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Are You Ready for Some (Gaelic) Football?

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Football at Dougherty.

By Peter McDermott

Philadelphia is looking forward to hosting the North American County Gaelic Athletic Championship Finals this coming Labor Day weekend; Friday, August 31 through Sunday, September 2 in Pennypack Park, 7777 State Road, Philadelphia.

The venue is located along the banks of the Delaware River in the Northeast section of the city. Gaels from all over North America–stretching from Toronto to Texas, Vancouver to Virginia, Denver to D.C., San Francisco to Seattle, and Boston to the Big Apple–will converge on the City of Brotherly Love. George Washington led his troops across this same Delaware River into battle with the Hessians in 1776. Now 236 years later, we will see captains leading their respective clubs into action in pursuit of the North American medals and trophies.

Many of the teams are still in divisional championship contests, so the list of teams will be forthcoming when results are in.

There will be five fields of non-stop action, with the women participating in camogie and Gaelic football, and the men in Gaelic football and hurling. From the early hours of the morning to early evening, the playoff brackets will wind down to the finals, which take place on Sunday. Don’t miss the quarter- and semi-finals throughout Friday and Saturday–some great rivalries will be re-ignited. Shield competitions will be held in select competitions for clubs which are eliminated.

Attendees can enjoy a Taste of Philly while cheering on their favorite teams. Jim’s Steaks, serving up Cheesesteaks in Philadelphia for over 70 years, will be on-site. We will also have breakfast sandwiches, Irish breakfast, Irish scones, and coffee and tea to start your day. Burgers, chicken fingers, sausages, chicken curry, and chips will also be available. Wash it down with an energy drink, a stout, or a lager.

Take a break from the action and stop over at the O’Neills Apparel Tent where you can get the best gear straight from the Emerald Isle. O’Neills have been outfitting clubs and counties worldwide since 1918, and have been sponsors of the North American G.A.A. for a decade.

Most participants and supporters will be staying at the Sheraton of Downtown Philadelphia, in Center City, easily accessible to the Vine Street Expressway, and Interstate 95; just 15 minutes to the playoff pitches.

Tickets to the Event are available at a daily rate ($15 Friday, $20 on Saturday and Sunday) or a discounted weekend pass ($45). Children age 17 and under are admitted free.

Bus transportation will be provided, free of charge, from the hotel(s) to the fields. Regular schedules will be available and posted at the fields and the hotel(s).

For you out-of-towners: Unwind at nearby Irish restaurants and pubs. In the Northern Liberties section, along Spring Garden, you will find Finnigan’s Wake Irish Pub, three floors of fun with music and libations, late into the night. Downtown, across from Love Park, is Tír Na nÓg Irish Bar & Grill. Live music and dancing, coupled with a staff that wrote the book on debauchery. Additional venues will be profiled, closer to that weekend.

Updates of the official schedule are available on the North American G.A.A. website (www.NorthAmericanGAA.com). Also, links, and images of the schedule will be provided on the Philadelphia G.A.A. website .

Friday, August 31 • Schedule
Saturday, September 1 • Schedule

All proceeds will benefit the new GAA sports complex in Limerick, PA, which, when completed, will have two full-sized pitches, a clubhouse with offices and a function room, and locker rooms– a dream finally realized for Gaels throughout Philadelphia.

Check out this video about the new Irish Sports Complex coming to Limerick.

August 17, 2012 by
News, People

Meet the New International Mary from Dungloe

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Meghan Davis, the 2012 International Mary from Dungloe

If you believe in that kind of thing, it had to be destiny.

When Meghan Davis, 26, of Norristown, the reigning Philadelphia Mary from Dungloe, sat on the stage in the little town in the Rosses in Donegal a few weeks ago, her borrowed Celtic harp resting on her shoulder, she was the only contestant in the International Mary from Dungloe pageant who had been there before.

Except that the last time was 22 years ago, she was four, and the contestant she was watching was her aunt, then the Wilkes Barre Mary from Dungloe. “That’s when I saw harps for the first time and from then on I begged my parents, ‘I want to play harp, I want to play harp,’” recalls the young woman, a performer, church musician, and music teacher. “It had to come full circle.”

