Dance, People

Dancing to the Spirit of Christmas

Colleen and Noreen soak up the applause after their duet.

Before the show started, Kathleen Madigan, dressed in her dark green velvet Irish dance costume, made the announcement. The audience had to be patient. Some of the dancers needed a little extra time to get into place.

The audience was more than patient as the Divine Providence Village Rainbow Irish Dancers, a group of developmentally disabled women at the Catholic Charities-supported community, joined with the Irish Stars Parker School of Irish Dance from Hellertown for their first Christmas recital. They were enthralled–and maybe, at some points, a little bit teary eyed.

The dancers performed a dozen numbers, this little group that started less than two years ago, the offshoot of an every-other-Saturday Irish dance class that Madigan was teaching. The troupe was born when Madigan, former nutritionist at Divine Providence and a student at the Parker School, realized that some of the women were pretty good dancers–and terrific performers.  Their first recital followed their first-ever appearance at the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day parade last March, where they earned the Mary Theresa Dougherty Award for the outstanding organization dedicated to serving God’s people in the community. The women also performed on the field during  Irish Heritage Night at the Phillies in June. They’ve learned many more dances since then, says Madigan. Enough to have a holiday recital.

The Christmas Show was held at the Cardinal Krol Center in Springfield, Montgomery County, on Sunday, December 2. Proceeds from the show will go toward buying the dancers logo jackets to wear at the parade.

December 6, 2012 by
News, People

Big Benefit for “Wee Oscar”

Brian McGarrity and Charlie Lord

Organizers Brian McGarrity and Charlie Lord

A little boy from Belfast continues to hold a special place in the hearts of the Philadelphia Irish community.

Everywhere you looked at a jam-packed fundraiser at Tír na nÓg Bar & Grill in Center City on Sunday, there were reminders of Oscar Knox, a 4-year-old boy from Belfast, Northern Ireland, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder and high risk neuroblastoma, a quite rare and aggressive childhood cancer.

Guests wore commemorative “Wee Oscar” T-shirts, pictures of the smiling boy flashed by on monitors throughout the bar, and musicians like John Byrne and Seamus Kelleher, who donated their time, never passed up a chance to remind everyone why they were there.

The grand total raised: $27,000.

On Sunday, organizer Brian McGarrity couldn’t even hazard a guess as to how much money was pouring into the local fund’s coffers—but he knew it was going to be big.

“We had sold maybe 200 to 250 tickets beforehand. I would say we might have sold at least another 100 to 150 at the door,” said McGarrity, straining to be heard over the happy crowd noise.

Perhaps no one should have been surprised by the outcome. At an October bake sale at Sacred Heart Parish in Havertown, Delaware County, McGarrity, his wife Laurie, and friends had hoped for a profit of $1,000; they wound up with $8,000.

The McGarritys and their friends first came to know Oscar Knox when he and his parents, Steven and Leona, came to Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in early October for a course of immunotherapy for his cancer. In a heartbreaking turn of events, Oscar developed pulmonary hypertension, an also rare condition affecting the lungs and heart. He had to discontinue immunotherapy and return home to North Ireland.

“We’re originally from Northern Ireland (County Tyrone), where Oscar is from,” said McGarrity. “It’s very, very big news in Northern Ireland. We had seen from watching the news from home that this little guy was coming to CHOP for treatment. There were a few of us who put together a hamper to send down to the family. Aisling Travers and Fidelma McGroary brought it down. That kind of got a connection going with the family, and then it just progressed.”

Despite the bad news and the family’s return to Northern Ireland, there’s still plenty of reason to continue aiding the family, McGarrity said.

“We wanted to keep the momentum going because everything we raise goes directly to the family to help them with living costs so they can concentrate on Oscar’s situation. They won’t have to worry about bills. We started out thinking we would be able to raise maybe a month or two worth of bill money, but it has progressed to be a lot, lot more than that.”

Of course, nothing as successful as the Sunday fundraiser happens without plenty of help. Among others, McGarrity said, Laurence Banville of Irish Network-Philadelphia, Celtic Clothing entrepreneur Charlie Lord, and Tir na Nog general manager Roger Power were a huge help.

All that work clearly paid off, McGarrity said, looking around the bar crawling with guests. “In our wildest dreams, we never thought it would be anything like this.”

