Now, this is a man who knows how to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
Pipers, mummers, scouts, cheerleaders, AOHers, firefighters … everybody gets into the act at the Conshy parade.
The 2011 parade stepped off under partly cloudy skies and cool temperatures, but by the end the sun was shining and the crowds were lining up at Scoops ice cream stand on Fayette Street.
Here are our pics.
Kittson O'Neill and David Whalen
The watershed moment in Joe and Janet Brady’s ostensibly happy marriage comes when Joe returns home from Ireland’s 1990 World Cup defeat to viciously attack Janet.
Sebastian Barry’s “The Pride of Parnell Street” is harrowing stuff; a tale of love perhaps never completely lost, and redemption. The couple’s turbulent history is methodically revealed in alternating, interwoven monologues by Joe and Janet. It is more like picking at a scab than exposition.
The events of “Pride” unwind against the backdrop of an ever-changing Dublin, and Joe and Janet’s story has a distinct, direct Dublin accent—about as subtle as a brick tossed through a shop window—and yet it remains delicately nuanced, darkly humorous, starkly beautiful. In Barry’s hands, a New York Times reviewer noted, this “rambling, vernacular talk assumes the music and patterns of poetry.”
Harriet Power was one of the first to read some of Barry’s powerfully moving lines. Power is a professor of theatre at Villanova who befriended Barry when the playwright served as the Heimbold Endowed Chair in Irish Studies at the university in 2006. They became good friends during his stay, and one day he asked her if she wanted to read a first draft of a new play—this new play, as it turned out. The language and emotion, she recalls, fairly leapt from the page. “I said, before I die I will do this play.”
Power’s bucket list wish is being granted. Wearing her other hat—associate artistic director at Act II Playhouse in Ambler—Power is preparing to bring this penetrating play to life later this month. David Whalen portrays Joe; Kittson O’Neill, in her Act II debut, plays Janet.
For Power, her friend’s use of the language is transcendent. “He’s really, really good at capturing what the soul sounds like,” she says. “He captures the poetry in the everyday without seeming to do anything at all.”
Of the two, Janet is the more successful survivor. Joe has weathered countless failures and indignities, and spends the play speaking from a hospital bed.
What appealed to O’Neill about her character was the shining spirit that lay beneath surface ordinariness.
“She’s a cleaning lady in a factory,” she explains. “She’s a single mom with two kids. She does not bear the external markers of success. What makes her exceptional is that she has a mind that is wide open to the world and the joys in it.”
Clearly, the deeply troubled Joe obviously is least sympathetic. Says Power, there is something about him that says, “I dare you to feel anything but repelled by me.” But even here, she adds, Barry has left open the possibility of forgiveness, if not a second chance—even when you’ve really blown it.
Whalen concurs. What Joe has done, he says, “was a terrible mistake. It (domestic violence) happens more often than we might say.” Given the nature of that “terrible mistake,” he adds, it’s difficult to see how any of it could end on anything other than a dismal note.
And yet, some sparks of love still unite this couple. For Whalen, that is what most appeals to him about “Pride.”
“For me, this play is such an incredible, transcendent love story,” he says. “When I read it, it blew off the pages for me. The last moment of this play always gets to me.”
And we’ll leave that last moment for you to discover on your own.
The show runs from March 22 through April 17. Details here.
The parade comes Sunday, but Thursday’s moveable feast of pre-parade celebrations and observances got Philadelphia’s irish off to a head start.
Standing in the chill rain on the west side of City Hall, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick paid tribute to the Irish who served in the Revolutionary War. The Friendly Sons have been around since 1771, so who better?
Mayor Michael O’Nutter, as he likes to call himself in March, joined the Friendly Sons for the ceremony, and then the whole crowd and then some moved inside (where it was warmer, drier and brighter) to hear the mayor’s proclamation of March as Irish month. (And thanks to the Timoney Dancers for entertainment.)
Finally, at noon, an even bigger crowd (a much bigger crowd) assembled in the ballroom at the Doubletree Hotel for the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade Association’s annual luncheon. Highlights of the lunch: the formal introduction of Sister James Anne Feerick as the 2011 parade grand marshal, and the sahsing of the Ring of Honor. This year, it was all women. (See related story.)