In 1999, her aunt came home with a wonderful experience, in 2012 Davis came home with that and a sash and a crown. She was chosen from among 10 contestants from Ireland, the US, Northern Ireland, and Scotland to be the 2012 International Mary from Dungloe. She is the second Philadelphia contestant to win in the last few years. Katie Armstrong, a neonatal intensive care nurse from Lansdale, was the 2005 international Mary.

But Davis also came home with something special in 1999—that burning desire to play the harp. “But in Wilkes Barre, where I grew up, there were no teachers whatsoever,” says Davis. “When I was nine years old, my parents looked all around and couldn’t find anybody. Then, at a summer music camp, I met a teacher who was studying at Julliard. We really made a connection.”

Her parents, Dwight and Molly Davis, finally found a teacher in Allentown which about an hour drive from Wilkes Barre. “They told me I could either take lessons once a week in Allentown or with my camp teacher in New York every other week. So, every other week, they drove me to New York.”

She fell in love with the harp in Dungloe, and it’s a love affair that’s lasted. She eventually got two bachelor of music degrees, one in harp performance, the other in vocal performance, from the prestigious Peabody Conservatory at the Johns Hopkins University and The Boyer College of Music at Temple, which is what brought her to Philadelphia. She also has a master’s in vocal performance from Temple.

She knew she wanted to play and sing in the Dungloe competition, but there was a problem. She couldn’t find a pedal harp—the six-foot, seven-pedal harp she plays—anywhere in Ireland. “I even had a harpist acquaintance from the New York Philharmonic looking or me and she couldn’t find one,” says Davis.

Since a Celtic harp was easier to locate, Davis rented one here and taught herself to play it. “I also taught myself the song I wanted to do, which was ‘Ave Maria,” the song I sang at my grandmother’s funeral.”

Davis had a close relationship with her grandmother, Mary Monaghan, whose parents came from Mayo. In fact, during the pageant, she wore a small locket that her grandmother had given her when she went away to college. “For luck, or the girl who has it all,” her grandmother told her. “It had been mine when I was a baby and I had bitten it so it had little bite marks on it,” says Davis, laughing.

An American in nearby Gweedore, Kayla Reed, lent Davis a Celtic harp for her performance in Dungloe. “My grandmother passed away in 2009 and she told me she would always be there when I perform. Before I went on I was talking to her all day, ‘Be there for me.’ I know she was,” Davis says.

The harp obsession that started in Dungloe and helped Davis win her title has been advantageous in other ways, she says. “I was so lucky that I chose the harp, as it turns out. I went to grad school with some amazing singers. A lot of them are waitressing and going into real estate and not pursuing the careers they wanted in music. The harp has allowed me to set myself apart. Performers who play the harp and sing are few and far between. It’s been truly a gift. If I hadn’t had the harp I might be in a different career.”

She also plays piano and sings, which made her a perfect fit for the Philly-based Irish group, No Irish Need Apply, whose members include several current and retired policemen. “They’ve become like part of my family,” says Meghan. “Like uncles. In fact, one of them writes original songs and he told me he’s writing a new one: ‘Meghan has four uncles.’”

She’ll be performing with them—though perhaps not that song–on September 2 at Brittingham’s Irish Pub in Lafayette Hill at its annual Irish Festival and later in the month at Irish Weekend in N. Wildwood.

She expects this year to be a whirlwind of events. She’ll be in St. Patrick’s Day Parades up and down the east coast, at special events, and “anywhere the Donegal Association wants me to be,” she says. Philadelphia’s Donegal Association sponsors the Mary from Dungloe event in the city.

And she’s also going shopping. “They gave me a 1,000 Euro prize when I won the title,” says Davis. “I think I’m going to use it to buy my own Celtic harp!”

Click here to see some photos from the 2012 pageant in Dungloe.