December 6, 2012 by
News, People

Open House at the Irish Center

com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/hollingsworth-270×300.jpg” alt=”Frank Hollingsworth” width=”270″ height=”300″ /> Frank Hollingsworth

Never volunteer. That’s the old saying. Frank Hollingsworth doesn’t believe it, and it’s a good thing for the Philadelphia Irish Center/Commodore Barry Club.

Hollingsworth, a member of the center’s board of directors, is close to realizing a goal he set for himself several weeks ago: launching the first-ever “Irish Gathering,” a kind of open house for the rambling facility at Carpenter Lane and Emlen Street in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia—home to the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame, the Philadelphia Emerald Society Pipe Band, the Danny Browne Ancient Order of Hibernians Division, the Philadelphia Ceili Group, the Cummins School of Irish Dance, and so much more.

“This idea has been sort of on my mind for a while,” Hollingsworth says. “I’m a great believer in outreach, so I appointed myself outreach chairman.” With a good many old hands helping Hollingsworth pull everything together, the Irish Gathering should be an impressive affair.

The club is the living, breathing epicenter of Irish life in the Delaware Valley, and has been for years, but many Philly Irish folks are complete strangers to the place. Hollingsworth wants to bring them all into the Irish Center on Sunday, December 9, for a day of Gaelic schmoozing and socializing. He believes they’ll like what they see, and want to come back again and again.

“I know it’s been difficult to get people to come here, so I thought the thing to do would be to have an open house,” says Hollingsworth. “Some people have heard of the center, but they don’t know where it is. Where is Carpenter and Emlen? By doing this, it’ll let people know that there’s a lot going on here.”

Once upon a time, Hollingsworth himself was one of those curious strangers. Once drawn in, though, he knew he was going to be a regular. “I came here, and signed up to be a member. Then I volunteered to work in the Irish Center library, and then I stayed.”

The Irish Gathering promises to expose visitors to all of the groups and organizations that meet in the center on a regular basis. The open house begins at 10, fittingly, with a full Irish breakfast. The cost is $10.

After that, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Vince Gallagher and Marianne MacDonald will present a live airing of their Sunday Irish radio shows. From 1 to 6 p.m., you can check out many local Irish organizations, including the Cummins School of Irish Dance, the Philadelphia Emerald Society Pipe Band, the Next Generation youth Irish music group, John Shields and his adult Irish dance group, Rince Ri School of Irish Dance, the Timoney dancers, the Philadelphia Ceili Group, the Danny Browne AOH division, and more. You’ll also get to hear some great Irish music, performed by Terry Kane, and Kevin McGillian and Friends.

If you’re looking for a great Christmas gift, you can check out the vendor tables. You can also pick up some great books, signed by the authors who will be on hand, including Tom Lyons (“You Can’t Get to Heaven on the Frankford El”); Tim McGrath (“John Barry: An American Hero in the Age of Sail”), and Frank himself, co-author of “Northeast Philadelphia: A Brief History.” Marita Krivda Poxon, who is on the verge of publishing a book about the Irish in Philadelphia will also be there, Hollingsworth says.

For more details, visit the Irish Center website.

 

December 6, 2012 by
How to Be Irish in Philly

How To Be Irish in Philly This Week

These two sweeties will be dancing their hearts out at the Rainbow Irish Step Dancers’ Christmas recital this weekend.

Okay, it’s officially Celtic Christmas. In Philly, in Springfield, in Kennett Square, in Bensalem, and in Cochranville. There are five Christmas shows this weekend (and one event that’s all about Christmas giving). And there’s another later in the week. So, here goes:

On Saturday afternoon, celebrate an eclectic American Celtic Christmas with Jamison Celtic Rock, Celtic Flame School of Irish Dance, DJ Romeo, singer Kimberly Killen and the Bucks County Dance Company at the Bensalem High School Auditorium, which is being turned into a winter wonderland. It’s the second year for this Christmas-flavored musical event and we hear it’s loads of fun.

Not technically a Christmas event, but Christmassy nonetheless, is a benefit to raise money to defray medical costs for Wee Oscar Knox, the three-year-old Belfast boy who captured everyone’s hearts when he was at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia this fall. His parents spent all the money they raised to get him what they hoped was a life-saving cancer treatment only to find that he had another incurable condition that made treatment impossible. Oscar was born with a genetic condition that caused him some developmental problems, but left him also one of the sunniest, sweetest creatures God ever made, say local Irish folks who met him. This love story will continue at Tir na Nog in Center City on Sunday afternoon at the event, co-sponsored by Irish Network-Philly and Team Oscar-Philly.

