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Tommy Moffit's Last Gift

Mary Lou McGurk with the Irish Musicians Union banner.

Mary Lou McGurk with the Irish Musicians Union banner.

Mary Lou McGurk’s memories of beloved Philadelphia Irish musician and radio host Tommy Moffit go back to when she was a little girl, dancing to his music at the Philadelphia Irish Center with the McDade School.

Later on in life, she got to know him better when he turned out to be good friends with her in-laws.

But probably the way McGurk knew Moffit best was in his role as one of the founders of the Philadelphia Ceili Group, the highly regarded organization dedicated to Irish traditional music and dance. McGurk, now president of the Ceili Group, has served as the stage manager for the group’s annual festival since 1980. Back then, and for many years almost until his death in 2010, the soft-spoken man from Roscommon was the festival’s amiable emcee. “We’d sit backstage between acts, and talk,” she says. “I knew him for a long time.”

Like many who knew Moffit, McGurk misses her old backstage pal. Happily, Moffit left behind something to remember him by.

Something really big.

It’s a green, gold-fringed banner with an ornate orange Celtic harp in the center—the standard of the old Irish Musicians Union of Philadelphia. Moffit was the last official president of the group, which held sway in the Irish musical community in the first half of the 20th Century. Moffit presented the banner to the Ceili Group about five years before his death.

“He just came to our board at that time, and he said, ‘I found this banner. Would you like to have it?’ We jumped at it.”

The banner, about three feet by five, would have been carried by members of the union in the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade, McGur

k says. In those days, she adds, “everybody needed to be in the union—they wanted to be, of course. Ed Reavy, Tommy Caulfield, Ed Cahill … all of the old greats were in it.”

Because Moffit was the last president, McGurk says, he wound up with the banner.

The thin, delicate artifact is preserved in a large, weighty case, handmade by Ceili Group members Brian and Lorraine Quinn, McGurk says. The problem? Where to put it. “It’s just very large. It’s a wonderful gift but we didn’t know where to put it.”

Until relatively recently, the Ceili Group stored the banner in one of the cramped, dusty rooms next to the ballroom stage, where tables and chairs are stacked and stored. “It was in its case, but it was just leaning against the chairs,” she says.

And so it sat for several years, concealed from public view, McGurk says. “We kept saying, ‘What are we doing about it?’”

A couple of years ago, when the Irish Center refurbished its second floor, the Ceili Group was invited to hang the banner there. But that was no good, either, McGurk says. “We were angling for a spot, but it’s just too heavy for the walls upstairs, too.”

Opportunity came knocking about a year ago, when the Irish Center received a grant to install a new elevator leading from ground level on Emlen Street up to the second floor entrance to the ballroom. Along with the new elevator, the Irish Center refurbished the sitting room just off the elevator vestibule. Visitors who take the elevator have to pass through the sitting room to get to the ballroom. And there, front and center in the sitting room, hangs the delicate banner. It’s the first thing you see when you enter the room.

That spot, McGurk, seems “perfect.” Folklorist Mick Moloney was one of the first to see the banner when he was in town in November for a concert and lecture. McGurk recalls, “He looked at it and said, ‘This is an amazing piece of history. You’re lucky to have it.’”

History aside, the banner also serves as a reminder of the man who gave it. Whenever McGurk sees it, she thinks of him. “He was,” she says, “a wonderful, wonderful man.”

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February 28, 2012 by
Dance, Music, People

Tommy Moffit’s Last Gift

Mary Lou McGurk with the Irish Musicians Union banner.

Mary Lou McGurk with the Irish Musicians Union banner.

Mary Lou McGurk’s memories of beloved Philadelphia Irish musician and radio host Tommy Moffit go back to when she was a little girl, dancing to his music at the Philadelphia Irish Center with the McDade School.

Later on in life, she got to know him better when he turned out to be good friends with her in-laws.

But probably the way McGurk knew Moffit best was in his role as one of the founders of the Philadelphia Ceili Group, the highly regarded organization dedicated to Irish traditional music and dance. McGurk, now president of the Ceili Group, has served as the stage manager for the group’s annual festival since 1980. Back then, and for many years almost until his death in 2010, the soft-spoken man from Roscommon was the festival’s amiable emcee. “We’d sit backstage between acts, and talk,” she says. “I knew him for a long time.”