August 17, 2012 by
News, People

2012 Irish Hall of Fame Winners Chosen

 

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Tom Keenan

She’s been president of just about every Irish organization she’s joined. He’s taken photos of nearly everyone in the Irish community in Philadelphia. Though she’s a relative newcomer to Philadelphia, she has become the darling of “the ladies who lunch” at the Irish Immigration Center in Upper Darby.

They’re the latest inductees to the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame, which will honor them on November 11 at the Irish Center in Philadelphia.

 

Kathy McGee Burns

Kathy McGee Burns has been involved with the Irish community since 1986. She is a member of many organizations including the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association (she is outgoing president); the Irish Memorial, Brehon Law Society, Irish Society, Claddagh Fund, Irish Anti-Defamation Federation, Inspirational Irish Women (she was a first year honoree), and the Donegal Association (where she also served as president). She the president of the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame and is active in supporting St. Malachy’s School in Philadelphia. Father John McNamee, who helped turn St. Malachy’s into a “beacon of hope,” was one of the many who nominated her to the Hall of Fame. Married to Michael Burns, Kathy is the mother of nine children.

If you’ve been to any Irish event in the region, you saw Tommy Keenan, the longtime photographer for the Irish Edition, the newspaper that has covered the Irish community for decades. Bob Gessler, founder of the Hibernian Hunger Project, wrote in his nomination letter: “With little fanfare or fuss, Tom Keenan has at one time or another, made us all part of history.” He has not only chronicled Philadelphia’s Irish history but he has supported many causes from sports to charity. Tom works as an Instructor at the Antonelli Institute for Art and Photography where he prides himself in being a mentor and adopted parent for hundreds of students. Tom is married to “ the love of his life, Jane” and has a son, Dylan.

Siobhan Lyons

Thirty of the “senior citizens” who are regulars at Irish Immigration Center of Philadelphia nominated executive director Siobhan Lyons. Declan Forde, in his letter, wrote: “We have chosen Siobhan because she is a hard working person, 7 days, 24 hours a day. She works for the benefit of we Irish who may need help with such questions as health, finances and insurance.” Siobhan is also involved with the Brehon Society, the Irish American Business Chamber and Network, and the Irish Network (In-Philly). Born in Dublin, she is the daughter of a
diplomat and majored in Arabic.

For tickets to this event, please call Sean McMenamin 215-850-0518 or Maureen Saxon 610-909-0054.

August 10, 2012 by
News, Sports

Philly Goes Green and White

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Glasgow Celtic fans in full voice.

Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.” – Bill Shankly, Scottish football player

The legendary Bill Shankly never played for Glasgow Celtic, but he might have been talking about this 124-year-old football franchise, founded by a Catholic priest to occupy the Irish immigrants who settled in Scotland’s largest, most populous city.

Its rabid fans are a diaspora unto themselves. People like Seamus Cummins. Cummins, of Huntington Valley, is the former president of the Molly Maguires Celtic Supporters Club, which used to meet at Paddy Rooney’s Pub in Havertown. He became a fan by way of his father, whose father came from Derry, and his grandmother, who was one of those displaced Irish (from Donegal) who lived in Glasgow.

So when the Celtics announced they were coming to Philadelphia to face the Real Spain team on August 11 at Lincoln Financial Park, Cummins wanted to make the other Celtic fans comfortable in the City of Brotherly Love. All 20,000 of them.

That’s how many are expected to descend on the city from all over the world next weekend. That’s how many showed up to cheer on their team when they last played in Philadelphia in 2004—against Manchester United, itself no slouch in the fan department.

“We have Celtic supporters coming from China, South Korea, Ireland, the UK—the 60 Celtic supporters clubs in the US will be represented,” says Cummins, technology director for the Jenkintown School District and admin of a Celtic-themed website. “We have 30 coming from Houston and more than 100 from New York. It’s quite the atmosphere at the game.”

Now, if you’re imagining bleachers collapsing and rioting on the field, Cummins is reassuring. “Celtics fans are jovial, fun—we just like the craic,” he says. “When we went to the Europa League finals, 80,000 Celtics fans descended on Seville, Spain, and there was not one arrest.”