You can check out our slideshow, above, or to find out who was in all those photos, go to the photo essay.
Wear the deely bobbers, but leave the umbrella at home this weekend.
There’s always a big build-up to the region’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities, and this is put up or shut up week. St. Paddy’s Day is next Thursday, March 17, and many of the big parades are this weekend, including Bucks County, Springfield (Delco), York, and Conshohocken this Saturday, and Philadelphia—the oldest and biggest—on Sunday.
Since there’s so much going on, here’s a blow-by-blow listing of what we know is going on this week. We’re updating the calendar DAILY, so check back frequently so you don’t miss a thing. Here’s what’s happening:
Saturday
Voice of the Faithful, a Catholic organization, will be holding a conference on “justice and renewal in the Church” at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, starting at 9:30 AM. Guest speaker will be Sister Maureen Turlish, a longtime sexual abuse survivor advocate.
The Bucks County St. Patrick’s Day Parade gets its start at 10:30 AM at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Fairless Hills. After party is at Fraternal Order of Eagles in Fairless Hills.
Looking for a pub crawl? You have many choices. The Running of the Micks starts at Finnegan’s Wake at Third and Spring Garden Streets in Philadelphia. The Erin Express, the oldest of the crawls, goes all over Center City starting at noon. And The St. Patrick’s Green Mile Pub Crawl which also covers Center City kicks off at noon. There are buses available at each bar, usually every 20 minutes, to make sure you don’t do something stupid, like drink and drive. When we could, we included the pub names and addresses in our calendar entries.
Springfield’s always delightful parade (which was washed out last year by rain) starts at noon as well. York’s parade starts at 1 PM and Conshohocken’s steps off at 2 PM. Conshy’s after party, featuring Oliver McElhone and the Belfast Connection, is at 5 PM at AOH Notre Dame Div. 1 Hall.
Chester County’s AOH Wolfetone Div. 1 is starting its St. Paddy’s Day party at the Elks Club in West Chester at lunch time—it’s their 35th!
Take the wee ones to Sesame Place in Langhorne and join Ernie, Bert, Elmo, and very likely Kermit for some Irish celebrations on Saturday too.
The McDade Irish Dancers and Seamus McGroary will be featured at Irish Night at the Italian Club in Ardmore. No, they will not be serving meatballs and cabbage. We’ll leave you to ponder that.
Crossing Vineyards (owned by the Carroll Family) is holding its annual Irish weekend with The Boys from County Bucks.
Celtic Pride is playing at the Temperance House in Newtown and The Broken Shillelaghs will be at Dublin Square Pub in Bordentown, NJ.
You can still catch “Brendan,” a play by Ronan Noone at McCoole’s Arts and Events Place in Quakertown and “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” at Plays and Players, a Theatre Exile production.
Sunday
Do we have to tell you again? The country’s second oldest and one of its biggest St. Paddy’s Day Parades starts off at 11 AM in Philly and doesn’t finish marching down the Parkway until 3 PM. There’s a Mass at 8:45 AM at St. Patrick’s and many after parties, including at the FOP on Spring Garden Street and at the Irish Center, 6815 Emlen Street, starting at 3 PM.
Searson, the all-girl group from Canada, is playing at Molly Maguire’s Pub at 4 PM in Phoenixville.
And in Vineland, NJ, a variety of performers, including 8-year-old fiddle phenom Haley Richardson and her brothers, will be playing at Cumberland County College.
Monday
The Brehon Society is holding its St. Patrick’s Day Party at McGillins Olde Ale House in Center City Philly on Monday night. Special discount for law students (to be a Brehon you need to be a lawyer).
Tuesday
Head down to AOH 61 at 4131 Rhawn Street in Philadelphia to discuss strategies for dealing with defamatory merchandise–like t-shirts that imply all the Irish do is drink and fight–with other like-minded folk. A group picketed outside a Spencer’s Gifts last weekend and this week Philadelphia Councilwoman Joan Krajewski has also taken a stand against the merchandise. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss how to address the matter with businesses and vendors.
Wednesday
The Ryan Kilcoyne School of Dance will be at Bounce U of Langhorne, where kids pay to get in but parents don’t. Clever!