Also on Sunday, the Divine Providence Rainbow Irish Step Dancers, who won an award for their first appearance in the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day parade in 2012, will present their Celtic Christmas Irish Dance Recitial at the Cardinal Krol Center in Springfield, Delaware County. The dancers, all of whom are developmentally disabled, are raising money to buy logo jackets to wear in the 2013 parade.

On Sunday afternoon, join the Jubilate Deo Chorale with guest choirs Eastern University Ensembles and Church of Our Saviour Festival Choir for a Celtic-flavored Christmas show at the Kimmel in Philadelphia. There will also be a live nativity presentation.

Need a little more Christmas spirit? Danu, the well known Irish traditional group, will be performing an Irish Christmas at Longwood Gardens, which also has its Christmas light show up and running, on Sunday at 3 PM.

And at 4 PM, we have the first of two Christmas concerts presented by St. Malachi’s of Doe Run, in Cochranville, another annual event.

There are some non-Christmas Irish events this week too. On Saturday, Timlin & Kane will be singing at Catherine Rooney’s Irish Pub in Wilmington, DE, and Mary Courtney will be performing at the Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Trenton, NJ, which was the homebase of the late Irish Billy Briggs (which I mention for all you old folks who remember Billy).

Padraig Allen, considered one of Ireland’s finest singer-songwriters, will be on stage on Sunday at the Sellersville Theatre with McLean Avenue Band, performing both Irish traditional and Celtic rock tunes.

A bit far flung for Phillyites, but with a local link: Celtic Thunder will be performing on Monday at Sullivan Hall in Greenwich Village, NY, in a benefit for victims of Hurricane Sandy. Many of Sandy’s victims in NY came from predominantly Irish areas like Queens and New York’s Irish community has rallied to help them.

On Tuesday, nourish your Irish soul with the poetry of Hennessy Award winning poet and fiction writer Dermot Healy at Villanova University.

On Thursday, the Irish Tenors are coming to the Keswick Theatre and you can catch Paul Byrom, late of the Celtic Thunder supergroup, at Sellersville.

On Friday, we highly recommend combining your love of music with your need to Christmas shop by heading to Lansdale’s Water Gallery to hear The History of Christmas Carols concert by The Jameson Sisters, Ellen Tepper and Terry Kane. Not only is their music beautiful, they’re very funny and Tepper is a skilled craftsperson whose Celtic windows and pottery dragons are for sale at this little gallery. Admission is free. You’ll see crafts and jewelry from other Irish musicians there too.

Next weekend: Head over to the Irish Center where they’re holding an open house. Meet some local authors (and buy their books), check out some interesting exhibits, and attend a live broadcast of the Vince Gallagher and Marianne MacDonald Irish radio shows. Oh, and have a beer and a bite to eat at the bar that reminds so many people of the Ireland they left behind.

The Delco Gaels, a Gaelic athletic club, will be having its Christmas party and Nite at the Races fundraiser next weekend at Maggie O’Neills in Drexel Hill. But the big story is that they’ll also be announcing who will be competing in the mother of all fundraisers, Dancing Like a Star, later next year. Last year’s dance competition attracted about 700 people—yes, standing room only—to the Springfield Country Club for a night to remember.

November 30, 2012 by
News

Giving to Help Others

See, it doesn’t hurt. Dubliner Siobhan Lyons, executive director of the Irish Immigration Center, gets tested for Tay Sachs.

Martin Fay comes from an Irish family blessed by longevity so he wasn’t worried that contributing a few vials of blood to a study of Tay-Sachs disease in the Irish was going to bring him bad news.

“My genes are all right,” said the Drexel Hill man, his youngest daughter, Orla, standing by his side at the Irish Immigration Center in Upper Darby a few Saturdays ago. “But if I can keep somebody else from going down that road, I thought, go for it.”

Most of the people who came to the center to have their blood tested weren’t worried about passing on a gene that could affect their children. Some were seniors who learned about the study at special programs at the immigration center or the Irish Center. They’d had their children—and their grandchildren. Tay Sachs is largely a disease of babies. Born seemingly normal, children with Tay-Sachs start to deteriorate at about six months, slowly losing their sight, their ability to move, their intellect. Most of them die by the time they’re 5.

