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Philly Grand Marshal Jim Murray with Miss Mayo, Erin Carroll, and that Super Bowl ring.

We’ve already been to three St. Patrick’s Day parties. You? Well, if you’ve yet to have your first Irish potato—of the fluffy and buttery or the coconut  cream Philly-style versions—or hear your first diddly-eye tune, come along with us virtually to the parties that got a jump on St. Patrick’s Day.

View of our photos of:

The Irish Immigration Center’s shades of green senior lunch, featuring the music of John Byrne with Cormac Brady and Vincent Gallagher.

Then, let’s head over to the Philopatrian Mansion in Center City for the Brehon Law Society’s after work cocktail soiree.

And then to the Grand Marshal Gala for the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade, where everyone wanted to touch Grand Marshal Jim Murray’s Superbowl ring (he was GM of the Eagles when they made it there).

We also dropped by the annual Friendly Sons of St. Patrick wreath-laying and the mayor’s proclamation of March as Irish month, both at City Hall.

Aisling Travers

Okay, let’s just get to it. There’s a lot to cover—this weekend and St. Patrick’s Day take up an entire page of our calendar (and that’s not even the half of it—not every performer adds gigs to our calendar). Here’s the week, day-by-day, hour-by-hour:

Saturday, March 15

Parades today: The 26th Annual Bucks County St. Patrick’s Day parade kicks off at 10:30 from the parking lot of St. Joseph the Worker Church on New Falls Road; the Springfield (Delco) parade launches itself down Saxer Avenue at noon; the Wilmington, DE, parade also starts at noon; Bethlehem starts its march at 1 PM, and the Conshohocken St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes over Fayette Street at 2 PM. We’ll be at three of these parades—Bucks, Springfield, and Conshohocken—so look for us and smile for the camera. Yell, “Irish Philadelphia” to get our attention.

There are some great after-parade parties too, including one at St. Kevin’s Church in Springfield and a post-Bucks bash with the Broken Shillelaghs at the Fraternal Order of the Eagles Hall in Fairless Hills.

Here’s how the day shapes up otherwise:

10:30 AM
The 69th Irish Volunteer reenactors will participate in a special flag ceremony at Independence Hall and will be marching in Sunday’s Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day parade with a new flag they’ll receive at this event.

11 AM
The First Highland Watch (bagpipes and rock ‘n roll) at Molly Magiure’s Pub in Lansdale

“The Legend of Finn McCool,” will be showing at the Ambler Theater in Ambler.

Noon

St. Patrick’s Event in the Tent with Blackthorn at the Ridley Marina in Ridley Park

1 PM
Galway Guild at Chickie and Pete’s at the Tropicana in Atlantic City

Irish music and wine at Crossing Vineyards in Newtown, PA

Belfast Connection will be starting its multi-pub marathon at Halligan’s Pub in Flourtown.

5 PM
The Bhoys of County Bucks will be playing at the historic Brick Hotel in Newtown

5:30 PM
The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick is holding its annual banquet at the Union League in Philadealphia

6 PM
The Knights of Columbus has its holiday gala at the Red Clay Room in Kennet Square

7 PM
Get ready to rock out with the second annual Jamison Paddypalooza at Curran’s Irish Inn on State Street in Philadelphia—look for the big tent.

The Sumney Tavern in Lansdale is hosting the 69th Irish Volunteers for an evening of Irish Civil War period music.

7:30 PM
We look forward every year to a visit from musicians from St. Malachy’s College in Belfast, and they’ll be performing tonight at Bonner-Prendergast High School in Upper Darby.

Berklee College of Music grads Mark Kilianski, Lukas Pool, and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes will be performing a combination of Celtic, bluegrass, and jazz at this concert at Birdhouse Center for the Arts in Lambertville, NJ.

8 PM
Sharon Corr, of the Corrs, will be on stage at World Café Live in Philadelphia.

Celtic Nights, featuring some of the best young Irish performers—both singers and dancers—will be at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia.

First Highland Watch will be rocking out at the Shamrock Café in Wildwood, NJ.

The Glengharry Boys bring their Celtic rock style to the Sellersville Theatre. Dancing in the aisles is encouraged.

