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For Conshy Grand Marshal Pete Hand, the Third Time Was the Charm

Drum majoring at a recent AOH tribute in honor of fallen Philadelphia police officer Chuck Cassidy.

Drum majoring at a recent AOH tribute in honor of fallen Philadelphia police officer Chuck Cassidy.

You’ve been very active in the Ancient Order of Hibernians for quite some time. Obviously, it means a lot to you, but why?

The AOH means a lot to me because our organization has really grown over the years to helping people, schools and churches in need. The Notre Dame Division of which I’m a member received the AOH National Charity Award at the last national convention two years ago. This was a great moment for our division.

To be in the AOH, you have to a.) be a Catholic guy, and b.) come from an Irish family on one or both sides. What’s your background? What generation are you? Do you know where your family is from and how they wound up in Philadelphia?

My Irish roots come from my father’s side of the family, Bill Hand. His grandmother on his mom’s side, Jane McCann, whose maiden name was Tierney, came here to America from County Mayo. His mom’s name was Jenny and was cousin to the past mayor of Philadelphia, James Tate, who was a great Irishman himself.

On my father’s dad’s side, his roots go back to beyond the Revolutionary War. A Hand has served in every war up to Vietnam. My great, great uncle Christy lost his leg in the Civil War. My grandfather Jim Hand, who lived in Philly, lost everything when the Market crashed. He had a garage down off the Parkway around 22nd street. He owned just about the whole block and had the city contacts for vehicle repairs, along with other contracts. Well, he lost everything and to get by they began making their own beer and selling it. The neighbors used to call them the Irish Mafia. My dad used to say they had to eat corn flakes three times a day at times, just to have something to eat. A loaf of bread was only a nickel … but nobody had a nickel.

What do you do when you’re not being president of the AOH Division in Swedesburg, drum majoring for the Irish Thunder pipe band, chairing the Conshohocken St Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, putting out fires with the Swedesburg Fire Company, going to church, and generally hanging out with Bernadette, your wife of 32 years, and your four kids Jeannie, Denise, Pete and Patrice? (Oh, and sleeping from time to time.) In other words, what do you do for a living? Tell us a bit about that.

Well, you’re right about that sleeping. Seems like when I hit the lounge chair I have no trouble falling asleep.

I’m an employee of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission . I have been with the turnpike for 27 years. I collected tolls for 25 years and now I work in the maintenance office at Plymouth Meeting. I’m the production control clerk, which involves keeping track of the trades people, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and welders, and of their work, material, purchase of materials and time.

By the way, I’m an active member of the Swedesburg Firehouse, but I do not fight fires. I’m more of a member who supports the firehouse functions.

You’ve been drum major of Irish Thunder Pipes and Drums for quite some time. How did you get involved in that? Why did you want to do that?

Well I always had a liking for bands. I used to live in the Fairmount area by the Parkway and, as you know, there was always a parade for something and my parents always took me down to them. I became involved with the Irish Thunder, first, by marching with the division color guard, which participates with the band in events. Our drum major John Sargent became ill and was not able to return.

After a couple months without John, there was talk of needing a drum major. I told the band members that I would like to try it and Verne Leedom, another past drum major of the Thunder, gave me some lessons to get me started.

I have being drum major for 18 months now and I’m planning to go to my first workshop for drum majors in February down in Baltimore.

Were you surprised by your selection as Grand Marshal of the 2008 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Conshohocken? How did you find out? What was your reaction?

Well, you never know who is going to get the Grand Marshal. I was nominated three times prior to this year and I turned it down every time. I decided to take the nomination at the end of last year’s parade if I was nominated this year. Many members and friends were upset that I turned it down again. My reason was that I was too young. But a fellow member spoke to me after the parade last year and said, if nominated next year, I should take it. You never know what’s going to happen. And that set in after I lost two friends, both in their early 50s. Even with that you don’t know who is going to be nominated. I was very happy as well with my family and friends. At the age 51 I’m the youngest Grand Marshal ever nominated in the Saint Patrick’s Parade in Montgomery County.

January 17, 2008 by
People

One More Honor for Jack McNamee

By Kathy McGee-Burns

Add a new laurel for Jack McNamee, a 30-year board member, past president and past treasurer of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association. This year, he will march up Broad Street as the parade’s grand marshal.

