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Being Cool to His Schools

Michael Bradley

As if he didn’t already have enough to do, Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day parade director Michael Bradley, Jr., is taking on a daunting new assignment. He is the chairman of a relatively new board that will oversee all 23 Catholic schools in Delaware County.

Bradley holds leadership positions in a number of organizations, including Penn State’s Board of Advisers. He also happens to be president of a family-owned flooring and wall protection company.

Busy or not, Bradley doesn’t mind a bit. In fact, he has been lobbying for a role in county schools ever since a Blue Ribbon Commission issued a report in January 2012 calling for some predictably unpopular choices. Faced with a 38 percent drop in enrollment and a staggering $6 million deficit, the commission ordered the closure of 45 of the Archdiocese’s 156 elementary schools and four of 17 high schools.

Twenty-four elementary schools appealed, and 18 earned a reprieve. All four high schools also were spared the chopping block thanks to millions of dollars in pledges and donations.

Nevertheless, parents and communities reacted with alarm, and no small degree of anger, to the commission’s findings.

“They were closing all of these schools,” he says. “The main thing I told them is, you can’t have one group in charge. I was badgering them about it enough so that they looked at it. I was not the only one, but I was at the forefront of the screaming. They agreed with me. They came up with a plan to name advisory boards to run the counties. People just want to be heard. Bringing it all down into more manageable units is better.”

In Bradley’s case, it was never a question of “be careful what you wish for.” A leadership role on the Delaware County advisory board was exactly what he wanted.

“It’s a challenge, and a really neat thing,” he says. “I find it rewarding to build things up from scratch—rather than complain about it, to come up with solutions. I love Catholic education. I live Catholic education. I enjoy the heck out of it because I enjoy the kids.”

Bradley says the immediate plan is to put the schools on more of a business footing, and to unite them in the quest for financial stability and higher enrollment. Stronger involvement on the part of the business community is also a key element.

“Every school has been left on its own. They weren’t sharing information. That’s crazy. It’s important to share, and give them direction on how to raise money. There’s government money out there for them. It’s available.”

Bradley harbors no illusions that every Delaware County school will survive. There are some tough decisions ahead. But for now—and probably long into the future, knowing Bradley—the advisory board is accenting the positive. Rather than talking about which school is going to close, he says, the focus now remains on how to keep them open.

It’s a tough job, but in the end, each school has to solve two problems. “They need money, and they need kids,” Bradley says. “That’s it. You solve those problems, and all the other problems solve themselves.”

February 14, 2014 by Jeff Meade

How to Be Irish in Philly, Music, News, People

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

Timlin and Kane

This Sunday, join Gerry Timlin and Tom Kane and a host of other Irish musicians, including All-Ireland fiddler Haley Richardson and her guitarist brother Dylan, for a special concert at Sacred Heart Church in Camden. This annual “Celtic Spring Concert” raises money for The Heart of Camden, a nonprofit that provides homeownership opportunities to people who live in the waterfront area of Camden. It is a ministry of Sacred Heart Church. The late Sister Peg Hynes, a well-known figure in the Irish community, was its executive director for many years.

This Wednesday marks the beginning of a run of Paul Meade and David Parnell’s play, Trousers, the story of two 30-something Dublin men who reminisce about the summer they spent working as busboys in New York, at the Off Broad Street Theater at First Baptist Church in Philadelphia. It’s a production of the Inis Nua Theatre Company.

Martin McDonagh’s dark and comic play, “The Pillowman,” continues its run through February 8 at the Luna Theater in Philadelphia.

Also on Wednesday, it’s Irish Heritage Night at the 76ers. Appropriately, they’re playing the Boston Celtics—an age-old rivalry. If you use the promotional code IRISH when ordering tickets, you get special ticket prices. It all happens at Wells Fargo Stadium on South Broad Street in the city.

Wednesday also marks the start of a special lecture series—with music—by Tyrone-born musician Gerry Timlin, at McCarthy’s at Donegal Square in Bethlehem. Timlin will talk about modern Irish history and song—starting in the 15th century. Gerry is a fine singer and musician, but most importantly, a very funny man, so don’t expect dry lectures in between song stylings. It’ a six-week series that runs through March 19 ad is limited to only 40 participants.