Tay-Sachs is caused by a variety of genetic mutations of chromosome 15, some more common in certain ethnic groups, that affect the production of a vital enzyme called hexosaminidase (Hex-A) that clears out fatty protein and other substances from the tissues and nerve cells of the brain. That regular housecleaning allows an infant to develop vision, hearing, movement, and other vital functions. Without it, a baby will start to deteriorate physically and mentally. There is no cure and no effective treatments.

The aim of the research, started by Adele Schneider, MD, a pediatric geneticist at Albert Einstein Medical Center, is to determine the carrier rate among the Irish, who appear to be at higher risk of the disease than the general population. Traditionally, Tay-Sachs has been considered a genetic disease among  Jewish people, mainly Ashkenazi Jews who trace their roots to southwestern Asia, but who settled in Eastern Europe. Their carrier rate is about 1 in 27. French Canadians and Louisiana Cajuns have the same carrier rate. Current research—which is scant—suggests that the genetic mutation appears in about 1 in 50 people of Irish descent.

“There’s really nothing in the medical literature that gives an accurate carrier rate in the Irish,” said Dr. Schneider. Her impetus for launching the study, which is funded by the National Tay Sachs and Allied Diseases of the Delaware Valley and the Einstein Foundation, was not just the lack of good data, but the three Irish-American children she’s seen in the last 10 years who had the disease. Read about two of those children here.

What made that remarkable is the rarity of Tay-Sachs. There are only about 16 cases diagnosed every year in the US.

“What we want to do is test as many people with as pure Irish blood as we can get to see if the numbers are significant enough that we can recommend that Irish parents be screened the for the disease as we do for Jewish parents,” she explained. “We don’t want to have any more families go through the heartbreak of finding out when they have a baby that that baby is going to die.”

The study, which is funded for two years, will also test adults with at least three Irish grandparents in other Irish-centric cities such as New York and Boston. Along with genetic testing, participants also receive genetic counseling where they will learn that just because they’ve never seen Tay-Sachs in their line doesn’t mean they don’t carry the genetic mutation. It may just mean they’ve unwittingly chosen the right mate.

Tay Sachs is what is known as an autosomal recessive disorder. What that means is that “Tay Sachs occurs only when two carriers have children,” explained Divya Shah, a genetic counselor from Einstein. With every pregnancy, a couple runs a 25 percent chance of having a child with the disease, a 50 percent chance of having a child who is a carrier but who never develops any symptoms, and 25 percent odds of having a child who is not a carrier.

But those are just odds. In real life, it’s possible that carrier parents of four could have four normal children or four affected children or two carriers and one affected child and one normal child—it’s the luck of the draw.

More free screenings for Irish and Irish Americans are being planned, said Amy Beth Weaver, Einstein’s genetic counseling coordinator. You can find out more about the study here, or, if you’re interested in participating in the research, contact Weaver at irish@tay-sachs.org or call 215-887-0877. Testing is free for qualified adults and all results are confidential.

See photos from the day. 

 

November 30, 2012 by
How to Be Irish in Philly

How to be Irish In Philly This Week

Meghan Davis, the international Mary from Dungloe, will be giving up her Philadelphia crown this week.

Even though you’re probably totally dragged out after camping out at Walmart on Thanksgiving night, you’d better catch a power nap and get ready to be Irish this week.

If you’re an Irish dance fan, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Oireachtas has taken over the Marriott Downtown in Philadelphia—hundreds of dancers jigging, reeling, and who knows what else in this major Thanksgiving weekend event. Can’t make it? Check out our video special featuring local Irish dance schools.

And speaking of Thanksgiving weekend events, a new Philadelphia Mary from Dungloe will be selected from a bevy of smart, attractive young women at the 124th Donegal Ball at the Irish Center on Saturday night. The reigning Philadelphia Mary, Meghan Davis, is also the reigning International Mary from Dungloe, capturing the crown last summer in Dungloe, County Donegal. The Willie Lynch Showband from New York will be providing the music for the ball.

Timlin and Kane will be performing Saturday night at St. James Gate Pub in Bethlehem, at the Sands Casino.