Like many who knew Moffit, McGurk misses her old backstage pal. Happily, Moffit left behind something to remember him by.

Something really big.

It’s a green, gold-fringed banner with an ornate orange Celtic harp in the center—the standard of the old Irish Musicians Union of Philadelphia. Moffit was the last official president of the group, which held sway in the Irish musical community in the first half of the 20th Century. Moffit presented the banner to the Ceili Group about five years before his death.

“He just came to our board at that time, and he said, ‘I found this banner. Would you like to have it?’ We jumped at it.”

The banner, about three feet by five, would have been carried by members of the union in the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade, McGur

k says. In those days, she adds, “everybody needed to be in the union—they wanted to be, of course. Ed Reavy, Tommy Caulfield, Ed Cahill … all of the old greats were in it.”

Because Moffit was the last president, McGurk says, he wound up with the banner.

The thin, delicate artifact is preserved in a large, weighty case, handmade by Ceili Group members Brian and Lorraine Quinn, McGurk says. The problem? Where to put it. “It’s just very large. It’s a wonderful gift but we didn’t know where to put it.”

Until relatively recently, the Ceili Group stored the banner in one of the cramped, dusty rooms next to the ballroom stage, where tables and chairs are stacked and stored. “It was in its case, but it was just leaning against the chairs,” she says.

And so it sat for several years, concealed from public view, McGurk says. “We kept saying, ‘What are we doing about it?’”

A couple of years ago, when the Irish Center refurbished its second floor, the Ceili Group was invited to hang the banner there. But that was no good, either, McGurk says. “We were angling for a spot, but it’s just too heavy for the walls upstairs, too.”

Opportunity came knocking about a year ago, when the Irish Center received a grant to install a new elevator leading from ground level on Emlen Street up to the second floor entrance to the ballroom. Along with the new elevator, the Irish Center refurbished the sitting room just off the elevator vestibule. Visitors who take the elevator have to pass through the sitting room to get to the ballroom. And there, front and center in the sitting room, hangs the delicate banner. It’s the first thing you see when you enter the room.

That spot, McGurk, seems “perfect.” Folklorist Mick Moloney was one of the first to see the banner when he was in town in November for a concert and lecture. McGurk recalls, “He looked at it and said, ‘This is an amazing piece of history. You’re lucky to have it.’”

History aside, the banner also serves as a reminder of the man who gave it. Whenever McGurk sees it, she thinks of him. “He was,” she says, “a wonderful, wonderful man.”

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February 28, 2012 by
People

A Blessing for a Peacemaker

Marie Hempsey

Marie Hempsey

Every summer, “marching season” comes to Northern Ireland. For several weeks, members of the Protestant unionist Orange Order parade through towns and cities, often through politically sensitive Catholic and nationalist neighborhoods. This contentious time of year culminates in a torrent of parades on July 12, celebrating Protestant King William of Orange’s bloody victory over the Catholic King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.

All of this drama plays out an ocean away, but for the 2012 Burlington County St. Patrick’s Day grand marshal, Marie Brady Hempsey of West Deptford, N.J., this divisive tradition strikes close to home, and for two reasons. First, because she’s the child of a Catholic father and a Protestant mother, both first-generation Irish; and second, because she is the mid-Atlantic coordinator for Project Children, which every summer transports more than 20 kids out of Northern Ireland to the Delaware Valley for a different kind of season—a season of peace.

(Note to readers: The Burlington County parade, originally scheduled for March 3, has been postponed to March 31, due to the threat of heavy rains and thunder.)

Hempsey, a Realtor and the mother of five, comes by her deep understanding of Northern Ireland divisions as a result of early childhood experience. Her father James Brady of Philadelphia’s Fairmount section and mother Florence (née McKnight) from Southwest Philadelphia met in October 1961 and eloped in January 1962. The Bradys embraced Florence, but the union didn’t go down well among the McKnights.