On Thursday, catch Slainte—Frank Daly and CJ Mills from Jamison Celtic Rock—at Con Murphy’s on the Parkway in Center City.

On Friday, the supergroup from Donegal, Clannad, featuring Moya Brennan, will be in concert at the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg, and on the following evening at the Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood, NJ.

Also on Friday night: Galway Guild is at Tir na Nog in Trenton, NJ, and Jamison Celtic Rock is at Curran’s in Tacony. Jamison is also doing a big fundraiser on Sunday at Archbishop Ryan High School in northeast Philadelphia.

Coming up: The Scottish & Irish Midwinter Fest, with an astounding lineup as usual, will be in King of Prussia on Valentine’s Day weekend. Bring your honey and stay for all three days. Donal Clancy, carrying on the musical tradition of his father and uncles, The Clancy Brothers, will be at Coatesville Cultural Center on February 17 and the first of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade fundraisers is scheduled for February 23. And some interesting Irish acts are coming to the World Café Live. Check out our calendar for more details.

January 31, 2014 by Denise Foley

News, People

2014 St. Patrick’s Day Parade Ring of Honor Chosen

Tom Walsh, second from left, and Sarah Walsh, far right, will march in the parade

The Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association has announced its 2014 Ring of Honor. Traditionally, the president of the organization—this year, Bob Gessler–chooses the Ring of Honor, who march in the parade which will be on Sunday, March 16.

This year’s Ring includes:

Rev. Edward Brady, pastor, St. Anne’s RC Church, chaplain for the Irish Memorial and several other Irish organizations

Father Ed Brady

Susan Campbell, executive director of Ronald McDonald House, founded by Grand Marshal Jim Murray 40 years ago

Ed and Emily Gallagher. The late Ed Gallagher was a longtime member of the executive committee of the St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association

Alana Barry-McCloskey, marketing coordinator for the Irish American Business Chamber and Network board member of Irish Network-Philadelphia

Kevin McCloskey, wounded Afghanistan War vet from Mayfair

Dr. James Murphy, founder of Villanova University’s Irish Studies Program

Mark O’Connor, owner of the Irish Pub and co-founder of the Tour-de-Shore charity

Kathy Orr, meteorologist at CBS3 and co-host of the station’s parade coverage for many years

CBS3 meteorologist Kathy Orr

Becky Puchalski- Member LAOH 61- tireless worker for the homeless, those in need and vets

Joe Shay Stivala, writer for The Philadelphia Record

Tom and Sarah Walsh. He’s manager of the Commodore Barry Club and both are involved in the Irish Center senior luncheons, GAA Games, and a number of other Irish groups.

January 31, 2014 by Denise Foley

News, People

The Irish Guy Behind “Hair O’ The Dog’

DJ Dan Cronin with his wife, Maria.

Dan Cronin was a party thrower from way back. So way back his first parties were, well, illegal.

“Throwing parties is a natural thing for me,” says Cronin of Mount Laurel, NJ, who heads a technology consulting firm and is the mastermind behind the black-tie do known as “Hair O’ The Dog” that every year draws out Philly’s hippest for a New Year’s Eve-style frolic.

HOD, as it’s known, takes place tomorrow night (for the 20th year in a row) at the Philadelphia Sheraton Downtown. While the theme is Gatsby, the beneficiary of its largesse—it’s part fundraiser—is The Claddagh Fund, founded by Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphy’s which raises money for underfunded nonprofits in Boston and Philadelphia.

Cronin, who looks like the Irish version of TV chef Guy Fieri, grew up in the Bronx and North Jersey, the grandson of Irish immigrants from Cork and Donegal. He attended Dusquesne University in Pittsburgh, one of the top Catholic colleges in the US. “I was a DJ in college,” he says. “And I took my DJ money, converted the basement of the house where I was living into a bar, with a dance floor and lights, and I would pay police to make sure there was no trouble. . .I was running a speakeasy, basically. I didn’t have a license, no one was of age. . . .”