On Sunday, head down to Finnigan’s Wake for its annual Fall Festival, with music provided by No Irish Need Apply (Meghan Davis, the reigning Mary from Dungloe, is a member of the band), the Broken Shillelaghs and Celtic Connection.

On Tuesday, catch Galway Guild at Marty Magee’s in Prospect Park.

Next weekend, there are events that will capture your heart and put you in the Christmas mood.

Irish Network-Philadelphia and Team Oscar–Philly is sponsoring a benefit to raise money for “Wee Oscar Knox,” the little Belfast boy whose parents held fundraisers to bring him to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for treatment for a rare cancer. While there, CHOP doctors diagnosed another rare illness that meant Oscar could not be treated. The event, which starts Sunday, Dec. 2, at 2 PM at Tir na Nog in Center City, will have a complementary buffet, open bar, live music, raffles, and special treats for children.

Also on Sunday, the Divine Providence Village Rainbow Irish Step Dancers are presenting a Celtic Christmas Dance Recital at the Cardinal Krol Center in Springfield, Montgomery County. The Rainbow Dancers are group of developmentally challenged women who started performing in 2012 and debuted in the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade. They’re raising money to buy logo jackets to wear in the 2013 parade.

And if you’re looking to celebrate a Celtic Christmas, you’re in luck. There are four more ways to do it next weekend.

On Saturday, December 1, join Jamison Celtic Rock, Celtic Flame School of Irish Dance, Bucks County Dance Center, singer Kimberly Killen, and DJ Romeo at the Bensalem High School Auditorium for “an American Celtic Christmas.” Not only can you rock around the clock with Jamison, you’ll explore hip-hop and Irish traditional music.

And on Sunday, here’s the lineup:

A Celtic Christmas at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia features the Jubilate Deo Chorale with two guest choirs featuring Irish music and a live Nativity scene.

Celebrate an Irish Christmas with the popular Irish group, Danu, at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square.

The annual Celtic Christmas in Doe Run holiday show—there will be two performances– will feature the Brandywine Harp Orchestra (Dec. 2) and Burning Bridget Cleary (Dec. 9) along with dancing, gifts, free holiday hors d’oeuvres and more.

We’re not done Irish Christmasing—not by a long shot. Take a look at our calendar to see what’s coming up.

November 23, 2012 by
Arts, Music

A Joyful Noise for Christmas

Ron Matthews

Conductor Ron Matthews

For most orchestras, it’s just about the music. For the Jubilate Deo Chorale and Orchestra, a large non-profit classical ensemble founded in 1991 by two Catholic priests in the Camden diocese, it’s also about faith. And that means a Jubilate Deo Christmas concert—like the group’s Sunday, December 2, Celtic-themed extravaganza at the Kimmel Center—celebrates Christmas as something much more than just a commercial holiday.

“We try to integrate faith into the arts and common culture,” says Ron Matthews, Jubilate Deo conductor and music director. “The spiritual aspect is part of our mission. The orchestra is about 21 years old. (Msgrs.) Louis Marucci and his brother Carl were the founders. Louis was the executive director, and he took over more of the administration and creative planning. Carl was one of the primary directors.”

After 10 years, Carl stepped down. Matthews took over the helm after reading about the job opening in a music union newspaper, and passing a rigorous interview and review process.

Jubilate Deo performs year-round, of course—but Christmas is special. Matthews explains, “In one sense, the season facilitates our mission. We can be who we are because it’s the nature of the season.”

The theme of this year’s Christmas concert, billed as “A Celtic Christmas at the Kimmel,” also ties in with the group’s inherently spiritual mission. In case you’ve somehow missed all of the Black Friday advertising, in many quarters Christmas has nothing to do with the birth of Christ. In Celtic lands, Matthews says, Christmas historically is a more subdued affair, with a far greater emphasis on the Nativity.

This is not the first time Jubilate Deo has integrated Celtic culture into a performance.

““We actually had done a Celtic theme, I think it was two years ago,” Matthews says. “We had some young local Celtic dancers, and we had a penny whistle and Celtic harp. This is a theme we have used periodically, but this performance is the first fully intentional and integrated one.”

Celtic music has been much more popular over the last decade or so, probably beginning with Riverdance, but you also have to give credit to all of the Irish and Scottish bands and performers who took the ball from Riverdance and ran with it. Matthews understands the appeal.