“It upset my mother’s parents more, to be honest with you,” says Hempsey. “My dad’s parents were deceased, but his family were much more accepting of her. Ultimately, the families did not get along. My grandmother (Mary McKnight, from Bushmills, County Antrim) was very hard-nosed against my father. It kind of destroyed my family, I didn’t get to know my cousins. I’m getting to know them now, and I know what wonderful people they are, but it took a while.”

Religious divisions were nowhere evident within her immediate family. In fact, Hempsey was brought up with no religious preference; she was left to decide for herself.

Decide she did in 1990, when her third child Kelly was very ill with a rare autoimmune disease that affected her lungs and her crippled her ability to breathe. “They had to put her on a vent, and people said she needed to be baptized,” Hempsey recalled. “I had a wonderful family and husband (Phi), but I knew something was missing. Father (James) Curran came to the house, and I asked him what I could do. He said, ‘Picture Jesus holding her,’ and I did. “That was my epiphany. I just knew I was meant to be a Catholic.”

Kelly’s survived the ordeal, by the way.

One life-changing experience would be enough for most people, but one more awaited Hempsey. It came in 1995, when she and her family were attending an Irish festival in Gloucester City. A nun by the name of Sister Frances Kirk, then the local coordinator for Project Children, was handing out fliers when she suddenly dropped them. Hempsey, her husband and the kids chased them all down and returned them to their rightful owner.

Before Hempsey knew it, she found herself pumping Sister Frances for information about Project Children. “I asked her about it, and when she told me, I said, ‘I want to do that!’ She said, ‘Send me an application and we’ll see what we can do.’”

A few years went by before the Hempseys were approved to host kids from Northern Ireland for the summer. Hempsey suspects Sister Frances held back because she knew there were five kids in the house already. “It probably looked to her like I already had my hands full.”

The Hempseys became a host family in 2000, taking in up to four kids every summer since, most of them multiple times, 11 kids in all. This summer, they’ll take in three kids, making for one packed household. Hempsey takes it in stride. “We’re a little crazy … fun crazy.”

Right from the start, Hempsey knew she was doing the right thing.

“For some reason, we always get the kids who are the ‘real deal.’ They have parents in prison, or had grandparents who were martyred. They send us a lot of kids from Belfast and Derry and Armagh.

“A lot of the kids’ parents we talk to say they can’t afford to take them away somewhere over the summer. If you’re a kid living in live in Ardoyne during marching season, you don’t get much of a summer. You know the parades are coming.”

Hosting fulfilled a need for Hempsey, a way to restore a bit of sanity to the lives of deserving kids. She wanted to do more.

From the start, Hempsey was an enthusiastic supporter of Project Children, and that enthusiasm evidently impressed Sister Frances. In 2004, Sister handed off the coordinator role to Hempsey.

“She said she prayed and prayed for someone to have the passion and drive to do this, and ‘God sent her me.’ That’s the best compliment I could have received.”

Given a lifetime of accomplishment and dedication to Irish causes—Hempsey is also historian and chairperson of immigration and legislation for the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Camden County Division 1—it perhaps should not be very surprising that she was selected as this year’s Burlington County grand marshal. And the first woman grand marshal in the parade’s seven-year history, at that.

Really, only one person was surprised: Hempsey herself.

Now that it’s all sunk in, Hempsey plans to just enjoy and treasure the moment.

“I was absolutely shocked,” she says. “When I was told I was the grand marshal, I just laughed. I said, ‘What, are you kidding me?’ I’m honored. I really am.”

———

You can help support Project Children by attending the group’s annual benefit April 21 at the Richard T. Rossiter Memorial Hall in National Park. Tickets are $30. Call Hempsey at 609-330-4484 for details.

February 26, 2012 by
News, People

Grand Re-Opening

It's a party!

When the opportunity arose to expand the digs of the Irish Immigration Center in Upper Darby, the organization’s board had one question.

“We wanted to know how much was this going to cost us,” said board President Liam Hegarty on Friday night, at a “grand re-opening” party at the new, larger offices that have spread into what was once an adjoining apartment. “So, in the great Irish tradition, we looked for volunteers.”

They got plenty. Volunteer workers knocked down and rebuilt walls, laid flooring, patched, painted, and built a custom frame around a large map of

Ireland marked with family names that now dominates the room. “We could have had more people,” says Hegarty, as the 50-some guests milled around the center, enjoying homemade beef stew, Irish bread, and drinks in the meeting area, which can now accommodate several round tables—not to mention a band and even dancers.

