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How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

It’s beginning to look a lot like Irish Philly Christmas. Most of what’s happening is online—however, there are a couple of live performances. Don’t let a little cold weather stop ya. There’s also a very special online concert that you will not want to miss on Monday.

Here’s what’s what.

Friday, December 18

You can’t keep a good band down, pandemic or no.

Jamison Celtic Rock presents “Celtic Christmas Live” at Renault Winery Resort’s “Vintner Wonderland,” 72 North Bremen Avenue, Egg Harbor City, N.J., starting at 6 p.m. It’s all socially distanced in the winery garden. (With lots of fire pits.) Details here.

Starting at 6 p.m., singer Mary Courtney offers up a bunch of tunes via Facebook. Check it out here. Mary will be accepting tips by PayPal and Venmo.

December 18, 2020 by Jeff Meade

Music, News

Up the Celts: A Benefit Irish Rock Band Festival on CD

Twenty years ago, seven of Philly’s top Irish rock musicians and bands helped raise money for the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Philadelphia by contributing tunes to a benefit CD called “Up the Celts.”

Now, a new CD is on the streets—Up the Celts Volume 2—with 15 contributors this time around, including Jamison, Raymond Coleman, The Shantys, the Birmingham Six, the Bogside Rogues, the John Byrne Band, and more.

As with so many projects and initiatives, this one was held up by the coronavirus pandemic.

“We started off this project in February,” says Brian Coleman, AOH Philadelphia County Board president. “We had all the bands on board right at the beginning of March—and then, you know what happened.”

December 18, 2020 by Jeff Meade

News, People

Looking After Their Own: Irish Community Rallies to Support Sean Hughes and Family

Grange, County Armagh, native Sean Hughes is in a medically induced coma in a Delaware hospital after suffering a severe head injury in a job site accident.

Hughes, a resident of Drexel Hill for the past five years, is a member and player of the Young Irelands Gaelic Football Club. Now, members of that tightknit community—and for that matter, hundreds of people from literally everywhere—are coming to the aid of Hughes, his wife Emily O’Neill and son Sean, 2 years old.

An online fund drive sponsored by the Young Irelands thus far has raised close to $70,000 in financial assistance for the family in just a few days.

No one expected the campaign to have a global reach.

December 18, 2020 by Jeff Meade

History, News

St. Stephen’s Day Wren Hat Competition!

December 26 is the feast day of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

Legend has it that St. Stephen’s hiding place was betrayed by the chattering of a wren.For centuries, the feast day has been recalled in Ireland by the “Wren boys,” who dress in motley clothing, marching from house to house to collect money for a party for the whole town or village, and sometimes to support a charity.

Traditionally, they exacted their vengeance on the unfortunate bird by carrying a wren aloft on a stick—hunted down in the old days, but for years (mercifully) a toy bird.

One way to celebrate the day is by creating a colorful wren hat. Shannon Lambert-Ryan, with help from her eager assistant Liam de Barra, show you how in this video, a special edition of their Baking with Babies series. (Hint: It’s not just for babies!)

December 15, 2020 by Jeff Meade

How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

Time to get in the Christmas spirit!

One way to do it safely: Check out Facebook live concerts all this week, sponsored by Irish Music Magazine. We’ll tell you about a few of them.

Friday, December 11

Locally-based Celtic roots band RUNA has a new album out, “The Tide of Winter.” We’ve heard it, and you should, too. It’ll put you in the Christmas spirit like nobody’s business. Fortunately, you can get a sneak preview tonight with the band’s virtual release party on Facebook, presented by Irish Music Magazine. The show starts at 6 p.m. Eastern Time. Details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/748170932447035

December 11, 2020 by Jeff Meade

Arts, Music

In a Dark Period, RUNA’s “Tide of Winter” Album Offers Hope, Love, Joy and Celebration

The bandmates of RUNA, one of the area’s best-known Irish musical ensembles, have toyed with the idea of a winter album for a very long time. It never happened because—fortuitously for the award-winning supergroup—they were always busy, frequently on the road as a band or pursuing their own independent projects.

Last year, the project finally got off the ground in a small way, with an EP (a mini-album) of about five songs, with every intention of finishing it off as a full-fledged album in 2020.

Along came the pandemic, putting an end to band members’ otherwise ambitious plans. Complicating things a bit more, all the members of RUNA live some distance from each other. So on the one hand, they had some time on their hands. But on the other hand, they couldn’t be together.

December 8, 2020 by Jeff Meade

Food & Drink

Downsizing the Christmas Cake

For obvious reasons, Christmas 2020 will be scaled back a bit, so for many the “big Christmas cake” won’t happen this year.

Not to worry: for those like me who still love holiday baking, these mini fruitcakes will fill the bill. Same great flavor, same great taste, just sized down to fit the “new normal.”

You’ll find other Christmas recipes in my cookbook “Teatime in Ireland.” To order signed copies, visit irishcook.com.

MINI BUNDT FRUITCAKES

Makes about 35

This “mini” fruitcake is baked in a 12-well mini Bundt pan. You can use a cupcake pan if you don’t have one of these specialty pans.

December 8, 2020 by Margaret M. Johnson