So there’s a lot of craic planned. With Glaswegian John Joe Devlin, bar manager at The Plough and the Stars in Chestnut Street, and Molly Coulter, manager at Fado Irish Pub on Locust (home to the Philadelphia Celtic Supporters Club), Cummins has scheduled an entire weekend of fun.

It stars with breakfast at the two restaurants, and at night, live music (including Charlie and the Bhoys, a group from Glasgow that traces its roots to Donegal), dance parties, and two rousing nights of poolball, called by Wired magazine “American’s next great barroom sport.” (Quick rundown: Players stand on a large pool table and kick or head soccer balls or points. Check out the video.)

A representative from the Marist Brothers in New Jersey, Bryce Byczynski will be on hand on Friday at 5 PM to offer a blessing at the Irish Memorial at Front and Chestnut. Freelance journalist Phil MacDiolla Bhain, author of “A Rebel Journalist,” will be at Fado earlier in the afternoon to talk about the story he broke that effectively eliminated the Celtics biggest rivals, the Glasgow-based Rangers, by revealing that they had not paid their taxes for 12 years. (A new Rangers team is in place, but to fans like Cummins, the rivalry has lost its luster for the moment.)

Popular local musicians, Raymond Coleman from County Tyrone, as well as Oliver McElhone from Derry, will also be performing for the Celtics fans.

Of course, the best craic will be Saturday for those holding tickets to the game at the Linc. If you enjoyed the version of “Fields of Athenry” sung by the Irish fans at the World Cup in Poland this year, you’ll like the musical entertainment in the stands, says Cummins. “You’ve never heard singing like this before,” he vows.

It won’t be Celtic Park in Glasgow (where the turf for the center circle of the pitch was laid originally by a Donegal man named Davitt and was made up of shamrocks from Donegal sod). But chances are, it will feel like it.

August 1, 2012 by
News, People

Remembering Collin Abrams

Father and son, at a training exercise

Father and son, at a training exercise

Collin Abrams never had any doubt about what he was going to do with his life … or whose life he would choose to emulate.

A fourth-generation firefighter, the 21-year-old Washington Crossing man was in line to start fire school in Philadelphia in September, preparatory to become a city firefighter, his life’s ambition. Active in several fire companies and rescue squads along the Bucks County-New Jersey border and frequently singled out for honors locally, statewide and nationally, he was the son of Michael and Cheryl Abrams. Michael, also a lifelong volunteer, currently serves as fire marshal in Raritan Township, N.J.

Collin Michael Abrams, the couple’s only child, died July 14th in a drowning accident at the home of a friend in Hopewell Township, N.J. He left his family and friends with treasured memories of a passionate, dutiful and committed young man who wanted nothing so much as to spend his life in the service of others.

“From the day he was born, he was raised in the fire service,” says Michael Abrams. “I don’t think a day went by when there wasn’t an interest in the fire service. He followed in my footsteps. It was our passion. Collin from day one was taught the history and tradition of the fire service, and he respected that. He got it all from early on. That’s where he wanted to be.”

Just a few months ago, Collin took the test for the Philadelphia Fire Department, and scored about as high as you can score without being a veteran, who get preference on the entrance exam, says Michael Abrams.

“He scored 100 on the test, and then because of his certifications being a Pennsylvania firefighter, certified with the National Pro Board, he was given extra points. He was also a Pennsylvania emergency medical technician, which also scored him extra credit points.”

Collin was also a swift water rescue technician.

If firefighting was in the young man’s blood, so was his Irish heritage. Michael says he and his son were members of the Hibernian Fire Company in Lambertville. Cheryl Abrams is British-born, but most of the Abrams family were Irish

Perhaps it was the Irish in him that propelled him to join the Philadelphia Police and Fire Pipes and Drums . But it’s a safe bet that Collin once again was following his father’s example.

“We went to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Philadelphia in March, and I saw the band,” says Michael Abrams. “Man, the way these guys came up, the fire department right behind them, it was just incredible. Well, my mother (Alice) had died last July 18, and I thought … I want to do something to honor my mother.”