The Center was founded in 1998 to meet the needs of the region’s Irish immigrants. Today, it provides a broad range of services, from legal advice on immigration issues to, once a new social worker arrives from Ireland, outreach to the area’s many seniors. Some of those seniors meet every Wednesday for lunch. A genealogy group also uses the center for monthly get-togethers. The Philadelphia Gaelic Athletic Association is also a regular “customer.”

Musician John Byrne—himself an immigrant from Dublin—brought band member Rob Shaffer to entertain for the evening. We have photos—check them out.

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February 23, 2012 by
Dance, News, People

They’re Dancing Like Stars!

Lisa Sweeney and Danny Conway trip the light fantastic.

In January, 16 people volunteered for a dance competition that would raise money for the Delaware County Gaels, the region’s largest Gaelic sports club. More than  200 young athletes–footballers and hurlers–travel all over the country and to Ireland to compete, which, as you can imagine, gets expensive.

Some of the 16 had danced before. Others suspected they might have two left feet. Some weren’t sure they had even one left foot. At least one didn’t really volunteer.

That would be Bob Albino. He was “volunteered” by his boss, whose sons play for the Delco Gaels.

“He texted me one night. ‘Hey, Bob, I signed you up for “Dancing Like a Star,’” said Albino, after a grueling couple of hours on Sunday cha-cha-ing at the studio of the Cara Irish Dancers in Drexel Hill. “After I found out what it was, I said whoa, I’m going to be the only Italian. He said, ‘You’re probably going to be the only one that’s not Irish.’”

As it turns out, he’s not. His partner is Latina. She’s Diana Garcia, an Herbalife distributor and fitness buff whom one competitor described as “born doing the cha cha.”

Albino, who works for the US Department of Defense in Philadelphia, said he was surprised—and yet not surprised—that his boss volunteered him. “He knew he could get a lot of people out here to watch me and he was right. We have 25 people coming,” laughed Albino. “They just want to razz me.”

They’ll be joining about 700 more people who paid $40 a ticket for dinner and dancing—someone else’s dancing. The “Dance Like a Star” event, hosted by CBS3’s Jim Donvan, is Friday night, February 24, at the Springfield Country Club, and it is sold out. Not one ticket left. And dancers are encouraging friends, family and even strangers to vote for them online—each vote costs $1. That pretty much assures that the kids are going to Chicago this year for the Continental Youth Athletic Games championships. More than 100 players competed in the event, held in Boston last year, and the under-14 footballers brought home a trophy. The Gaels have also traveled to Ireland for the Feilie Na nGael, a competition for boys and girls under 14, sponsored by the Gaelic Athletic Association.

The competitors, who have had professional training since the practices began in January, come from all walks of life. Kilkenny-born Enda Keegan, for example, is a musician who spends most of the week in New York where he’s a fixture in the Irish music scene. Keegan ought to have an edge. His wife is a professional dancer in Philadelphia. Has she helped him? “She could be God and it wouldn’t help me dancing,” admitted Keegan with a laugh. His saving grace, he said, is that he’s paired with Siobhan Lyons, executive director of the Irish Immigration Center of Philadelphia, who has ballet training. “She’s good and she’s helping me out,” he said.

If you frequent Cawley’s Pub in Upper Darby, you may have seen Chuck Cawley behind the bar, practicing his moves. “I’ve been cha-cha-ing everywhere,” said Cawley, who admits his dancing experience is largely limited to weddings. On Friday night, he’ll have a bus waiting at Cawley’s on West Chester Pike to transport the throngs coming to root for him and his partner, Lisa McAteer. McAteer admitted that, like Cawley, she too dances everywhere. “I think my fiancé is getting sick of the music,” she said, laughing. “I’ll be doing it when I go into the shower. He hears the banging and he knows I ran out of room!”

Karen Boyce McCollum is juggling and dancing at the same time. She’s juggling three children and a fulltime job in the communications department of a major Philadelphia pharmaceutical firm with as many as five nights of dance practice with her partner, Delco Gaels assistant coach Gabriel Brogan. “I’m doing this because my nieces and nephews play for the Delco Gaels, not because I have tons of extra time,” she admitted. “You have to know the people running this. They are all good people. They always have treats for us when we practice on Sunday. Donuts or lunch. Nothing really good for our cha-cha outfits.”