The Villanova University Irish Dance Team is performing at the Connelly Center at the university in Villanove at 7 PM.
Celtic Crossroads is on the bill at Sellersville Theatre. This stage show features not only Irish music but also bluegrass, gypsy, and jazz.
St. Patrick’s Day!!!
Judge Jimmy Lynn’s annual breakfast fundraiser is once again at The Plough and the Stars on Chestnut Street in Philly, starting at 7:30 AM. A wreath laying ceremony will be held later at the Irish Memorial which is just around the corner.
The Commodore Barry AOH Div. 1 is holding its open house at their HQ in National Park, NJ.
The Bogside Rogues will be performing at Tir Na Nog at 16th and Arch.
Belfast Connection in playing at Dublin Square Pub in Cherry Hill.
Blackthorn will be on stage in “County Blackthorn,” AKA the Springfield Country Club in Springfield.
Laurel Hill Cemetery, where the living have a great sense of humor, is having a party that involves spirits of every kind. Called “In Heaven There is No Beer, That’s Why We Drink it Here,” the program will give you a tour of Irish graves and supply you with beer and other spirits.
You can also spend St. Patrick’s Day with The Broken Shillelaghs at McMichael’s Pub in Gloucester City, NJ.
The John Byrne Band will be at Slainte at 30th and Market in Philadelphia in the afternoon till close, but before that they’ll be appearing with Preston and Steve of WMMR at the annual bash at Finnigan’s Wake on Spring Garden Street (where, we admit, we once had a beer at 8 AM and liked it). That gig runs from 7:30-9:30 AM. It’s 5 o’clock somewhere.
Solas is playing at the World Café Live on St. Paddy’s Day, also a Philly tradition.
If you’re down there, check in on Burning Bridget Cleary, which is releasing a new CD that night!
Another regional tradition—Bill Monaghan and Celtic Pride at Sellersville Theatre, also St. Paddy’s eve.
You knew it had to be playing somewhere: Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance is at the War Memorial in Trenton.
And St. Agnes Church is hold it’s Irish Music Night in Blackwood, NJ with tenor Mark Forrest. It’s a fundraiser for special needs kids.
Friday
Oh, it’s not over yet!
The National Park Boat Club in National Park, NJ, is holding a St. Paddy’s Party starting at 6 PM. You don’t need to be a member nor have a boat.
DeDanaan, one of the greats, is performing at the Baby Grand at the Gran Opera House in Wilmington. You can also catch them next week in Sellersville.
At the Waterfront Theatre in Camden, you can see the play “Go Irish: The Purgatory Diaries of Jason Miller.”
Looking ahead to next week, you’d think every day was St. Paddy’s Day. (Allentown is having its parade, for example.) The only place that’s really true is here on www.irishphiladelphia.com. But we’ll be back again next week to give you fair warning of many more events, including a USA-Ireland rugby game in Philly, visits from groups such as Altan, Dervish, and Seamus Begley and Oisin MacDiarmada of Teada, the High Kings, Gaelic Storm, as well as the latest play in the Philadelphia Irish Theatre Festival series, “The Pride of Parnall Street,” by Sebastian Barry, at the Ambler Act II Playhouse.
Check the calendar. Daily!
Kathy McGee Burns with Grand Marshall Sister James Anne Feerick
By Kathy McGee Burns
Being the President of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is pretty neat and it comes with some great perks. One of them is choosing a Ring of Honor. This consists of extraordinary individuals who have achieved by their dedication to, and continuance of Irish traditions. I thought long and hard about this responsibility and found eight amazing women who fill the bill.
