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Ushering in the New Year … and the Barry Club’s 50th

The grande dame of Philadelphia Irish culture is turning 50 this year. Unlike the rest of us, the Philadelphia Irish Center/Commodore Barry Club seems to be improving with age. What better way to kick off the yearlong celebration than with a posh black-tie New Year’s Eve bash.

The grande dame of Philadelphia Irish culture is turning 50 this year. Unlike the rest of us, the Philadelphia Irish Center/Commodore Barry Club seems to be improving with age. What better way to kick off the yearlong celebration than with a posh black-tie New Year’s Eve bash.

The grande dame of Philadelphia Irish culture is turning 50 this year. Unlike the rest of us, the Philadelphia Irish Center/Commodore Barry Club seems to be improving with age. What better way to kick off the yearlong celebration than with a posh black-tie New Year’s Eve bash.

(Dick Clark, eat your heart out.)

The revelers, many of them in costumes and elaborate masks, gathered in the lavishly decorated ballroom and danced until the wee hours to the music of Vince Gallagher’s very talented band. Contemporary, country, traditional Irish … these guys do it all.

Commodore Barry himself made an appearance. (He was tending bar.)

We dropped in just before midnight to catch some of the action.

Here are the pictures.

January 1, 2008 by
News

AOH Gives Jolly Old St. Nick a Run for His Money

Judge Pat Dugan

Judge Pat Dugan presented a citation from the state AOH to the family of fallen Philadelphia Police Officer Chuck Cassidy. From left: Judy, Colby and Katie.

There are ways in which members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians have a lot in common with Santa Claus. Yes, there are more than a few white beards and little round bellies that shake when they laugh, like bowls full of jelly—but that’s not what we mean.

What we’re talking about is the amazing generosity of spirit that typifies the AOH, and not just during this time of year, but all year-round.

That generosity was in evidence Saturday night at the Pennsylvania National Guard in Northeast Philadelphia as the AOH presented the first-ever Project St. Nicholas. The proceeds of the event benefited several local charities, including the Hibernian Hunger Project, Toys for Tots, Cure Autism Now, Project Children and the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

“We raised thousands of dollars,” said master of ceremonies Pat “Paddy” O’Brien, chairman of public relations for the Pennsylvania AOH. “We’ll do it again next year. It’ll be even bigger and better.”

Local Irish who visited the armory throughout the day listened to music by great local bands, including the Bogside Rogues, Ballina, the Birmingham Six, Tullamore Trio and The Shantys. (More than a few weren’t content just to listen—they got up and danced.) There was plenty of great food, including a bit of soda bread. For the kids, Santa Claus showed up about midday. The Celtic Flame Dancers also made an appearance.

As the afternoon gave way to the evening’s festivities, the Hibernians took the opportunity to recognize one of their own. Judge Patrick Dugan presented a plaque from the state AOH to the family of fallen Philadelphia Police Officer Chuck Cassidy. Irish Thunder Pipes and Drums also played in Cassidy’s honor.

For O’Brien the healthy turnout was heartening. “It was good to see the AOH involved in a community event that went outside of the AOH. People came today just because they were Irish. And they came from everywhere. There’s a World War II vet who came all the way down from Scranton.”

Finally, a few other visitors were unexpected … but nonetheless quite welcome indeed.

It seems that four women from Ireland—dancers all—had just gotten off the plane at Philly International. They had an appointment in Southampton, Bucks County, so that’s where they asked the cabbie to take them. They didn’t get that far. The cabbie misunderstood and dropped them off at the National Guard Armory on Southampton Road.

“They were 15 miles of course,” O’Brien laughed. So we asked them to come in and get something to eat and drink, and we arranged for a ride for them back to Center City. I said to them, ‘If there’s any place on the planet where you want to get lost, this is the spot.”

Lost or not, we all felt just the same way.

December 10, 2007 by
News

Honoring the Delaware Valley’s Irish Leading Lights

Hall of Fame

Remembering Philomena and Daniel Browne. From left: Barney Boyce, Tom Farrelly, Kathy McGee Burns, Carmel Browne Devlin, and Annette Browne Ward.

So many walks of life were represented: First woman president of the Philadelphia Mayo Association, inexhaustible parade organizer, industrious CEO, generous and loving couple (always with an open door for anyone from Ireland), and the gifted television exec.

Attracta O’Malley, Michael Bradley Jr., Michael O’Neill, Daniel and Philomena Browne, and Michael Colleran. The first four are 2007 inductees into the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame; Colleran earned this year’s honorable recognition. All of them different, as noted, but all of them the same in the ways that count: generosity of spirit and tireless dedication to the Irish community.