Collin Abrams

Collin Abrams

Michael drove down to practice at the Philadelphia Police Academy, and he brought Collin along. Collin at that point, perhaps feeling a bit overextended, was not certain he wanted to join the pipe band, but Michael joined, hoping to become a drummer … and it wasn’t long before Collin picked up sticks. Practice and band gigs soon occupied much of their time.

“Collin and I both, our commitment levels are very high,” says Michael. “We knew right away, this was gonna be cool. It was a thing that me and Collin shared together. We shared good times on our ride down to practice.”

For Collin, band practice was also an opportunity to pick the brains of the current and retired Philadelphia firefighters who belonged to the unit, says Michael. “The guys in the band gave him so much information. They were prepping him for the career he was going into. We’d stay for hours and hours.”

It quickly became apparent to the other musicians that the father and son were deeply committed to the band … and the son in particular was making his mark.

“Anything we asked him to do, he was jumping up and getting it done,” recalls band President Sean Gallagher. “He made all of the parades. He was in the honor guard. The kid had a great impact on everybody.”

Band master and music director Mark O’Donnell was particularly touched by the young man’s enthusiasm. “He was with us a very short period of time, but from the instructor’s perspective, he really reminded me why we do this.”

When band members learned of Collin’s untimely death, they took it hard, but they resolved to honor his memory in a way that would have meant everything to him. It’s the custom in the Police and Fire Band that members who have passed through their probationary period are honored in a ceremony in which they are presented with their kilt. Typically, the probationary period lasts about a year. Band president Gallagher says that the Abrams were so active and so obviously, deeply committed, that they both were on target for a “kilting” well ahead of schedule.

Here, however, Collin was just a step or two ahead of his father.

“Collin had been playing with the band only three months, but he was learning fast. He was definitely going to be playing in time for the Irish festival in Wildwood in September.”

At his family’s request, Collin was “kilted” posthumously, buried in his band uniform. “We didn’t have to think about it,” says O’Donnell.

The band also presented the family with a Philadelphia Fire Department helmet with Collin’s name on it. They saw him off with full honors, playing at the funeral as if it had been a line-of-duty death. It was, O’Donnell acknowledged “a rough day.”

“We’re a service band,” O’Donnell explains. “We play a lot of funerals. Line-of-duty deaths (like the recent deaths of Philadelphia firefighters Robert Neary and Daniel Sweeney) are really hard.” But in Collin’s case, he added, there was the sad realization that a potentially brilliant career had ended before it ever had a chance to begin.

The Abrams, for their part, were grateful that band members saw fit to honor this young man that they had know for a few short months. Now, they face the task of moving on, drawing on their memories for solace. Michael Abrams in particular will remember a young man who was much more than a son. “We were best buddies,” he said. “Best friends. I don’t know many fathers who had the relationship that Collin and I had. We were very tight.”

July 27, 2012 by
News, People, Sports

Welcome to Philadelphia

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Tom McGrath heading down State Road

With the regularity of a metronome, long-distance runner Tom McGrath’s sneaker-clad feet slapped against the pavement as he made his way down State Road in Cornwells Heights. As he rounded a corner approaching the small bridge at Grant Avenue that marks the border between Bucks County and Philadelphia, a waiting delegation from the Philadelphia Irish Center-Commodore Barry Club erupted into cheers. A saffron-kilted piper broke into “The Minstrel Boy.”

This was the moment they’d been waiting for, the chance to greet and support the slightly built marathoner and New York City pub owner as he continued on his one-man mission to raise funds for a Naval Academy memorial honoring the father of the American Navy and the namesake of their club.

On this bright Sunday afternoon, with temperatures hovering in the low to mid-90s, McGrath took it all, you might say, in stride.

With a police motorcycle escort leading the way, McGrath and his admirers made their way up the road a couple of blocks to the Delaware River Yacht Club, where the 61 -year-old multi-sport athlete planned to take a breather.

