then, with the help of local musician and manager Fintan Malone, brought in the livewire group, the Hooligans, to play at the beef-and-beer benefit, scheduled for 4-9 PM at the Irish Center, 6815 Emlen Street, in Philadelphia’s Mt. Airy section. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door, and covers everything, including food (if you’re not into beef, there will also be vegetarian options). You can order advance tickets at www.theirishcenter.com/ceili.php.

This is a great cause—Philly’s own version of “Stand Up to Cancer”—so get out, enjoy yourself, and feel good all over because you helped fight a disease that kills an estimated 40,000 women and nearly 400 men a year.

Also on Sunday, a rare chance to see Irish singer-songwriter Luka Bloom (he’s the younger brother of Irish folk singer Christy Moore). An interesting thing about the guitarist, who has played with Eileen Ivers: His style is called “electro-acoustic” but he plays in DADGAD tuning, which is a common tuning for Irish traditional music. While he plays his own material, he’s also done covers of Elvis, LLCoolJ, ABBA, and Bob Marley. Can you say, eclectic, boys and girls? You can catch this amazing guy at the World Café in Philadelphia, a great venue.

Thursday through Saturday, September 11-13, save room for the 34th Annual Philadelphia Ceili Group Traditional Irish Music and Dance Festival, which will be held at the Irish Center. See our story for all the details. Seriously, if you love Irish music, or if you’re a folkie, this is the most fun you’ll have since the ‘60s, about which the wise guys say, ”If you can remember it, you weren’t there.” So create some new memories.

And remember to check out our calendar for all the details–darn thing can’t keep a secret.

And my ankle is still broken, so please, enjoy some of these events for me.

Want to know how lucky you are? You didn’t slide down a wet, grassy hill this week and break your leg and dislocate your ankle. That means you can be Irish all over the place this week—and especially next month when two great festivals take place. Me (I’m the one who took that tumble), I’ll just have to sit around and wait to get reports and pictures from those of you who have two working legs and know the joys of being Irish.

If I’m going to live vicariously through you, this is what I want you to do:

On Saturday, August 30,check out Beltaine’s Fire at the Barrington Coffee House and Café in Barrington, NJ. This California group marries an authentic Celtic sound with hip-hop. Really. Not kidding. And they’re good. This is not a fusion we ever expected to hear, but it works.

Genealogy buffs, take note: Starting on Wednesday, September 3, the Federation of Genealogical Societies is holding its annual national convention at the Pennsylvania Convention Center at11^th and Arch. There’s lots to learn no matter what ethnic group you’re from, but the Irish offerings are plenty. Here’s a rundown:

September 4, 2:00 – 3:00 “Introduction to Irish Genealogy:  Where Do I Start?”by Eileen O’Duill

September 5, 8:00 – 9:00 “Matchmaking and Marriage Customs in 19th Century Ireland” by Sean O’Duill

September 5, 9:30 – 10:30 “An Overview of Genealogical Sources at the National Archives of Ireland” by Gregory O’Connor

September 5, 3:30 – 4:30 “Researching in Ireland:  Planning Is the Key to Success” by Eileen O’Duill

September 5, 5:00 – 6:00 “Tracing the Irish in the American Civil War” by Dennis J. Ahern

September 6, 8:00 – 9:00 “The Language Your Ancestors Spoke:  Appreciating Irish Gaelic” by Sean O’Duill

September 6, 11:00 – 12:00, “Lesser Known Genealogical Sources at the National Archives of Ireland” by Gregory O’Connor

There’s an Irish Quiz scheduled for Thursday, September 4 at 7:00 p.m. (no charge to registrants), with a focus on Irish immigration and history.There are also a number of Irish-themed exhibits, including Archive CD BooksIreland, Eneclann, FindMyPast — applicable for Irish living in England orWales, Irish Family History Foundation, Past Homes Limited, TIARA (TheIrish Ancestral Research Association), and Tourism Ireland.

This is a rare opportunity to jump-start your family history search, or pick up points for fine-tuning it. It’s taking a broken leg to keep me from attending.

Make some room on your calendar to hear the high-energy Glengarry Bhoys, appearing on Thursday at the Sellersville Theater.

And you absolutely have to go to Coatesville next Friday night. On the bill, Lunasa’s flute player Kevin Crawford, piper Cillian Vallely and guitarist Paul Meehan. This is a rare trio performance of three fabulous musicians. I saw them last year at thePhiladelphia Ceili Group Festival and they brought down the house. If they could make the lame walk – actually, I think they could make the lame dance—I’d be there.

There’s lots more to come on the horizon. Make your plans now for the Ceili Group’sannual traditional music and dance festival the weekend of September 12 and the AOH’s N. Wildwood Irish Festival the following weekend. I may be holding a pity party for myself in there somewhere, so I’ll keep you posted. And meanwhile, check out our calendar for all the important details. It’s able-bodied.