All were honored Sunday night at the Philadelphia Irish Center, the ballroom filled nearly to bursting with more than 500 guests. (And it seemed like half of them had ties to Mayo, perhaps in honor of Attracta O’Malley, who came to the Philly area from Charlestown in 1961.)

And maybe the other half of the audience consisted of members of the Browne family. (There are a whole lot of them.) Philomena and Daniel Browne who died in 2006, but they are well remembered and loved in the Philadelphia Irish community. Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) Division 80, of which Danny Browne was a member, is now named after him. Daughters Carmel and Annette offered a lovely tribute.

We’ve captured many of the most memorable moments of the event. You can see them all in our photo essay.

November 21, 2007 by
News

Attention, Pub Denizens: Irish Thunder’s Pipes are Calling

If you’re heading out to the pubs Wednesday night, you might get a little whine along with your beer.

The “lads” of Irish Thunder Pipes and Drums are staging their annual Thanksgiving Eve pub crawl.

Just in case you’re an Irish Thunder pub crawl virgin and you have no idea how this works, it goes like this:

  • You’re sitting on the stool, nursing your pint. Nothing special happening.
  • The door of the bar bursts open.
  • Twenty or so dudes in kilts and playing bagpipes march into the bar, playing “The Minstrel Boy” and “The Wearin’ o’ the Green.”
  • Your dull, boring night at the pub just got a whole lot more interesting.
  • You are so happy and grateful, you open your wallet and you dump a pile of money into a hat (or whatever else the Irish Thunder boys are passing around.)

I used to play drums with Irish Thunder, so I have done a pub crawl or two. I promise you, this raucous musical interlude will absolutely make your night.

Here’s where the band expects to show up, according to the Thunder’s Pete Hand:

“After getting together at the AOH Club House and getting things tuned up, the band will head over to Conshohocken around 6 p.m.

There, they will make stops at the American Pub, Flanigan’s Boat House, Guppy’s and Spam’s.

Then onto the bus down to Philly were they will plays some tunes at the Cherry Street Tavern, Fado’s, Irish Pub, Moriarty’s, Fergie’s, McGillin’s and the last stop, Tir na Nog.”

Hey, you were already planning on a trip to the ol’ watering hole, anyway, right? Might as well visit one where the pipes are calling. Between the beer and the tunes, you’ll get all misty for the old sod.

And, as they say around AOH Division 1 in Swedesburg, the band’s home: “Up the Thunder!”

(I think that’s meant to be a good thing.)

November 14, 2007 by
News, People

Michael Bradley to Enter Irish Hall of Fame

Michael Bradley and Cardinal Justin Rigali following the 2007 St. Patrick's Mass.

Michael Bradley and Cardinal Justin Rigali following the 2007 St. Patrick's Mass.

By Kathy McGee Burns

Michael J. Bradley is a man of many talents.

He is husband, dad, brother, son, friend, coach, businessman, investor, Hibernian, alumnus, knight, director, trustee, chairman, athlete, marshal, Realtor, salesman, commissioner, adviser, vice president, treasurer, union member, columnist, and president of almost every group on which he’s served.

But this year…we’ve got him! Michael J. Bradley is one of the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame 2007 honorees.

He’ll be embarrassed that I mentioned all of his accomplishments but the Irish community deserves to know what a great guy we have among us.

Bradley is the oldest child of Michael and Bernadette Sherry Bradley. The Bradley roots are Mayo and Sherry’s are Clare and Tipperary. There were eight children, Joey (deceased), Michael, Chris, Dennis, Tom, Bernadette, Maureen and Kerry. Michael attended St. Charles  (Drexel Hill), Monsignor Bonner, and Strath Haven High School. He proudly graduated from Penn State University, 1978, as a business major. I say “proudly” because it’s in his blood.

He serves on the P.S. Nittany Lion Club, P.S. Alumni Association, P.S. University Advisory Board and was president of all three. He’s proudest of being an Alumni Fellow.

At age 17, he traveled to Ireland with his grandparents, Mary (MacNamara) and Joseph Sherry. It cost him $199, and $1 to join the Ancient Order of Hibernians. They arrived at Quin, County Clare, and Michael met his great-grandfather Jim MacNamara, age 93, a silent, funny man. For the first two weeks he said little, but on the third week, he leaned over to Michael and said, “So, how are those American girls?” He spent time fishing with his cousins and once he caught a 20-pound salmon. But, alas, the hook slipped out of its mouth and the fish got away. His Granddad, the quiet man, said “The ones that get away are always the biggest”. All in all, Bradley has made 20 trips to Ireland. He feels at home here and also there. His Irish relatives always say, “Welcome home.” He has become close to one of his cousins, Seamus MacNamara, and they are godfathers to each others sons.