Some of the greatest trad performers in the world will be at the Irish Center in Philadelphia—Mick Moloney, Athena Tergis, and Billy McComiskey, with special guest Michelle Mulcahy—thanks to the Philadelphia Ceili Group, along with The Irish Center and irishphiladelphia.com. Put this in the “must see” category.

The Shantys will be at JT Brewski’s Pub in Secane, Delco.

9 PM
Joe Magee and the Galway Guild will be at The Deck in Essington.

SUNDAY, March 16

It’s the big one—the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade marches down the Parkway starting at noon, following a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Charles Chaput at St. Patrick’s Church at 20th and Locust. Many of your favorite pipe and Celtic rock bands will be in the parade, along with world class Irish dancers (really, they win awards on the world stage too), local celebrities, and floats. Dress warmly-it might be a little brisk, but hey, we’re used to that here. At least it’s not supposed to snow.

Here’s what else is going on:

9 AM

You can stay warm if you keep up with the runners at the 29th Annual Leprechaun Run at The Navy Yard which benefits the Special Olympics. (There’s also a two-mile walk for you slowpokes.)

11 AM
Head House Irish Festival features music and dance at O’Neals and Cavanaugh’s Head House—free admission if you have a parade badge.

3 PM
McDermott’s Handy—that’s the soon to be Comhaltas Hall of Famers Dennis Gormley and Kathy DeAngelo—are performing at the Princeton Public Library.

3:30 PM
Post-Parade party at the Irish Center, featuring music by the Vince Gallagher Ban and the Derry Brigade, with dinner catered by The Irish Coffee Shop. The Cummins School of Irish Dance will perform and there will be sets and other dances in the Fireside Room. This is your chance to buy tickets for a huge raffle basket filled with all sorts of Irish goodies. The new Glenside GAA will have an information booth.

If you’re staying in town after the parade, head over to the Philopatrian at 19th and Walnut for a free post-parade party sponsored by the Irish American Business Chamber and Network, the Brehon Law Society, and the Irish Immigration Center.

4 PM
Tryone’s own Raymond Coleman will be featured performer at Philly’s newest Irish pub, St. Declan’s Well on Walnut Street, near World Café Live and the Penn/Drexel campuses.

4:30 PM
Blackthorn is also throwing a post-parade party at the Springfield Country Club.

6 PM
Local singer Rosaleen McGill will be performing at Jack McShea’s in Ardmore.

And catch Galway Guild at the Green Parrot in Newtown, which has Irish music pretty much nonstop throughout the weekend.

Monday— March 17

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
The weather report is calling for snow today, which a Canadian friend of ours tells is is common up North, where they call it “Shelagh’s Snow,” after St. Patrick’s wife. . .or housekeeper, she wasn’t sure which. Let’s hope the weather report is wrong.

Start your day with a nice hearty Irish breakfast. There are two on offer this morning, one at Fado Irish Pub on Locust Street and the other at the Plough and the Stars on Second Street in Philadelphia. Both raise money for charity (and we know people who go to both, so it’s possible).

Or, start your day with some live GAA sports. The Irish Center is showing two games on pay-per-view this morning starting at about 10 AM.

10 AM
“The Legend of Finn McCool” gets a replay at the Ambler Theatre.

11:30 AM
Consider giving back (it’s the Irish thing to do): Einstein Healthcare Network on Broad Street in Philadelphia is holding a free Tay-Sachs disease screening for Irish people as part of a long-term study looking at the prevalence of this deadly disease of babies in the Irish population. It’s believed that the Irish are at higher risk than the general population for Tay-Sachs which has traditionally been considered disease of European Jews. The results of this study may help determine if people of Irish descent need to be tested routinely. Even if you don’t have anyone in your family with the disease, you may still be a carrier. The always fatal disease manifests in babies born to two carrier parents.

The Shantys are appearing at Erin Pub in Norwood.

Noon
The John Byrne Band, Belfast Connection, and Irish comedian Joey Callahan are the headliners for an all-day festival at Canstatters on Academy Road in Northeast Philadelphia.

The Theresa Flanagan Band will be playing all your dance favorites at McGillicuddy’s in Upper Darby.