Send pictures and reports! I’m immobile for 6-8 weeks!

Think of Sunday, August 24, as benefit day.

Starting at 5 p.m., enjoy a terrific group of Irish performers who are donating their time to raise money to keep Irish radio alive at WTMR 800 FM. The show, to be held at the Irish Center in Mount Airy, will benefit The Vince Gallagher Radio Hour and “Come West Along the Road,” Marianne MacDonald’s traditional music show. Both air on Sundays from 11 to 1. On the bill are Blackthorn’s John Boyce (and friends—we’re anxious to see who he’s bringing); the King Brothers, singer Terry Kane, Round Tower, fiddler Mary Malone, piper Den Vykopel, banjo player Fintan Malone, singers Tom and Marian Gittelman, ceili dance specialists Kevin and Jimmy McGillian, and many others. Along with music and dancing, there’s a buffet dinner donated by caterer Mickey Kavanaugh and drinks are always available at my favorite bar.  Tickets are $20 and include the buffet, music, and a chance to win some terrific door prizes.

If you’ve already made a pledge and haven’t sent it in, mail your donation to WTMR Radio, C/O Sunday Irish Radio Shows, 2775 Mt. Ephraim Avenue, Camden, NJ 08104. If you haven’t made a pledge and would like to donate, do the same thing. Write “Irish Radio Shows” on your check. Thanks!

And yes, you can do both benefits if you really want to. The other one starts at on Sunday, at Maggie O’Neill’s Pub and Restaurant in Drexel Hill, will benefit Team Ratty Shoes. The name comes from a Blackthorn song, and is the wonderful crew assembled by Blackthorn fan Patti Byrd to participate in the annual fundraising walk for the Delaware Valley Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.  Random Blonde will be performing, and we hear that band member Seamus McGroary has become the newest member of Team Ratty Shoes. Yes, he’ll be hoofing it for charity this fall. You rock, Seamus! I mean, really.

We would be remiss if we didn’t remind you of the Berks Celtic Oyster Fest on Saturday, August 23, in Mohnton, near Reading. Along with the oyster-eating contest, you can enjoy music, more seafood, Celtic vendors, and just have a good old time. This festival is in its sixth year, so you know it has to be great.

And if you’re out back-to-school shopping this weekend, head over to Five Below for school supplies. Take this coupon  http://pae.nationalmssociety.org/site/DocServer/CHW_Team_Ratty_Shoes_5_Below.pdf?docID=31555 and Team Ratty Shoes will get a percentage of the sale for MS research. You’ll find a list of all the stores in the tri-state area on our calendar.

And speaking of our calendar, check it out for all the details of this week’s events. It misses you when you don’t.

Musikfest draws to a close on Saturday (local Irish group Tin Kettle is playing), but there’s still plenty of Irish going on this weekend.

St. Patrick’s RC Church in Norristown is holding its 15th annual Irish festival on church grounds. There’ll be music, dancing, food, vendors and a Mass of the Golden Rose on Sunday.

If you’re in Jersey, McDermott’s Handy–that’s Dennis Gormley and Kathy DeAngelo–will be performing at Tuckerton Seaport on Saturday night, and Paddy’s Well will be at Lighthouse Pointe in Wildwood, no doubt tuning up for the AOH Irish Festival in North Wildwood at the end of September.

On Sunday, the Philadelphia Shamrocks and Allentown Hibernians (juniors and seniors) are closing up an exciting hurling season at Cardinal Doughtery High School. Next stop for one team: the national finals. The teams have invited everyone to the end-of-season party at the St. Stephen’s Green bar at 1701 Green Street, in Philadelphia’s Fairmount section, starting at 8 PM.

Next big Irish push: Septemeber, with the Philadelphia Ceili Group’s annual music festival kicking off the second weekend, and the AOH’s Irish Festival in North Wildwood on the third weekend. Check out our calendar for all the details. Just be quiet about it. It’s resting up for all the fun.

If you count the Lehigh Valley as part of Philly (we do), you have plenty of ways of being Irish this week. It’s Musikfest time and there are Celtic groups, from Eileen Ivers to Scythian to Seamus Kennedy, Terry Kane and John Beatty, and Tempest all sharing the platzes (that’s what they call the stages in Bethlehem—it’s a Moravian thing) with the likes of Avril Lavigne, the Stone Temple Pilots, Kool and the Gang, Jethro Tull, the Dixie Hummingbirds, Roseann Cash, and Earth, Wind, and Fire (for you young ‘uns, that last one is one group, not three).