With 235 continuous years of marching in honor of St. Patrick, the Parade is the 2nd oldest in the country, outdone only by New York.

Jack started out as a parade marshal. He is first-generation Irish-American, with roots to be found in County Donegal. His parents, John McNamee, of Glenties, and Catherine Murray, of Creeslough, came to Philadelphia at separate times. They met at (surprise) a dance.

John worked for SEPTA for 38 years, while Catherine was a stay-at-home Mom. There were three McNamee children, Margie, Mary Jo and the youngest, Jack.

There was company every Friday night at the McNamee house with singing, dancing and great conversation. Margie would play the piano and family and friends would congregate. Jack loved the Irish music and his favorite song to sing was and still is “Four Green Fields.”

The children attended St. Benedict’s School, which was predominantly an Irish parish. Each year there would be a St. Patrick’s Play and Jack was always in it. Jack also remembers that each Friday, they would go to the post office and send money back to the Murray family in Donegal.

Jack graduated from Cardinal Dougherty and began to work with the Williamson Family and eventually was general manager of their City Line restaurant. Jim Williamson had nothing but praise for Jack. He had total faith and trust in his general manager. They were disappointed when they lost him but were thrilled at his success. Jim said a lot of people gave Jack advice and he took every bit of it. He took it to heart, filed it away and used it to make his own restaurant a triumph. This career spanned 29 years.

Jack decided to strike out on his own and opened CJ McGee’s, in Springfield, Delaware County. The C was for Catherine, J for John and McGee was his father’s nickname. With his excellent business skills he turned this into a highly successful venture. The family; Jack, wife, Loretta and Son, Sean, have worked this Irish Pub/Restaurant together for 16 years. They recently sold it.

Jack McNamee is a 30year member of the AOH Joseph E. Montgomery Division 65 and a member of the Donegal Association.

Jack McNamee’s generosity knows no limits. He is not showy about it and would never want anyone to know about it. He is a donor to his alma mater, Cardinal Dougherty.

During times of hardships to various organizations, he kept them afloat with donations and fundraisers. To the St. Patrick’s Day Observance Committee, he is the most giving.

His entrepreneurial skills are behind every event that is held. Jack McNamee has hosted virtually every committee and marshals meeting including the Annual Golf Outing. To Jack, being honored by your peers is an incredible experience

When association president Michael Bradley nominated Jack for this honor, he listed 10 reasons for why he was a worthy candidate. The first nine listed his accomplishments. The tenth summed up McNamee the man. In Bradley’s words: “While doing all the above quietly, he has never tooted his own horn, jumped in front of the camera, looked for recognition, accepted accolades, never complained or even once asked what’s in it for me.”

This, ladies and gentlemen, is Jack McNamee.

Kathy is 2nd vice president of the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association.

January 10, 2008 by
People

Step Into the Virtual Pub

CelticLounge.com founders Larry Kirwan, left, and Mike Farragher.

CelticLounge.com founders Larry Kirwan, left, and Mike Farragher.

It may shock some faithful Irish Voice readers to learn that columnist and music critic Mike Farragher grew up hating–he puts the word in capital letters–Irish music. It was because “my parents rammed it down my throat,” he explains. You know, like Brussels sprouts and the need for deodorant–those parent things that you don’t appreciate till you get older.

Then Farragher heard Black 47, the New York City Irish band that wove Irish music with rock, reggae and hip-hop. Suddenly, he says, here was Irish music that appealed to his modern-day Celtic soul. “Finally the beautiful Celtic culture made sense. It was as if Black 47 was an interpreter that translated my culture back to me. I think they’ve been turning people onto their own roots for years.”

More than a decade ago, Farragher met Larry Kirwan, front man for Black 47, and found a kindred spirit. They’ve been friends ever since, and recently became collaborators on a new website, CelticLounge.com, a “virtual pub” where artists can come to play and meet and fans can come, like Farragher, to hear music that will connect them to their roots.” But it’s more than just about music, as Farragher explained to us recently. In fact, in the beginning, it wasn’t really about music at all.
How did you come up with the idea of Celtic Lounge?
I had been kicking around the idea of doing a social network for Irish writers. I had written a novel called Collared (www.collared.net), which was a suspense novel set in the church scandals. I discovered that writing was a very lonely life. You never know if what you’re writing is on target or not,
and I thought there was a need to put a quasi-support group together. At the same time, Larry Kirwan from Black 47 was considering doing something similar for musicians. Celtic rock and ethnic music in general is a difficult thing to get played on the radio, so he thought it would be a good thing to put a network together to promote the genre. We discussed this over a pint and decided to create something together, which has turned out to be bigger than either of us imagined!
 