Though “Dancing With the Stars” contestants seems to lose more weight than the competitors on “The Biggest Loser,” McCollum said that despite dancing most days of the week, she hasn’t lost an ounce. “Is it because they bring us donuts every week—I’m not sure,” she joked.

All the contestants have one warning for the audience: Don’t expect Astaire and Rodgers. Don’t even expect Jerry Springer and Kym Johnson, considered by many the worst pairing ever on TV’s Dancing with the Stars.

But at least one thinks many of the competitors sell themselves short. “It’s been amazing watching the transformation since January,” said Siobhan Lyons. “If you saw everyone on the first day, we were a mess. Now, everyone can dance.”

 

Check out the competitors in our photo essay. 

February 23, 2012 by
People

A Generous Heart at the Heart of The Montco Parade

2012 Montgomery County Grand Marshal Jim Flood

2012 Montgomery County Grand Marshal Jim Flood

In its early years, the Ancient Order of Hibernians’ Notre Dame Division got to know the inside of firehouses pretty well. Launched in 1989, the Montgomery County division had no home of its own, so meetings were typically held within shouting distance of pumpers and ladder trucks.

Attorney Jim Flood joined the division in 1993, a couple of years after moving from Bucks to Montgomery County. Very active from the start, even as a relative newbie, he took an interest in the division’s continuing state of homelessness.

“We had always had a building fund, but it was raising very little money. So a group of us went out on a limb and hired the Wolfe Tones for a benefit concert. If that had failed, it would have been a huge disaster for us. Luckily, we raised $15,000.”

That large infusion of cash helped turn the dream of a home into a reality. The division bought the former Marine Corps League hall on Jefferson Street in Swedesburg, Upper Merion Township, in 1996. Spurred on by Flood, who was by then on the board of directors, together with other members, the division paid off the mortgage six years later.

That’s just one example of Jim Flood’s level of commitment. His fellow Hibernians can think of plenty more.

Flood spearheaded the division’s Catholic high school scholarship. He runs the golf outing. Outside of the division, he created a “Coats for Kids” drive that benefits poor children. He helps the needy by donating time to the Montgomery County Legal Aid Society and representing children through the Montgomery County Child Advocacy Project. Flood and his wife Helen have also raised funds to support their parish school (St. Helena’s), the CYO and the church construction.

Flood has a well-deserved reputation for being a “go-to” guy, and in recognition of his hard work and devotion, the division is going to him again: this time to ask him to serve as grand marshal of the 2012 Montgomery County St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

His selection came as a shock.

“I didn’t even know I’d been nominated. The division held a membership appreciation day on December 16, and my wife are I were there; that’s when I found out. During a break in the music, the chairman of the parade committee said ‘I’d like to announce the grand marshal for the 2012 parade.’ The he announced it was me. I was floored.”

Perhaps it was because Flood tends not to draw attention to his efforts that he was so surprised. His AOH brothers know that when it comes to good works, Flood is the kind of guy who takes to heart one of the key lessons of the Gospel, courtesy of Matthew 6:3: When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. And maybe it’s because Flood appears not to think twice about helping his friends and those who are less fortunate than he; it’s just what you do. It’s not something you think about.

The coat drive is a good example of Flood’s charitable mindset. “We started ‘Coats for Kids’ when my son Will, who is now a junior in high school, had a fifth grade service project,” Flood recalls. “I tried to teach him that a lot of kids don’t just wear coats during the day to keep them warm; they also wear them to bed.”

With permission granted by the principal, Flood and his son installed bins in the school to collect coats. The drive turned out to be a success. The following year, Will asked to do it again. Flood incorporated “Coats for Kids” and made him on the president. “Coats for Kids” continues on at St. Joe’s Prep, where Will now attends, and at St. Helena’s. Flood’s daughter Kyra is also involved.

When asked where he gets his sense of social responsibility, he doesn’t have to look far for inspiration: his parents William and Jacqueline.