It is quite a thrill for me to have the President of Mount Saint Joseph Academy (my Alma Mater) in the Ring of Honor. Sister Kathleen Brabson, SSJ, has held this position since 2005. Although born in New York, she thinks of herself as a local woman having gone to Seven Dolors, Cecilian Academy, Chestnut Hill College (BS) and Villanova University (M.A. in Theology).Sr. Kathleen did venture away for continuing education classes to Fordham University and Boston College. Mt. St. Joseph is 153 years old, and in that time has instructed the daughters of immigrants (many of them Irish). The Irish have a great love of education. Although the Sisters of St. Joseph were founded in France, most of the nuns that taught me had Irish last names. Sr. Kathleen Brabson’s roots are Co.Cork (she thinks) via her mother, Audrey nee Burke. She traveled to Ireland and was enchanted by the experience and found the people to be welcoming and comfortable in their own shoes. She loved the antiquity of the countryside. One of her best days was spent at the cliffs of Slieve League, a tall mountain, 2000 feet, located on the side of a jutting peninsula in Co. Donegal. It was a misty day and the clouds clung closely to the mountaintop, as if Heaven and Earth were meeting. It was a lovely, spiritual experience. Sr. Kathleen is very approachable, affable and an invaluable asset to Mt. St. Joseph. She is also very gracious (a trait she learned from her mother), thoughtful and people-centered.
Bernadette Browne, giving, humble and tenacious, is one of seven sisters and one brother. Her parents, gone but forever loved, were Danny (Ballybofey, Co. Donegal) and Philomena nee Monaghan ( Co.Down). Bernadette has set her sights on filling the shoes of her father, which she really doesn’t need to do because she has big shoes of her own. She has a Bachelors Degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Masters in Engineering from Penn State. An entrepreneur, she is the founder and CEO of Office Infinity. Bernadette is a doer: 2nd VP of the Donegal Assn; Board Member of Hall of Fame, Commodore Barry Club, Philadelphia Donegal Gaelic Football team and the go-to person if you need a job done or a donation given. Of course, her favorite song is “ Danny Boy”.
The Brehon Society is a Philadelphia-based professional association of law among people of Irish ancestry. Brehon Law is ancient. Some say it goes back to the Bronze Age. According to Michael Ragan in his treatise, Brehon Law,”Woman stood emancipated and eligible for the professions, rank and fame.” Philadelphia Court of Common Please President Judge Pamela Pryor Dembe is the Past President (2002-2004). She said that when they first formed the Brehons, in 1976, one of their purposes was to address the lack of the Irish being selected to serve as judges. Well, 35 years later, Judge Dembe is pleased that many of their student members are women and “We now have a hefty cadre of Irish women judges in the area.” Judge Dembe is a graduate of Temple University, School of Law. She has roots in Mayo and Tyrone. She is married to David Dembe, a Law Professor, avid sailor and retired lawyer. She has 4 grown children: Cecily, Eli, Aaron and Alison. She sees herself as outgoing, energetic and decisive…maybe even bossy! But after all, one doesn’t become President Judge by being demure! Retired Judge Ed Bradley says that, “Judge Dembe is an outstanding jurist, noted for her sound judicial temperament and extensive knowledge of the Law. Pamela Dembe loves many things Irish: music, literature, knitting and of course, the Law. Most of all, she loves visiting Ireland.
Denise Foley, funny, caring and kind (oh, so kind) is not only my good friend but is probably one of the most entertaining people I know. She is the daughter of Thomas (whose roots are Massachusetts via Newfoundland via Wexford or Waterford) and Grace Heary (with roots in Inishowen, County Donegal). Denise was always inquisitive and asked many questions of her relatives, “Where do we come from?” Her Aunt Grace would reply indignantly, “It doesn’t matter! We’re Americans now.” Denise, in her youthful wisdom, started writing things down and when she got a computer, she started looking things up. Denise, equipped with a B.S. in Journalism from Temple University, is one of the founding editors, with Jeff Meade, of www.irishphiladelphia.com. This is a hyperlocal website designed to bring the Philadelphia region every tidbit of Irish news, views and to-do’s. Denise does this with sincerity, wit and directness. Not an event goes by without Denise’s imprimatur. Married to Ed Rogan, they have a son, Patrick, age 24.
Elizabeth Kerr is a young woman with an old soul. She is inspirational, unsinkable and lilting. Liz is a Political Activist dedicated to the cause of a United Ireland. In her days at Cardinal Dougherty, she invited Pearse Kerr (an ex-political prisoner in Belfast) to be her history project. Guess who she’s married to? Her family roots are in Galway. Liz never stops growing! She has a B.A. from the University of St. Francis, an RN from Philadelphia Community College and is presently working on a master’s degree in English from Arcadia. One of her friends said that Liz has a wonderful heart. How apropos, because she is a nurse on the heart transplant team at Temple. Liz is one of the founding members of LAOH Bridig McCroary, Div.25.and their officer for “Freedom for all Ireland”. The Kerrs have two children, Dana and Brendan, and they lost a son, Patrick, at age 15, to a skateboarding accident. They turned tragedy into triumph by starting a college scholarship fund for skateboarders, and dedicated a safe environment for youth called Patrick Kerr Skate Park. Do you think all of this is why Liz Kerr is “unsinkable”?