What do you hope to accomplish with the site?
Nothing short of the rebranding and reimagining of what it is to
be a Celt in general and an Irishman in particular. You Google images of “Irish” and you get shamrocks, drunken leprechauns, and Aran sweaters. It is a narrow,  slightly insulting view of what we are. Celts are vibrant, wildly creative  people, and that is what we are hoping to put out there. A cultural revolution! On a smaller scale, it is a place for Celtic artists and fans of that art to come together. I was speaking with a very well known NY-based band today, and the leader was lamenting how the smoking ban and other factors have really killed the Irish bar scene in the Big Apple. “People now get their music on an iPod instead of on a barstool,” he said with a sigh. Well, that trend plays into our “online pub” concept very well when you think about it!

What kind of response are you getting?
Overwhelming. It’s twice as much fun and four times the work than what I was expecting. Reaction is great….we have Irish Americans in the military guarding the Korean border who log in to get a slice of home and their culture. We have young writers getting the rush of having their very first story published on our online magazine. I even heard of some hookups that have been facilitated by our social network. So, people log in for different reasons and we have something that will interest most people who click in and grab an “e-pint.” On another note, we are working with a liquor company on a writer’s contest that will award $1000 for the best short story or essay writer. Wouldn’t it be great if the next Joyce or Behan was found hanging out at CelticLounge? A record company is working on a compilation CD featuring some of the artists  that are featured in our radio player. We have people buying t-shirts with our logo on them. So, you start creating an online community, minding your own business, and before you know it, you’re a clothing designer and a record producer! I can’t wait to see where we take CelticLounge next!

What are your biggest challenges?
Getting the word out is a challenge. We have 70,000 visitors a
month with 46 million people claiming to be Celts or coming from Celtic roots of some sort on both sides of the Atlantic. So, we have our work cut out for us! While the site is making enough money to sustain it, there is always the problem in most businesses of a million ideas and not enough cash to launch them. I think that keeping the content fresh is always a challenge, wehave loads of writers and musicians contributing to the site.

How are you handling the extra workload? Neither of you has given up your day (or night) jobs, I take it.
Sleep? What is that? Right now, Larry and I manage the content.
Our technology partner is WebSignia (www.websignia.net), who really brought our vision to life digitally. They do amazing work. When you are doing something you love, the time flies by. I’m blessed because I LOVE my day job and I love playing with CelticLounge.com. I am both a left brain AND a right brain
guy, so I love working in the business world by day and then creating on CelticLounge and writing by night. On top of that, there is a lovely and understanding wife and children in the mix. It’s a hectic lifestyle, but a balanced one.

How do you and Larry work together?
It is amazing to be working with such a creative spirit. Rocker! Author! Playwright! Sirius Radio DJ! You learn a lot orbiting his solar system. We have had plenty of disagreements as we create CelticLounge.com, but they are minor and resolved quickly because our creative vision and passion are evenly matched for the most part. It’s been a blast working together and I hope it continues to be this fun!

November 28, 2007 by
People

Still Inflammable: Stiff Little Fingers

Two days have gone by, and my ears are still ringing.

Stiff Little Fingers, the pioneering punk band from Belfast, played to a hugely enthusastic audience Monday night at World Cafe, many of them leather-clad, studded, and pierced in places I’d rather not think about. And me, fresh from the office in a tweed sportcoat and khakis, a symphony in corporate browns and tans. (I felt like a salesman at an Amway convention who’d blundered into Sid and Nancy’s wedding reception.)

I’ll admit from the outset that, yes, I probably have lived under a rock for the past 56 years. Until a few weeks ago, I’d never heard of Stiff Little Fingers. But I followed the links to the “artist’s MySpace site” from the World Café Web page, and listened to a few of their tunes, and right away, I thought: Interesting. To my ears (still intact at the time), SLF sounded very unlike what I expected to hear. That is to say, they sounded … musical. 