Pausing for a few moments beside the club’s drydocked boats, McGrath marveled at his enthusiastic reception in the city that became Barry’s home.

“Of all the runs in my life, this is the best one I’ve done. I’ve been treated royally, believe me,” he said. “It gives me a lot more willpower, discipline, determination, and strength. And of course, God is on my side, too.”

The $200,000-plus memorial is the work of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and McGrath was happy and proud to lend his long legs to the cause, helping the AOH get a bit closer to their goal.

McGrath, from County Fermanagh, believes his countryman is well deserving of the honor.

“Commodore Barry was one of the greatest Irishmen who ever left the shores of Ireland. He came to the United States from poverty in County Wexford, and made it to the top by being entrusted with the construction and leadership of the United States Navy, the greatest navy in the entire world. That was a massive, massive undertaking.”

The break didn’t last long—20 minutes, perhaps—and McGrath was once again on his way, stopping for a while at AOH 39’s hall in Tacony. He was scheduled to arrive at the Naval Academy tomorrow.

We have photographs and video of McGrath’s arrival in the Northeast.

July 27, 2012 by
News

New Program for Moms and Babies

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They both need a playdate!

Mommies need playdates too, and now moms and their babies have a place to meet up—the Irish Immigration Center in Upper Darby.

Starting Thursday, Lamh Eile—Irish for “another hand”—opens for some baby socialization and mom talk. The group will meet every Thursday from 10 to noon, says Leslie Alcock, director of community programs at the center at 7 South Cedar Lane.

You can just drop in, or call Leslie for more information at 610-789-6355.

July 27, 2012 by
News, People

Hey Kids, Let’s Put on a Show!

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Talent and stage presence in one little package!

When Una McDaid and her sisters came to the US from Ireland, they were shocked that children didn’t seem to know how to sing and dance. “When we would ask about it they would say, ‘Oh, I used to,’” says Una. “We looked at each other. This is what we grew up with.”

So, nine years ago, they founded Act One, a three-week summer performing camp where kids can learn to sing, dance, and perform on stage in a friendly environment. No pressure. No hassle. Like Planet Fitness, a no-judgment zone.

“We start the first week with workshops to help them learn to come out of themselves,” says Una’s sister and Act One co-founder, Fionnuala Porter McBrearty. “We match up the younger children with the older ones who are their ‘buddies.’ And by the third week, everybody wants to do a solo!”

This is no “America’s Got Talent.” The point is not to find the most talented kid in the tri-state area, but to help children build confidence in themselves. “All of the kids are stars of the show,” says Fionnuala. “Some kids already sing and dance well because they’ve taken lessons. But every child gets a chance to shine.”

“For some kids, just the act of walking on stage is a win,” adds Una.

That was clear last Friday night, when the Act One troupe performed songs, dances, and funny skits for a sell-out crowd of parents, grandparents and siblings at the Ardmore United Methodist Church, where camp is held and Una McDaid teaches preschool. (Proceeds from ticket sales are given to various charities, including “Cradle to Crayons,” a local nonprofit that gives school supplies to needy children.)

One of the tiniest little girls, her short hair in heat-induced ringlets, barely made it through her first song, her hands in her mouth and eyes wide and glinting with terror. But she sat out the rest of the show on her mother’s lap until the finale, when her friends encouraged her to come back on stage with them. You could watch her stage fright evaporating as she joined them in song and threw in some comic and unscripted floor wiggling.

“Our first goal is always to have fun,” says Una. “But we know that these kids will go through so many things in life, tests that will crush their confidence. We want to help them build up some confidence. We always tell them, ‘Your parents will be so proud.’ They know their parents will be in the audience. Though they don’t always think that everybody’s else’s mom and dad is going to be there too, so we do have some meltdowns,” she laughs.

“We don’t want to put the children out of their comfort zone,” says Fionnuala, “but we do have a rule at camp: “You can’t say ‘I can’t.’ You have say, “I’m going to try.’”

You can see how much they all tried—and succeeded—in our photo essays.

View rehearsal.
View Show.

July 27, 2012 by