1 PM
Seniors can enjoy a special luncheon at the Irish Center.

1:30 PM
You may not be able to bust the moves of the young Irish dancers you see, but anyone of any age can learn sean nos dancing. That’s old style Irish dancing that doesn’t require great leaps. One of the finest sean nos dancers in the country, Siobhan Butler, will be holding a dance workshop at Villanova in the Alumni Hall gymnasium.

2 PM
Jamison is performing at Finnigan’s Wake in Philadelphia.

5 PM
Belfast Connection has left Canstatters and is now celebrating St Patrick’s Day at Doc’s Pub in Burlington, NJ.

The Bhoys of Bucks is taking the stage at Kenny’s in Southampton.

6 PM
The Gloucester County AOH is holding its St. Patrick’s Day Open House at Rossiter Memorial Hall in National Park, NJ (that’s right over the bridge from Philly) with The Broken Shillelaghs providing the musical entertainment (they’re also supposed to be at McMichael’s in Gloucester City, but this is St. Patrick’s Day and magic can happen).

7 PM
Blackthorn is performing at the Ardmore Music Hall.

First highland Watch is at Magerk’s Pub in Fort Washington.

8 PM
Jamison is at RP McMurphy’s in Holmes.

8:30 PM
The Shantys are at Reedy’s Pub on Frankford Avenue in Philly.

9 PM
Galway Guild is at Ri Ra at the Tropicana.

Monday, March 18
You’d think it would let up, but no.

7:30 PM
View the movie, “Kings,” about a group of Irish immigrants who do not make good in the promised land, starring Colm Meany. It’s at Villanova.

Tuesday, March 19

4:30 PM
Eamonn Wall, the Heimbold Chair at Villanova, will discuss Irish writing in American with Daniel Tobin, a professor of writing, literature and publishing at Emerson College.

Thursday, March 20

6 PM
The Consulate General of Ireland is partnering with International House Philadelphia to present a special showing of “Death on the Railroad,” the story of Duffy’s Cut. Dave Farrell, the producer of the documentary, will be flying in from Dublin to join Bill and Frank Watson, who discovered the mass grave in Malvern of the Irish immigrant railroad workers who died of cholera or were killed, will join the discussion and Deputy Consul Peter Ryan will be there for a reception.

Friday, March 21
4 PM
Experts from The Ulster Historical Foundation and the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania will help you explore your Irish and Scots roots at the Haverford Township Community Rec and Environmental Center in Havertown.

8 PM
Cap off the perfect St. Patrick’s Week with a pint and the musical stylings of Andy Maher and his Band at The Irish Center. It’s ’70s and ‘80s music, which you may not have heard at all this week.

Please check our calendar frequently for late-breaking events and for details on these.

Ray Coleman with George Donaldson

George Donaldson may have been a Scot, but the Celtic Thunder lead singer, who died yesterday at the age of 46 of a massive heart attack, held a special place in the hearts of Philadelphia’s Irish community.

“He was a great man, down-to-earth, a good friend, great musician, was great craic to hang with,” said Raymond Coleman, a Tyrone-born musician now living in Philadelphia who often performed with Donaldson at the Plough and the Stars on Second Street.

Coleman recalled going out one night with Donaldson after their show. “And the great fella he was, we were out and didn’t get home till 4 in the morning. Jaclyn [Coleman’s wife] was pregnant and ready to pop, and we landed at my house and I didn’t have my key, so we banged on the door and Jaclyn came down and I was like, ‘George, you’re going through the door first, it’s your fault, you gotta take the blame and fair enough he did!”

It was also Donaldson who “got me in with those crazy Thunder Heads,” said Coleman, referring to Donaldson’s many fans, most of them female.

Like Maggie Costello of Philadelphia, who was part of the George Donaldson Street Team—a group that promotes concerts and events on a grassroots level—which now numbers about 1,200.

“George was a big bear of a man, his hugs were wonderful and given out to his fans and friends alike,” said Costello. “ He called his guy friends and costars in Celtic Thunder, “brother, , was loved by everyone who knew him. He was an extraordinary folksinger, song writer and history teacher to his fans. We learned more about Scottish history than if we took a college course, through his songs and stories. . .He wasn’t just a folksinger, he was our friend.”