He laughs. In 1995, now a law-abiding citizen, Cronin called on his party-making skills again to “accelerate the growth” of his new Philly-based business (Chorus Communications, which he founded with childhood friend Robert Molinari) by inviting local telephone engineers and union guys who, he reasoned, would then feel kindly toward this little tech company and steer business their way. “We figured if we had parties we could get these guys tuxed up, get them a little drunk and befriend them,” says Cronin. “Well they loved it, and they helped us for quite a few years.”

Don’t get Cronin wrong. That first HOD wasn’t just a cynical ploy to get business. He had fun too—he was single then, and there were well-dressed, successful women–and he made friendships as well as deals. “To this day I still have relationships with some of the guys I met at those early parties,” he says.

That first year, 75 people paid $40 to get into the Circa Restaurant and Nightclub, now closed, at 15th and Walnut. Since then, the guest list has grown to 1,000 or more, all fun lovers who want to get dressed up and party without fighting the New Year’s Eve amateur crowd. “Actually, back in 1985 when we decided to dot his, people said, ‘Dude, you’re out of your mind. Not way is this going to be successful, Everybody blows their whole wad on New Year’s. They don’t want to go to another party and they don’t have the money,’” recalls Cronin. “But there’s always a way to get done what you want to get done financially, and everybody likes a good party.”

HOD has become a Philly institution and, in 1996, Cronin, influenced by motivational guru Anthony Robbins, added the “give back” aspect to his party—and to his life. “By then we had a pretty nice business and I heard my inner self knocking on the door saying, ‘You promised that if you became successful you’d give back,’’ Cronin recalls. “I became a Big Brother and sponsored a little kid and we added the charity aspect to HOD.”

Every year, HOD raises money for a different charity, from AIDS research and 9/11 survivors to, with a nod to Cronin’s Irish roots, Habitat for Humanity in Belfast and, this year, The Claddagh Fund, which recently expanded into the Delaware Valley where it financially supports organizations that serve children, veterans, and recovering substance abusers. “We probably give anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 to our charities every year,” says Cronin, who serves on the board of the Irish American Business Chamber and Network in Philadelphia.

An event firm now throws the party and Cronin isn’t the only DJ spinning records. The lineup this year includes popular Australian DJ Havana Brown whose “We Run the Night” with Pit Bull hit number one on the worldwide charts; DJ Bizz; the band The Business, a Philly fave; Bryan O’Boyle, late of Mr. Greengenes, another long-running favorite Philly band; and performer Jade Starling of Pretty Poison.

Despite running a successful business–and an equally successful event–he’s out there DJing on the side, often for Irish crowds. He did his thing at the Philadelphia Fleadh, a showcase for Irish and Irish-American music produced by American Paddy’s Productions, last June in Pennypack Park, and was the DJ at American Paddy’s “American Celtic Christmas” event this December in Bensalem.

“I’m very diverse and have an unparalleled range as a DJ,” says Cronin, who grew up in a family that played Irish music (and who does a more than passable Irish accent, thanks to his Cork cousins). “If someone wants to hear ‘The Town I Loved So Well,’ I know to ask if they want the Phil Coulter version or the Shane McGowan version.”

So don’t think of Cronin, now married and the father of three, as someone who relegates his fun to one night a year. “I have a reputation as a party guy and I’m still a party guy,” he laughs. And now he’s available for your party too.

January 17, 2014 by Denise Foley

News

Top Ten Stories of 2013

Gareth Haughey. He once was lost, but then was found.

However many years ago we started irishphiladelphia.com—and I’m thinking eight years, come this February—a reporter who interviewed Denise and me asked a dumb question: What are you going to write about after shamrocks and beer?

Idiot.

For one thing, we have a “no shamrock” rule. Shamrocks are cliche. We avoid cliches. As for beer, we’re all in favor of it. Beer has its merits. But Irish drunkenness is also a cliche—most of the time, anyway—so, once again, we choose not to dwell on it.

The point is, there’s always something new and different to write about. You people are just plain interesting.

Want proof? Check out our top 10 stories of 2013. They’re the stories make us proud—not just of our work, but mostly to know all of you.

They’re not in any particular order of importance that really would have been too hard.