Michael Bradley is the president and parade director of the Philadelphia’s St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association, a duty he loves above all. He set his cap for this position a long time ago. His first parade was while his mother was pregnant with him. She was watching his dad march with the Shanahan Catholic Club. When he was 18, he took his little sisters to enjoy it. He started out as a marshal, doing all kinds of jobs. Finally, Jack McNamee, Jim Kilgallen and Paul Phillips sponsored him onto the board. Then Jim Cawley, the parade director, took him under his wing and taught him everything there was to know. Since his tenure as director, he has reorganized the method of membership (now computerized), negotiated a great television contract with CBS 3, fostered a wonderful relationship with Michael Colleran (CBS 3 president and general manager) and doubled the marchers from 90 groups to 180.

Michael Bradley has a public side and an Irish side. I needn’t tell which side he treasures.

This past summer he was honored by the Irish Immigration and Pastoral Center, an event which gave him his first Irish award. He also co-hosted the Irish Festival at Penn’s Landing. Bradley is also a board member of the Commodore Barry Club (Irish Center).

Michael is married to Linda or, shall I say, “St. Linda.” She has to share him with millions. He calls her his best friend. They have two boys, Mickey and Colin. During the frantic times of the parade season, his three cohorts pitch right in.

Last year, they all went to North Bend to see Penn State play Notre Dame. I asked him what he would do if his boys decided to go to Notre Dame. He said he wouldn’t care as long as they were happy.

The Bradley family is generous with their belongings. Their home at the shore is “open house” to nuns, priests, family and friends. They also donate weekend stays for charity affairs.

Michael believes that you give back to all who helped you along the way. He practices that conviction in his everyday life.

I asked a few of Michael Bradley’s friends to tell me what they thought of him. Here were the comments: “Very giving,” “Gets things done,” “Whatever he promises, he fulfills,” “He’s pro-Irish, not pro-Bradley,” “I’m proud to know the guy,” and finally, “He gets it.”

It is not easy to capture the essence of this man but he lives by these tenets:

  • Go to Mass. Give back to your religion in time, talent and treasures.
  • Go to college. Give back to your college, help kids get into school.
  • Treasure your heritage. Being an Irish catholic is what Michael Bradley is about.

Michael lives by Joe Paterno words,”Believe deep down in your heart that you are destined to do great things.”

Just hope that Michael Bradley brings you along for the ride.

You can get your tickets to the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame Dinner, November 18, Irish Center, by calling Kathy McGee Burns (215) 619-0509, Bob Hurst (610) 832-0380, or Sean McMenamin (215) 850-0518.

November 3, 2007 by
News, People

You Can Take the Girl Out of Mayo …

By Kathy McGee Burns

The Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame has honored many dynamic women in its seven year history. This year we’ve chosen a hard-working, dedicated, fun-loving and determined woman named Attracta O’Malley.

Attracta arrived in America in 1961 at the age of 17 years. It was a long, arduous trip. Traveling alone, she left Charlestown , County Mayo, in a Hackney car, boarded a Lufthansa plane in Shannon, touched down in New York City, and after a two-and-a-half-hour layover, she took a shuttle plane to Philadelphia.

The trip was not over yet! Met by her aunt, Mary Ellen Higgins, and her siblings, Tommy, Kathleen and Mary Moffitt, they took the subway and the 23 Trolley to Germantown and finally, Attracta O’Malley had arrived!

Her parents John and Margaret Higgins Moffitt had given her three rules to live by:

  • Always go to church.
  • Always do an honest day’s job for an honest day’s pay.
  • Come home often. Attracta never forgot this pledge made to her parents. To the best of her ability, she fulfilled her promise.

She secured the first position she went after. She remembers a test they gave her. Attracta had every question right except one. She was asked how many dimes were in a $5 bill.

Unfamiliar with American money, she confused nickels with dimes. It didn’t matter; General Accident Insurance Co. hired her on the spot. Her first paycheck was for $38. She ran immediately to the bank, sent $20 back to Ireland and then proceeded to Lerners Dress Shop, where she “bought out the store”. Attracta quickly learned, when she arrived home with two big bags and no money, that she still had rent to pay. Her siblings were very kind and generous with her when she arrived but enough was enough.