One of his favorite books, she said, was “The Alchemist,” a novel about finding one’s own destiny. “He said it taught him it was never too late to follow your dream,” she said.

George Donaldson was one of nine children who grew up in Glasgow where he started his singing career in local pubs and clubs while working as a bus builder. In 2008, at the age of 39, he joined Celtic Thunder, a group introduced to Americans through many concert specials on PBS and which went on to gain international fame. But when he was home in Glasgow, in between tours, Donaldson still gigged at his local, Jinty’s, on Sunday night.

Margaret King met Donaldson in 2008 at WHYY in Philadelphia when he and his Celtic Thunder “brothers” were doing the first of many PBS specials and she was manning the phones along with others from the Cara School of Irish Dance in Delaware County. “They all got on the phones to talk to the people calling in and they were so nice to the dancers,” King recalled. She spent a little time talking to Donaldson during the breaks. “He was such a nice guy. He told me about his wife and daughter and how exciting it was to be starting this tour, which was their first.”

She even remembered some of the lyrics of the song he sang, called The Voyager. “Life is an ocean, love is a boat, In troubled waters, it keeps us afloat
When we started the voyage, there was just me and you. Now, gathered ’round us, we have our own crew.”

“You could tell it that he meant it when he sang that song, that he was thinking of his wife and daughter who were at home.”

Donaldson leaves a wife, Carolyn, and a 13-year-old daughter, Sarah.

The Plough and the Stars, where many Philadelphians and others came to hear the big Scot sing and play, issued this statement on its Facebook page:

“George was a longtime friend of the Plough and was loved by his loyal and devoted fans who traveled here from all over the USA and even as far as Australia, his concerts at the Plough were always sold out. He was a gentleman. Good humored, kind and thoughtful, when we had to reconfigure the whole restaurant for his concert he was always amused and very patient. His concerts were a lot of fun, we will remember the good times during and after. I was talking to him this past Tuesday he was looking forward to playing at the Plough on 17th July it is shocking and tragic. May he rest in peace.”

View more photos of George Donaldson in Philadelphia, courtesy of Maggie Costello, Raymond Coleman, and Margaret King.

Jim Murray, left, with Linda and Michael Bradley.

You gotta love a parade grand marshal who dons a gold yarmulke and tells irreverent stories of how, when asked to arrange former boss Leonard Tose’s funeral on a Sunday in April, responded, “The last Jewish guy buried on Easter got up and left.”

And you gotta love a parade grand marshal who dedicates his honor to his friend, the late Bishop Joseph McFadden, a former chaplain of the parade. And starts to choke up when talking about his father.

That’s Jim Murray, former general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles (when they were owned by Leonard Tose)who helped found the Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides a homelike atmosphere for the families of critically ill children near where their children are hospitalized.

He was the star of Thursday’s annual party at the studios of CBS3, which is in its 11th year of broadcasting the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which Murray will lead on March 16. Members of the St. Patrick’s Ring of Honor, including longtime parade host, meteorologist Kathy Orr, were also introduced at the event that featured music by members of the Boyce family (Blackthorn’s John and Michael Boyce, their brother Brian, and sister, Karen Boyce McCollum) and the McDade Cara Dancers.

We were there and took loads of photos.

It is totally time to rock this look.

This is the time of year when I wish teleporting technology was not just part of the fictional Star Trek universe, because my molecules would be scrambling and re-forming several times a day to get to all the great Irish events dueling for my attention. You too? Thought so.

Next weekend, there are at least four local parades, including the biggie, the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade, on Sunday March 16. But the calendar is packed even before that. Let’s start with this Saturday:

At noon, the kick-off of the Running of the Micks and McPatty’s Fest, a giant pub crawl and festival that starts at Finnigan’s Wake on Spring Garden Street in Philly, heads up the Art Museum steps, a la Rocky, and ends at McFaddens for a par-tay, with lots of music going on everywhere. You can hear Jamison at Finnigan’s Wake at 3 PM, for example.