You can also see the McDade Irish Dancers and the O’Grady Quinlan steppers from the Lehigh Valley while enjoying a local delicacy, like Moravian cake or shoofly pie.

We have all the Celtic listings on our calendar. Many of the concerts are free. Fortunately, they’ve been putting this amazing festival on for the last 25 years so there’s great information on the Musikfest website on where to park and about shuttlebuses (they call them shuttleplatz, in case you don’t speak German) and Musikfest trolleys. You may not even have to dirty the bottom of your shoes with that pesky walking around.

Too early to think about Christmas? You might want to. The Waterford Wedgwod Company Store at the Philadelphia Premium Outlets in Limerick is holding its first in-store warehouse sale this weekend, starting August 1, with savings up to 75%. Waterford crystal on sale? Made us want to check on the temperature in hell. We thought it might have frozen over. If you can wait till Sunday, the Chadds Ford Winery is holding a tasting in the store, and you can cleanse your palate with goodies from Harry and David. Store manager Andrea Vandervort tells us this sale is likely to be a one-time event.

Also over the weekend, the Irish Center is broadcasting GAA sports from Ireland live. On Saturday at 9 AM, you can watch the Down-Wexford match, followed by Tyrone-Mayo at 11. Sunday, watch Fermanagh go up against Kildare at 9 AM, with Monaghan vs. Kerry coming on at 11 AM. Cost is $20. On Sunday, that will also include a full Irish breakfast.

Want to see live live Gaelic sports? The Philly Shamrocks and the Allentown Hibernians are scheduled for another hurling match at 2:30 PM Sunday at Cardinal Dougherty High School. This is the game that requires sunscreen. BYO Irish food.

The crowd-pleasing Paddy’s Well will play a free concert Saturday, August 2, at Norristown Farm Park in Norristown. The last we saw this group, headed by Paul Moore, they were mesmerizing the throngs at the Penns Landing Irish-American Festival. The festivities begin at 6 PM.

Also on Saturday, it’s your last chance to hear fabulous Irish traditional musicians Angelina Carberry and Martin Quinn while they’re here on tour. The venue: the Hunting Shack at Tuckerton Seaport in Tuckerton, NJ. Read about our chance encounter with Carberry and Quinn at a local session this week.

On Wednesday, August 6, get ready for an amazing experience. The Irish Thunder Pipes and Drums will be playing at the Chapel in Valley Forge National Park. If you’ve ever been there, you know It’s a magical place, with views of green, rolling hills all around. When the bells of the carillon ring out, you can feel transported. At 7:30 PM, carillonneur Doug Gefvert will play the Chapel’s bell with the tunes of the British Isles.? After the Carillon concert the members of the AOH Notre Dame Division’s Irish Thunder will march out to the front of the Chapel and play tunes from the Emerald Isle.? The concert is free. Come early—this one draws a huge crowd every year. Bring chairs, blankets, and bug spray.

If you miss Paddy’s Well on Saturday, you get a second chance to hear them on Thursday night at Wentz Run Park in Whitpain. We love free summer concerts! See chairs, blankets, bug spray advice above.

And on Friday, go to the races. Sort of. The Philadelphia Donegal Football Club (Four Provinces) is sponsoring a benefit night at the races at Cawley’s Pub in Upper Darby. Our Donegal team is competing this year against New York teams at Gaelic Park in the Bronx—and making a fine showing, so we hear. This is your chance to support them and meet some of the new players.

Some amazing Irish events are on the horizon (we know, we just entered them on the calendar), including a Philly visit by the High Kings, the annual Philadelphia Ceili Group Traditional Music Festival (with a concert by one of our favorites, Tony DeMarco) , the AOH Irish Festival in North Wildwood, Bethlehem’s annual Celtic Fest, a “Save Irish Radio” benefit concert, and many great Irish acts of every genre coming to the World Café, Sellersville, and other venues.

Wait, what was that? Oh. The calendar wants me to shut up now and send you over there to see for yourself. You know, since it’s been named the best Irish event calendar in the universe by the readers of irishphiladelphia.com and JD Powers and Associates (who are they, anyway?), it’s become a little touchy. Humor it, will you?

Did you know that you can enter your own event on our calendar? Well, you can! Go to the full calendar. Click on “Notify us about your Irish events” and follow the instructions on the next screen. We do reserve the right to edit calendar items. For example, we don’t want you to use it as your own personal calendar. Don’t list the “Kelly Family Dinner” if it’s just you, the mister, and the kids, unless you really want a couple of hundred people named Kelly showing up for barbecued ribs and colcannon. And try to keep it Celtic, which means you folks whose roots are in Scotland, Brittany, Cornwall, Isle of Man, Wales, the Iberian peninsula and Celtic Canada can enter your events too!