She loved TV, especially Bandstand, although her aunt thought she would like Lawrence Welk. She frequented Connolly’s Dance Hall, The Irish Center, Shamrock Club, the Crystal Ballroom and like a proper, young, Irish, Catholic girl…and the Miraculous Medal Novena on Monday nights.

Attracta O’Malley is no stranger to charitable works. With her brother and sisters, they spent a lot of time fund-raising for the Columban and St. Patrick Fathers and the Holy Rosary Sisters. No one has sold more chances and tickets than Attracta.

O’Malley quickly discovered the Mayo Men’s Association. Her brother Tommy was a member, but women need not apply. She rounded up her girlfriends and formed a Ladies Auxiliary. They met at the back of the room while the men were in the front. One of their duties was making tea for the men. Whenever the discussion to allow women into this organization came up, the recording secretary, Thomas O’Malley, was told to put down his pen. Until this day, there are many blank pages in the Mayo minutes. Finally, in 1966, the ladies triumphed. The M.M.A. was now known as the Mayo Association. Attracta O’Malley became the first woman president in 1981.She had that title in 1981-82 and then again in 1998-99. She confided in me that she had no idea had to run a meeting so she bought Robert’s Rules and proceeded to memorize it.

It is not surprising that she won that coveted title of president but she also won the heart of the recording secretary, Tom O’Malley. They’ve been married 39 years.

Attracta O’Malley has three favorite charities that she holds dear to her heart.

In 1985, she helped raise money to build Knock Airport. This project was not supposed to succeed. Its opponents said it was like throwing good money after bad. Its supporters could visualize the aid it would give to Mayo’s economy. Well, they beat the odds and Knock Airport is a successful operation.

In 1987, Sinead Jordon, a 1-year-old Dublin girl, was near death. She needed a bone marrow transplant. Her family reached out to the U.S.A., and Philadelphia’s Irish community formed a committee of all  society  presidents. Within four weeks, they raised $30,000. Together with the generosity of Boston, Chicago and New York organizations, they brought Sinead to Minneapolis and she was successfully transplanted. Sinead Jordon is now 21 years old. Attracta said how proud she was of this accomplishment, but prouder still of how beautifully all of the Philadelphia societies worked together as one united force.

And finally, in 1991, she was on the committee for the first Capital Improvement Fund, which was designed to renovate and refurbish the Irish Center. Under the leadership of Kathleen McGurk, they sold 1,000 tickets for $100 each and, once again, the Grand Old Lady (IC) went on to be the heart and soul of the Philadelphia Irish.

Attracta reminisced about the rivalry that went on between members of the committee. She would tell a little white lie about how many tickets she had sold, which forced others to try and top her. Keeping the Irish Center going is a Herculean task, and Attracta O’Malley appreciates the fine job Vincent Gallagher and the present board members have continued.

O’Malley has spent her lifetime giving to others. The issues in which she invests her energy are weighty. She helped to save a young child’s life; she contributed to the economy of her homeland, and  she fights to keep the Irish Center going. Attracta would dismiss all of this as no big deal. She would give the credit to others.

I love to hear Attracta speak. She has a lilting voice and a small giggle which mesmerizes her listener. Her name, Attracta O’Malley, sounds like a song. I think the beauty of her name and voice is echoed by the beauty of her life.

November 2, 2007 by
News, People

Michael Colleran Didn’t Let the Parade Pass Him By

By Kathy McGee Burns

Michael A. Colleran is the president and general manager of Viacom’s duopoly, KYW-TV (CBS) and CWPhilly (WPSG-TV). He is a delightful man, full of great passion and dedication. Colleran will receive the special honorary award given by the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame on Sunday, Nov. 18.

Michael was born in Scranton, Pa., and a product of many years of Jesuit influence. He attended Scranton Prep and graduated from the University of Scranton with a bachelor of arts degree in political science. The University of Scranton has a credo which says, “We will cherish you and challenge you.” They provided Michael with strong leadership skills. They taught him to give back to the community. They challenged him to think differently. All of this will seem obviously successful by the time I finish this story.

For many years every Monday night, he visited his mentor, Francis Xavier Elsinghorst, S.J., and they shared many thought-provoking conversations. Michael began his broadcasting career at WWDL-FM while in school.

Michael Colleran is a Mayo man. His parents were Mildred Lawler and James Gervais Colleran. The Colleran clans were originally coal miners. The older children in the family worked the mines in order to educate the younger ones. In Michael’s family, his dad was an attorney, two other uncles were a doctor and a banker and a fourth was killed in a mine accident.