A Tribute to a Man Who Made Everyone Feel Important

Denise Foley

Charlie Dunlop, a native of County Tyrone who lived in Havertown, died of a sudden heart attack on November 28, 2011, at the age of 45, leaving behind a wife and small son. He was everybody’s friend, a man whose kindness to others—even people who knew him only casually—simply knew no bounds. Last March, 500 of those friends and acquaintances paid $100 apiece to attend a banquet, the proceeds of which went to continue Charlie’s good works.

Philadelphia Loves Jane

Denise Foley

Seven-year-old Jane Richard, a budding Irish dancer, lost her leg in the Boston Marathon bombing. Jane’s brother, Martin, 8, was one of three people killed in the blast which also injured her mother, Denise. Philadelphia’s Irish dance community, the St. Patrick’s Day parade director Michael Bradley, IBEW Business Manager John Dougherty and many others organized a campaign to help defray the Richard families considerable medical costs.

A Message from the Heart

Jeff Meade

Irish Center regular Tom Staunton had his day in the sun on a Saturday in September, when the center’s picturesque Fireside Room was transformed into a set for a commercial for Penn Medicine. Staunton, who’d been under treatment for the heart flutter known as atrial fibrillation, underwent a pioneering procedure at Penn designed to rope of the section of the heart responsible for the notoriously difficult-to-treat flutter. The commercial went live in October.

Denise Foley

This one is a two-fer.

Last September 12, someone broke into Tyrone-born musician Raymond Coleman’s van in the Port Richmond section, and made off with all of his equipment—his guitars, his sound system, even guitar cables. It didn’ t take long before Frank Daly, front man for Jamison Celtic Rock and co-founder of American Paddy LLC, had launched a crowd-sourcing campaign to help Coleman replace all of the lost equipment. It didn’t take too long before enough cash had been replaced to help him out of a bad spot—and even get him a better sound system than the one he had before the break-in. In November, Coleman held a big thank-you concert at the Plough and Stars.

Jeff Meade

Another two-fer.

World-famous artist Chuck Connelly channelled all of his sorrow and rage over the Sandy Hook school shootings into a 10- by 12-foot masterpiece honoring the 20 children who died in the tragedy. This month, to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the shooting, Villanova University displayed Connelly’s masterwork—the first major institution to have done so.

Help Find Gareth Haughey
Missing Delco Man Returns

Jeff Meade

Last two-parter, we promise.

On September 27, Gareth “Gaffer” Haughey—an Armagh native living in Upper Darby—went missing. The longer he was away, the more alarmed his many friends became. They met at the Irish Immigration Center to organize a massive search. On October 16, days before the search was to begin, Haughey suddenly materialized, no worse for wear. His friends were greatly relieved—although Immigration Center director Siobhan Lyons quipped, “they’re also lining to slap him for being so much trouble.”

Lorna Byrne: Blessed By the Angels

Lori Lander Murphy

Lorna Byrne, Lori Lander Murphy wrote, “sees angels the way most of us see other people; to her, these ethereal beings are a very solid physical manifestation. And, she assures us, every single one of us has our own guardian angel following us at all times.” On St. Patrick’s Day—a day typically more secular than sacred—Lori attended an event at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Church in Chestnut Hill at which Byrne brought peace and comfort to all who attended. A fitting end to a day dedicated to a a saint’s memory.

Looking for Help for the Families of Political Prisoners

Denise Foley

“Port Richmond born-and-bred” carpenter and former Ancient Order of Hibernians president Jim Lockhart is a lifelong Irish republican. He’s always been involved in Irish causes, but three years ago he became involved in fund-raising for a non-political group Friends of Irish Freedom, an organization that helps the families of Irish political prisoners. “With their mothers and fathers gone, these children go without,” he told Denise Foley, “so we try to help.”

Around the World With Bagpipes

Denise Foley

A great little profile from Denise: “For the last 25 years, whenever someone needs a bagpiper, it’s Charlie Rutan they call. He’s the owner of Bagpipes FAO (For All Occasions), supplying solo and group pipers and pipe bands for every conceivable event from weddings and funerals to store openings and retirement parties. On the face of it, it doesn’t seem like a lucrative career choice, but you’d be surprised how busy a bagpipe business can be.”

10.

The Artist Behind the Harp

Denise Foley

Another great profile, this one about one of our very favorite people, harpist Ellen Formanek Tepper—who also happens to be a very gifted artist whose specialty is inspired by minutiae from illuminated gospels created by 9th century Irish monks> She paints them on glass. “I call it taking minutiae and make them huge and bringing light to the Dark Ages.”