Eileen Lavin is the founder of Tara Gael, an adult Irish dance group. Tara Gael represents the kings and queens of Ireland, and that is exactly how Eileen sees her dancers. And they are that….having won the Marie Burns Award for 5 out of 8 years. Dancing came late for Eileen. When she was a senior at Cardinal Dougherty High School, her father begged her to at least take one class. She took that class with the Master, Ed Reavey, at Emmett’s Place, and one class turned into a lifelong commitment. She shared this love with her husband, Al, who passed away last year. She taught him how to dance and they did so, side by side, for 18 years of marriage. Eileen’s roots are Mayo and Donegal. She loves being around the Irish because they are an open, happy and warm group of people that she easily identifies with. Eileen, is herself a beautiful woman in many ways; patient, loving and understanding.
In Dublin, 1827, Catherine McAuley opened a refuge to provide shelter and to educate the young, rural women who came from all parts of Ireland. She later became the first Sister of Mercy. In 1861, this Order of Nuns, came to Philadelphia to establish the same kind of protection to working girls. They also offered visitation to the sick and comfort to prison inmates. This year, the Sisters of Mercy will celebrate 150 years of service to Education, Charity and Health Care. Sr. Christine McCann is the President of the Sisters of Mercy Mid-Atlantic Com-
munity. Sr. Christine says that she and her fellow sisters stand on the shoulders of those pioneer women who served an immigrant population. Sr. Christine family is from Tyrone and Antrim. She feels the sense of History and Story: the connection between her role here in America and that of Sr. McAuley in Ireland. Sr. Kathleen Lyons, Director of Senior Services, says Sr. Christine is a great inspiration to her and the 1,026 women that she guides. She provides leadership, insight, and commitment to the mission of the Sisters of Mercy..to serve God’s people. “A woman of great faith and action, Sister Christine McCann is a true daughter of Catherine McAuley”.
Honorable Kelly Wall, Court of Common Pleas, Montgomery County, is a dedicated, driven and no-nonsense Judge. Okay, nepotism prevails in this choice because Kelly is my daughter but it is totally justifiable. Kelly put herself through college by bits and pieces, mostly going at night while working days. She finally decided to follow her heart’s desire: finishing her last year at Temple University, she left for Indiana University, School of Law, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. Kelly became a Partner at Miller, Turetsky and practiced family law, but once again, her heart told her she needed to set her goals on a Judgeship. She carefully persevered through the steps which would get her to the courthouse: Supervisor of Whitemarsh Twp, Board Member of Northwest Human Services, Solicitor for Children and Youth, etc. Well, she got elected thanks to her persistence and the help of her eight brothers and sisters. Can you imagine the thrill of robing your daughter? Kelly Wall has a 13-year-old son, Liam. She is a member of the Donegal Association and a Brehon.
“A joyful heart is the normal result of a heart burning with love. She gives most who gives with joy.” Mother Teresa
Joy is what I see when I look upon the lovely, lithesome face of Sister James Anne…Joy for God, Joy for family and Joy for us. On March 13, a this beautiful woman will lead the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade as Grand Marshal.
Sister James Anne Feerick, daughter of Jim and Anne (nee Caulfield) and Sister to five brothers is no stranger to the parade. She has amazing memories of it since she was seven years old. The Feericks always participated in this event. As members of Transfiguration Parish (West Philadelphia) buses were available to take families to Broad Street. Her Dad and brothers would march with the Holy Name Society; she would dance with the Sean Lavery Dancers and Mom would watch from the sidewalk. They would even watch the New York Parade and on special years, actually go there with a side trip to Rockefeller Center.
Music was an on going joy to Sister James Anne. She was a violinist in West Catholic High School’s orchestra and even appeared on the Will Regan Hour with her brothers; Jim on piano and Mike and Sister on violins.