What I heard were great, snarling yarns of anger and general pissed-offness, and yet nothing about SLF’s songs seems cliché. It all rings true. The guitarwork (by Jake Burns, who is also the group’s lead singer) is easily on a par with anything I’ve ever heard Pete Townshend play. The energy level of the band is far in excess of what one would expect from a bunch of guys who started playing together 30 years ago—and who look a lot like your average, paunchy guys-next-door, the type you’d not be surprised to see on a Saturday morning, queuing up at Sears to buy cans of semi-gloss wall paint.

Naturally, I had to go.

Unfortunately, I did not have time to swing by the house and pick up my ear plugs, so I decided to risk it. How bad could it be?

It was bad. And, oh, it was good. It’s safe to say that one SLF concert probably did more damage to my hearing than 10 years of playing drums in a bagpipe band. I won’t tell you that it was worth it. (Believe me, if you want to keep hearing and playing music, it is never worth it.) But it might have been an acceptable sacrifice.

To celebrate their 30 years in the business, the band performed tunes from “Inflammable Material,” their 1979 debut album. (“Like CDs, but bigger, and made of vinyl, and you could play both sides,” Burns informed the younger crowd.)
 
As with most punk bands, alienation is SLF’s stock in trade. But I think you could argue that kids coming of age in Belfast 30 years ago would have had a unique worldview.

Take for example, these lyrics from “Wasted Life:”

I could be a hero
Live and die for their ‘important’ cause
A united nation
Or an independent state with laws
And rules and regulations
That merely cause disturbances and wars
That is what I’ve got now
All thanks to the freedom-seeking hordes

Or these, from “Barbed Wire Love:”

I met you in No Man’s Land
Across the wire we were holding hands
Hearts a-bubble in the rubble
It was love at bomb site

Alrighty, then.

It might all seem silly and trite, I suppose, except that Burns spits out those now ancient lyrics with such conviction, and backs them up with guitar hacks of such volume and ferocity, it’s as if he’s shoving all of that pent-up angst through a musical wood chipper.

At the same time, I can only stand back in breathless admiration of Ali McMordie, who wields his bass like a battle sword; guitarist and backup vocalist Ian McCallum, with his daring leaps; and drummer Steve Grantley, who pounded sticks into kindling the whole night long. It’s reassuring to see guys my age who can still dish it out. They can hold their own with any band on the planet, regardless of age.

All that, and you’ll probably never hear “Barbed Wire Love” used to peddle Cadillac Escalades. And Jake Burns will never perform a duet with Cher.

Thank God.

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
People

Hibernians Salute Our Veterans

On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, the Ancient Order of Hibernians of the Notre Dame Division will host its Annual Salute to Our Veterans. The ceremony will begin at 12 noon in front of the AOH clubhouse, 342 Jefferson St. in Swedesburg, Upper Merion Township.

Father Andy McCormick, chaplain of the AOH Notre Dame division and pastor of Sacred Heart Church, will open the ceremony with a prayer. The Irish Thunder Pipes & Drums will provide patriotic music, along with vocalist Sarah Agnew.

Many VFW, American Legion and Marine Corp League veterans will also be a part in this event. Other guests will include Congressman Joe Sestak, State Sen. Connie Williams and State Rep. Daylin Leach, along with many other officials.

Guest speaker will be Christopher Young, who resides in Bridgeport. Christopher Young is a 27-year-old United States Army Ranger who has served in the 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Riley, Kansas, and the 1st Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, based out of Savannah, Ga. He served honorably in Operation Iraqi Freedom from November 2003 through February 2005. He has attended Army Infantry School, Airborne School, Combat Lifesaver Course, Ranger Indoctrination Program, Pre-Ranger course thru the 75th Ranger Regiment, Ranger School, Advanced Drivers’ School, and Stryker School.

In February 2007, Spc. Young was diagnosed with malignant thyroid cancer and was unable to deploy with his unit due to his condition. After a summer of surgeries and treatment, his cancer then spread to his lymph nodes. Today, Spc. Young’s doctors’ are quite confident that after a massive dose of radiation, his cancer should have been eradicated. You can find out more about Chris’ cancer and his efforts to raise money for children with cancer at http://www.rangerforacure.info

The AOH asks that everyone hang out their American flags in support of our veterans and our troops overseas and take part in this community event.

October 22, 2007 by