December 20, 2013 by Jeff Meade

Music, News, People

Do You Believe in Magic?

John Byrne and Kim Killen taking their bows with the Celtic Flame dancers.

Dancing candy canes, ballerinas, a fiddler who can play behind his back, on the floor, and airborne, and Santa. . .oh, and snow indoors. You really could believe in magic at An American Celtic Christmas, the Irish-American show featuring Jamison Celtic Rock, John Byrne, and Kimberley Killen at Bensalem High School last weekend.
Celtic Flame School of Irish Dance and Bucks County Dance Center along with singer Carley Fuhrmeister and DJ Dan Cronin and holiday-themed short films by Bensalem students added to the spirit that drew more than 1,000 people to two shows. Jamison’s Frank Daly and C.J. Mills produced the show, which benefited the Bensalem Education Association.
We were there (and it’s going to be part of our family holiday traditions from now on). Check out our photos.

December 13, 2013 by Denise Foley

2014 Mary from Dungloe Kelly Devine accepts hugs from friend and 2013 Mary, Moira Cahill.

News

Big Crowd, Big Night for the Donegal Association

[flickr_set id=”72157638395075193″]

Perhaps the most striking thing about the Philadelphia Donegal Association’s Mary from Dungloe pageant is that the winner always seems genuinely astonished and surprised. No one goes on the stage expecting to win. The contestants seem to enjoy each other’s company, even cheer for each other. In this, the “Marys” have a lot in common with the winners of the local Rose of Tralee and the Miss Mayo contests.
In short, in addition to their undeniable accomplishments and talents, the winners happen to be nice.

Judging by the expression on Kelly Devine’s face when she became this year’s Mary from Dungloe Saturday night at the 125th Donegal Ball, she was, well … genuinely astonished and surprised.

And in a quick interview after an exhausting round of picture taking with friends, relatives, outgoing Mary from Dungloe Moira Cahill, and all the other contestants—and a serenade by the Philadelphia Irish Center’s Vince Gallagher—the 2014 Mary proved to be just what you’d expect her to be: Nice.

“I was a little shocked,” said Devine, former marketing major at St. Joseph’s University and currently a junior account executive at Brownstone PR. “I just wanted to come to the ball and have fun, to have a good time. And it was very easy to talk to the other girls here. It was like hanging out with my girlfriends. This is just the icing on the cake.”

Like Cahill, Devine is a longtime competitive Irish dancer, trained at the Coyle School of Irish Dance. She started at age 7. A back injury sidelined her at age 20, but she helps teach other dancers at the Coyle School. She credits Cahill for pushing her to compete. “Moira talked me into it. She’s been very supportive. She is a very good representative for the Donegal Association. I’m trying to live up to her.”

The pageant is typically one of the most dramatic moments at the Donegal Ball, but there were many other high points—including the selection of Carmel Boyce for the first Irene Durning Award, named for a beloved longtime member of the association. The award recognizes local people of Irish descent—they don’t have to be members of the Donegal Association—for their kindness and generosity in the Irish community, and for being a devoted supporter of the Mary from Dungloe contest. The standards are pretty high, and if you know anything at all about the Philadelphia Irish community, a lot of people meet or exceed those standards. Carmel Boyce, a leading figure in the community, sets a pretty high bar herself.

All in all, a great night for the Donegal Association, probably one of the best attended balls in recent memory. So many people crowded into the Irish Center ballroom, they had to bring in extra tables and chairs.

We have many, many photos from that night. Check them out.

December 5, 2013 by Jeff Meade

News, People

Big Crowd, Big Night for the Donegal Association

2014 Mary from Dungloe Kelly Devine accepts hugs from friend and 2013 Mary, Moira Cahill.

In short, in addition to their undeniable accomplishments and talents, the winners happen to be nice.

Judging by the expression on Kelly Devine’s face when she became this year’s Mary from Dungloe Saturday night at the 125th Donegal Ball, she was, well … genuinely astonished and surprised.

We have many, many photos from that night. Check them out.

December 5, 2013 by Jeff Meade

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