On Sundays the Feericks would visit their Grandparents in Camden. They had a Victrola and they would listen to the likes of Ruthie Morrison and John McCormick.
Dance was another love in her life. When Sr. James Anne, a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, first started teaching, she took a course aimed at helping students with poor coordination. The recommendation was dancing. She immediately started a class in Irish dance.
One of her proudest accomplishments is her role of Chaplain to the Mayo Association. I recently attended the unveiling of the statue of Our Lady of Knock.It had been commissioned in Ireland and now sits in a lovely custom-built niche.The entire piece stands about 8 feet tall and Our Lady stands in front of a beautifully painted scene of a church, children, Sts. John and Joseph and the Lamb of God. It is a spectacular piece of art as well as a Spiritual icon. Sr. James was aglow with the presentation of the service. As chaplain she welcomed Our Lady with song, prayer and community. All of us who were present at the Irish Center will long remember the spirituality of that day.
Rosaleen Megonegal, President of the Mayo Association looks on Sr. James Anne as a true friend. “Her caring and loving words bring a deep and spiritual awareness to our members. Nothing is too much for her to handle and despite her busy schedule, she is willing to help. Sr. James Anne, truly an inspirational woman.”
Michael Bradley, the Parade Director, says, “She has never sought the limelight. Sister James Anne sets a great example for us to follow. She is kind, caring and a treasure to the Irish community.”
Fr. John Flanagan, her past student (1st grade) and now President of Roman Catholic High School, was one of the many who nominated her for Grand Marshal. “Sister James Anne’s example, work ethic, faith filled life and her genuine Saintly life speaks volumes about leading a life of Joy and service to God and his people.” He also said the Sr. James has provided him personally with the spiritual strength, prayers and example to sustain his life as a priest.
As for me, I will be humbled to share my first year as President of this great parade with a woman of her faith, stature and dignity.
Philly Parade Director Michael Bradley and John Caramanico, president of the Cardinal O'Hara Alumni Association.
Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade Director was one of two 2011 recipients of the Cardinal O’Hara Alumni Spirit of O’Hara Award.
Michael Bradley received the award on Sunday, March 7, after a Mass at the high school where he sent his two sons, Mickey and Colin, and where he and his wife, Linda, have been a longtime volunteers.
Villanova head football coach Andy Talley was the guest speaker at the awards breakfast, attended by more than 100 people.
We were there and have photos.
The distinguished panel of judges.
It’s official.
In the sixth and largest Irish coffee competition ever sponsored by Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 1 in Swedesburg, Elks Lodge 714 in Bridgeport rose to the top. (8-East came in a close second, and there was a tie for third with Goodwill Fire Company and the Rib-House.)
Nine groups competed Thursday night, according to the Times Herald of Norristown.
Check out the newspaper’s video for an up-close look at the event.
Yes, you can eat and dance to Blackthorn at the same time.
They’re not “The Wiggles,” but there’s something about the Celtic group, Blackthorn, that gets the toddler set out on the dance floor, as our photos from Sunday’s Blackthorn benefit for the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade will illustrate. (The little lady you see is one example.)
There’s also something about the group that gets 700 or so people to come to Springfield Country Club every year to help raise money for the nation’s second oldest parade. This year, that included Philly comic Joe Conklin, Rep. Patrick Meehan, CBS3 Anchor Susan Barnett (who left her own baby’s christening party to be there) and Ancient Order of Hibernians National President Seamus Boyle, who all took turns at the microphone to urge even more spending for the once-a-year Irish celebration. The genial crowd, who bid on auction items, paid for 50-50 tickets, and kept the spirits flowing, were happy to do so.
The parade goes on Sunday, March 13, rain or shine.
The Springfield event is the largest of the parade benefits that began two years ago when the city of Philadelphia found itself in a budget funk and withdrew funding for many of the basics–police, barricades, portable toilets, and cleanup–that it once absorbed. Other parade organizations from the Mummers to Puerto Rican Day marchers have had to hold more fundraisers to keep the city’s many ethnic parades stepping out every year. This year, several AOH groups as well as the Second Street Irish Society held benefits throughout the city.
If you couldn’t be there, here are some photos to make you wish you had been.