He told me a wonderful story of his great uncle, Col. Henry Vincent Ryan, an Army Red Cross doctor. In the twenties, he was decorated for valor in 27 countries. He died in Persia (Iran) where they buried him, enshrined with pomp and circumstance. William Jennings Bryan had to intercede for the family to bring Ryan back to the United States, where he received a state burial.

Michael Colleran knew at a very young age that he was Irish. Scranton was sharply divided by the parish system. You went to either the Irish, Italian, Polish or Slavic Catholic Church. The biggest holiday after Christmas and Thanksgiving was St. Patrick’s Day.

Philadelphia was not new to Colleran. He had served as KYW’s general sales manager in the early ’90s. This time something was different. This time he was surprised and overwhelmed to behold the Irish community. He said, “It warmed the cockles of my heart.”

He thinks the cultural persuasion of the Philadelphia Irish can be seen and felt in their music, dance, song and lilt. When he first laid eyes on the Irish Center he fell in love with the interchange between the children and the adults. He experienced a rapturous look at life through Irish eyes.

As president of CBS in Philadelphia, one of his first tasks was to produce the St. Patrick’s Day parade. He needed to evaluate the sponsorship of that parade from a business perspective. When he saw how special the people were and how wonderful the event was, he made a decision to make the business part work. To Colleran, the parade is not a one-day event; it is a year-round partnership with the Irish community. Interestingly enough, one of the first members of the parade committee that he dealt with was Michael J. Bradley, president and parade director. Bradley will also be an honoree.

Michael Colleran also has a love affair with Philadelphia. He believes that it is truly “America’s next best city.” He says that his stations aspire to being more than entertainers and news deliverers, they want to be an advocate for a greater Philadelphia…a place to live and raise children.

Colleran came to Philadelphia to energize KYW and CWPhilly. These stations and his directions in broadcasting are now the “talk of the town” in terms of technology, tenor and presentation. It’s simply the best in TV.

In October, Michael Colleran went to New York to receive the Edward R. Murrow Award for the best newscast in the nation. He received it from none other than Anderson Cooper. This year they won 23 Emmys between the two stations. Michael is proudest that those tributes were not only for news but also for community service.

Michael Colleran has two adult children. Jennifer, a University of Pennsylvania graduate who lives in Wayne, Pa. She is an executive with Traffic.com. Son Michael lives in Iowa City with his wife, Erica , who is doing an internship in dermatology at the University of Iowa. He is also Jesuit educated, Boston College and a masters from University of Virginia. He teaches physics and coaches wrestling.

And so we see, Michael Colleran lives the lessons of the Jesuits. He has given back to the community, his city and mostly to us, the Philadelphia Irish. He has spent his career challenging himself and luckily, we have received the fruits of that challenge.

November 1, 2007 by
News

Memorial Mass Honors St. Pat’s Parade Chaplain

New parade chaplains, from left, Father Kevin Gallagher, Bishop Joseph McFadden, and Father Chris Walsh.

New parade chaplains, from left, Father Kevin Gallagher, Bishop Joseph McFadden, and Father Chris Walsh.

The late Father Kevin Trautner, for 30 years the chaplain of Philadelphia’s St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association, was remembered at a memorial mass on Sunday, October 14, as a dedicated priest whose “smile was infectious and whose eyes would light up” when he talked to people, said Bishop Joseph McFadden.

“The last weekend I saw him he was so full of joy. He lived for the mass on St. Patrick’s Day,” said the bishop, who officiated at the special mass held in the ballroom at the Irish Center in Mt. Airy. Instead, in the ultimate irony, Father Trautner, 57, and pastor of St. Francis of Assisi parish in Norristown, was laid to rest on St. Patrick’s day last year. He died of a massive heart attack while jogging in Valley Forge Park just days after marching in the St. Patrick’s Day parade.

“We will miss his joy and happiness,” Bishop McFadden told the more than 60 people who gathered at the memorial service. “But we know that he is truly with us here today.”

And if he was, said parade director Michael Bradley, he was surely thrilled to see that he was replaced by not one chaplain, but three, including Bishop McFadden, who was named emeritus chaplain of the organization that runs what is the second oldest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the country, now more than 235 years old. “He would have loved the idea that he could only be replaced by two priests and a bishop,” Bradley joked with fondness.

Father Chris Walsh, chaplain and church history teacher at Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster, will be sharing parade chaplain duties with Father Kevin Gallagher, parochial vicar at St. Denis Church in Havertown. “Having two of us will make life easier for both of us,” said Father Walsh, who participated in the memorial mass along with Father Gallagher. “One of us will always be there for meetings.”

Philadelphia’s 2008 St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held on Sunday, March 8.

October 17, 2007 by