“I guess it was instilled in me as a child—you do for others,” he says. “It’s the old ‘time, talent and treasure’ idea. Not everybody can give all three, but most people can give at least one or two.”

As he heads down Fayette Street in Conshohocken on March 10 wearing his grand marshal sash, Flood plans to just enjoy himself in the company of his friends, family and fellow Hibernians. And he’ll remember his parents, who were such an inspiration and so proud of their Irish heritage: “I just wish my mother and father could have been there to see me.”

February 17, 2012 by
News, People

Johnny They Really Know Ye

John Dougherty marching in a past parade.

By Kathy McGee Burns

I’ve known John Dougherty, business manager of IBEW Local 98 and this year’s Grand Marshal of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade, for many years. I’ve interviewed him many times and admire him greatly, so I’ve decided to leave the kind words to his friends.

When Parade Director Michael Bradley nominated the man everyone knows as “Doc,” he submitted a very succinct, business-like list of reasons that led the board to elect him unanimously. Here’s what Michael Bradley wrote about Doc:

1. His grandparents were Irish-born and he has nurtured the Irish traditions
2. He supports virtually every benefit involving the Irish community
3. He has been honored by the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame
4. He was a founding member of the Irish Memorial
5. He was honored by Maynooth College for his support of Irish seminarians
6. He and his union are lead sponsors of the parade
7. His strong presence has brought our parade to a new level of excellence
8. He has never sought the limelight
9. John Dougherty sets a good example for us to follow
10. He is a Treasure in the Irish community and best of all, he is one of us and we love him!

Here’s what others have to say about this year’s Grand Marshal:

Ed McBride, friend, neighbor, coach, manager of the Edward O’Malley Athletic Association, Philadelphia
John grew up with my sons, Ed and Dan. They played football together. I coached John when he was a skinny 75-pounder from age 8 to 15. This all took place at the EOM Athletic facility in South Philly. John Dougherty became a major factor in Philadelphia, a lightening rod! He is a great family man, a great church man, and a great Irishman. He does the right thing for the right motives. He get things done and doesn’t want recognition. If we had more people like John Dougherty, we’d be much better off. This is the best choice.

Mick Treacy, neighbor and friend
John is a true gentleman. His hand has touched every Irish event. I’ve been his neighbor and friend for some 25 years. When sickness hit the Treacy family, John Dougherty was very kind to us. He is the finest Irish American I’ve ever met.”

Bobby Henon, Philadelphia City Councilman
John Dougherty has built his life and career around helping people. His mantra is, ‘You never forget where you come from if you never leave’. He took a near bankrupt business and with creativity, work ethic and vision built it up to a billion dollar enterprise with a brand. Local 98 is the fabric of Philadelphia. His financial stability and political power is used to help people who need it. He believes in giving it all back. He is my family. Once, after having surgery, I opened my eyes and they were all there; my Mom, Dad, my wife, and John. I think that being the Grand Marshal will be one of John’s most proudful days….a singlemost honor which will be held in the highest regard. He is Irish 365 days of the year, 24/7. To know John is to love him. Philadelphia is a better place because of John Dougherty’s commitment and service.

Bob Gessler, founder of the Hibernian Hunger Project and first vice president of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Observance Committee
Any man who starts out a speech with “I am Irish, I am Catholic, I am Union–and proud of it!” is the kind of man that I want to lead the parade. John Dougherty has a complete commitment to Irish America. He is ready, willing and able to help anyone. He does it citywide, in many ways that no one knows about. John Dougherty is a family man, neighborhood man and a Philadelphian. He is the ‘go-to guy’ who came up through Irish roots. When they were talking about the Irish Memorial, people said, too ethnic, not the right ethnic, scale it down’…Not John! He fundraised, did the original site work and involved the other trade unions. He got it done!

Bill Green, Jr., Philadelphia City Councilman
John Dougherty is a force for good in so many ways in Philadelphia. His charitable works whether it be Magee Rehabilitation or the Variety Club has reached thousand upon thousand of lives in our city. He is truly worthy of this recognition and I am proud to call him a friend.

Bill Green, Sr. Former Mayor of Philadelphia
John Dougherty as grand marshal is really a terrific choice. He is proud of his heritage and I look forward to seeing John lead the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade.”