Other Saturday goings on: the Conshy Parade’s Grand Marshall Ball at the Norristown Zoo Banquet Hall; the wonderful duo, McDermott’s Handy (Dennis Gormley and Kathy DeAngelo, about to be inducted into the Comhaltas Hall of Fame) will be performing “The Ballads of Irishtown” at the Carslake Community in Bordentown, NJ; Paul Byrom, formerly of Celtic Thunder, at the World Café Live; the Broken Shillelaghs at Cap’s Bar and Restaurant in Gloucester City, NJ, and Galway Guild will be rocking out at Marty Magee’s in Prospect Park.

On Sunday, the second annual AOH Mass will be celebrated at St. Malachy Church, the jewel of North Philadelphia. At 3 PM, Irish singers Ciaran Nagle of The three Irish Tenors and Tara Novak will be performing at St. Francis Xavier Church in Philadelphia, with special guest, local singer Theresa Flanagan Murtagh; Bill Monaghan and Celtic Pride will be making their annual visit to the Sellersville Theater; you can join the other “RUNA-tics” as they cheer on RUNA, an award-winning band that blends Celtic trad with bluegrass, jazz, and other influences, at the Irish Center; and Karan Casey, formerly of Solas, will be appearing with her trio at Crossroads Music at Calvary Center for Culture and Community in Philadelphia.

If you happen to be in Carbon County, local band Galway Guild will be performing in the Carbon County St. Patrick’s Day parade.

On Monday, Celtic Crossroads brings a variety of influences, from bluegrass to gypsy to jazz, to an all-star spectacular at the Sellersville Theater.

Survive hump day with The Shantys who are appearing at AOH Div. 61 Clubhouse in northeast Philadelphia. The Brehon Law Society is also having its St. Patrick’s Day party at The Philopatrian on Walnut Street in Philadelphia. The John Bryne Band is performing.

On Thursday afternoon, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick will honor the Irish who played a role in the US Revolutionary War by laying a wreath at the plaque at Philadelphia’s City Hall that lists some of their names. Traditionally, the mayor reads a proclamation declaring March Irish month. The day is capped by a dinner and sashing ceremony for the parade grand marshal—this year, former Eagles General Manager Jim Murray—and members of the St. Patrick’s Ring of Honor.

On a serious note, there’s a free Tay-Sachs screening at Upper Merion High School in King of Prussia on Thursday afternoon. It’s part of a study by researchers at Albert Einstein Medical Center attempting the identify the number of carriers in the Irish community. A simple painless blood test can help the researchers determine whether Irish people should be routinely tested for the gene mutation that causes the fatal disease which affects babies.

On Thursday evening, AOH Notre Dame Division 1 throws one of the best parties going—their annual Irish coffee contest—at their Swedesburg digs. And yes, there are tastes all around.

Black 47, the iconic Celtic rockers from New York, are making a stop in Philadelphia on their ”Last Call” tour before the band dissolved. They’ll be at World Café Live on Thursday night.

On Friday. the Irish Society will hold its traditional toast to St. Patrick at noon at Finnigan’s Wake in Philadelphia. It’s also the kickoff of the fourth annual Newtown Irish Festival with Clancy’s Pistol (on Friday) and other performers such as Raymond Coleman, Tommy McHugh, and others up through St. Patrick’s Day. On Sundaynight, catch the Shantys at Schileen’s Pub in Westville, NJ.

Also on Friday night: The Women of Ireland, a show featuring the next generation of Ireland’s female performers, will take the state at Upper Darby Performing Arts Center, and at The Ardmore Music Hall, Enter the Haggis will perform.

It’s almost sold out, but there are a few tickets left for the John Byrne Band with No Irish Need Apply at World Cafe Live on Friday night.

If that’s not enough, Blackthorn will be rocking Kildare’s St. Patrick’s part in their Manayunk location on Friday night.

But wait, there’s more. The Shantys will be at Tir na Nog in Philadelphia, the Broken Shillelaghs at Dubh Linn Square Pub in Bordentown, along with Galway Guild.

And take a peek at our calendar for next week. Your little Irish head will spin. We don’t even have all the local band gigs on the calendar (we encourage the bands to add their gigs themselves, for which we reward them with a shout-out).

Beam me up, Paddy!