“There’s a grounded energy and authenticity to Celtic music,” says Matthews, who also serves as chair of the Fine and Performing Arts Division and Music Department at Eastern University. “Because of the interest in world music over the last four or five years, with some prominent groups playing Celtic music, there are some great arrangements out there that feature high-energy, Celtic themes. It’s a good bridge to the classical.”

The Kimmel concert features many holiday pieces that come from—or stem from—the Celtic tradition, such as The Wexford Carol, I Wonder As I Wander, A Celtic Silent Night and Celtic Christmas Celebration. The performance also includes many non-Celtic holiday classics, both sacred and secular, such as The Little Drummer Boy, O Come Let Us Adore Him, and It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. There will also be three new pieces, including one by Matthews. If you like Irish-style dance, there will be plenty of that. And if you want to join in on some of the best-known Christmas carols, you’ll have a chance to do that as well.

The Jubilate Chorale will be joined by the Eastern University Ensembles and Church of the Saviour Festival Choir, bringing the number of singers in the overall choir up to 200.

The concert begins at 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 2. You can learn more and get tickets by visiting the Jubilate Deo website.

 

November 23, 2012 by
Sports

Up Donegal!

Kids might have been the most excited fans ... but it would have been a close contest.

Kids might have been the most excited fans … but it would have been a close contest.

Up Donegal! If we heard it once, we heard it a thousand times, and it never got tired. On a Tuesday night when a lot of kids otherwise would have been home getting ready for bed, they were instead decked out in their bright yellow Donegal jerseys and running around the Philadelphia Irish Center like children possessed.

And possessed they were, perhaps, by the presence of the shiny Sam Maguire Cup, brought to Philadelphia by three incredibly proud representatives of the 2012 All-Ireland Football champion team from Donegal: coach Jim McGuinness, along with all-stars Mark McHugh and Michael Murphy.

When the kids weren’t setting land-speed records running from one end of the Irish Center ballroom to the other, they were standing in line with their parents, relatively patiently, waiting for the chance to get their pictures taken with cup and players.

And yes, the place was jammed with ecstatic adult fans, too, including dozens of Donegal natives, and sons and daughters of natives, celebrating the county’s first All-Ireland championship in 20 years. (And they were just as eager to get their picture taken, too.)

After a couple of hours smiling and posing, McGuinness and his players adjourned to the ballroom, where they accepted presentations from the Philadelphia Donegal Association, along with local Gaelic Athletic Association representatives, the Philadelphia Irish Center, state lawmakers Kevin and Brendan Boyle, and many others.

For the Donegal footballers, it had been a long day, but they showed no evidence of tiring. Player Mark McHugh, son of legend Martin McHugh, was still a little wound up—or maybe just jet-lagged—as he spoke about his Philadelphia welcome, and the rigors of the tightly coordinated U.S. victory lap.

“We just got in this morning,” he said. “We flew into New York, and we just drove down. We’re flying off to Chicago at 9 o’clock in the morning, and back to New York on Thursday. It’s just a full-time job, but it’s a good complaint to have. If we hadn’t won the All-Irelands, we wouldn’t be here.

“It’s so good to see all the American kids wearing the Donegal jersey. That’s one of our main reasons for coming over, to promote the GAA, to get young kids involved. And as they get older, maybe their kids will get involved. You never know what could happen.”

Addressing the many fans who have waited a long time to see the cup return to Donegal, McGuinness thanked his hosts for the wildly enthusiastic turnout.

“It’s a great honor for us to be here tonight,” he said. “And along with the honor goes a lot of pride. We’re very happy to bring the Sam Maguire Cup to Philadelphia and the United States. There’s obviously a lot of people in the room tonight who have very, very strong connections to Donegal who were not able to make the journey home for the final, and that’s why I feel it’s very special to take the cup across the water and let the people who were not fortunate enough to be there on the day get their hands on the cup and pretend you’re Michael Murphy.”

McGuinness also recalled his brief time playing football in Philadelphia in the summer of 1999. “I made a lot of very good friends here that I still have to this day. It’s fantastic to be back amongst everybody tonight. I just hope it won’t be 20 years before we’re back with the cup.”

We have many photos from the night’s celebration. Check out our photo essay, above.

November 16, 2012 by