Kevin Dougherty, Administrative Judge, Family Court, John Dougherty’s brother
How do I feel about having John Dougherty as my brother? Well, he’s just my big brother. He has never changed. The way he is today is the way he’s always been. Genuine! His heart is bigger than his body. When I was a law student and he was a struggling union apprentice with a young family, he would send me care packages, maybe $25, or food…always addressed to Kevin Dougherty, Esq., with a note of encouragment. John has the patience of my Dad and the assertiveness of Mom. He shares their hearts. He aspires to inspire. He doesn’t realize the impact he has! And at the end of the day…I love him.

Gerry Adams TD, Sinn Féin President, Northern Ireland
John, a chara, comhgairdheas / congratulations on your election as Grand Marshall of the Philadelphia St Patrick’s Day Parade for 2012.

It is an honour well deserved for your record of working for the rights and wellbeing of your members and for the whole community. Let me take this opportunity to thank you and the members of Local 98 for your support and help over the years. Your commitment to freedom, justice and peace in Ireland has helped us to move forward towards our goal of Irish unity and independence.

As you head the St Patrick’s Day Parade in that great city of Philadelphia ,I know that our friend, the late, great Mike Doyle, will be with you in spirit.

So to you and all our friends who will be proudly marching with you on March 11th, have a great St Patrick’s Day Parade.

Bain sult as an lá! Is mise le meas, Gerry Adams

As for me, it will be one of my proudest moments as President of this great Parade when I put the Grand Marshal sash on John Dougherty.

Kathy McGee Burns is president of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association.

February 16, 2012 by
News, People

Remembering Shane Kelly

Kelly Flite spread out her fingers to show off her nails. They were painted white, and each carried one letter of the name of her childhood friend, Shane Kelly.

“My brother always joked with him that if he married me, I’d be Kelly Kelly,” she said, laughing. “We grew up like brother and sister. He was an all-round great guy, the jokester of the group who brought all the groups of friends together. If you met him, he’d have been your best friend.”

On November 13, while he was walking home with his girlfriend from a bar in Fishtown where the friends had gathered after a day of paintballing, 27-year-old pharmacy technician Shane Kelly was shot to death in an attempted robbery. His girlfriend, Maryelise Doyne, was dialing 911 before the two would-be robbers had even fled the scene. Two men have been arrested and charged in the killing.

His friends, his fellow Hibernians—Shane was the Sentinal or AOH Div. 61—his soccer buddies, colleagues at Jefferson University Hospital—made up the winding trail of people who waited hours to honor the young man at his viewing. And it was standing room only at Canstatter’s hall on Sunday, January 29, when his AOH brothers and sisters celebrated his life with a fundraiser to benefit Kelly’s family.

“A lot of wonderful people have been there for us,” said Shane’s mother, Maryanne, her eyes watery with tears. She stood in one room of the catering facility in Northeast Philadelphia where rows of tables were lined with raffle prizes. There were 96 of them, ranging from baskets of cheer to a signed Man United soccer jersey. Shane was heavily involved with Casa, a Philly-based amateur soccer league, which has renamed its league championship “The Kelly Cup” in his honor.

A group of Shane’s friends—a mix of old and new—sat together at one table, all wearing the green Div. 61 shirts on which was printed “In loving memory of Shane Kelly,” all sharing memories of a young man, president of his high school class at Frankford High, who was a born leader and the glue that held them together.

“He got everyone together through the AOH,” said Kelly. “I became part of the group when I started dating her,” said Jeff Morrison. “Shane was always the go-to guy.”

“Yeah,” added David Crego, “if you want to know what was going on, you texted Shane.”

“He was also really good at talking,” said Morrison, and the friends laughed.

The Shane they knew was a friend to all, a stand-up guy who died protecting the woman he loved.

“Him and Mar had just bought this house in Fishtown,” said Kelly Flite. “That’s where they were going when it happened. She called 911 and the cops were there fast, but it was too late. She still got to look into his eyes until he lost consciousness.

“There’s a reason there were a thousand people at his funeral,” said Kelly. “He was one in a million.”

View our photos of the Shane Kelly “Celebration of Life” event.

February 2, 2012 by