Irish in Philly – Page 27 – Where every day is St. Patrick's Day

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

Wow, do we have a week for you … and looking a bit beyond, even more.

Here’s what’s what.

Saturday, October 26

Celebrate Halloween with the Shantys at The Fainting Goat, 105 South MacDade Boulevard in Glenolden. Happy hour starts at 5 p.m. Wear a costume!

Sunday, October 27

It’s got pancakes! It’s got Irish music! Sweet! Take in the pancake session with Maggie’s Boots at Philly Wolf Den, Wolf and South Chadwick Street in Philly, starting at 12:30 p.m. Musicians are welcome to join in the tunes. Pancakes and other goodies will be served until about 3. Suggested donation: $10.

On a more serious note, the film, “Dan Berrigan Pray for Us” will be shown at the Irish Center, 6815 Emlen Street in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia. The film documents Father Daniel Berrigan’s life around the time of the Vietnam war. It’s free, with refreshments following, with the screening starting at 2 p.m.

October 25, 2019 by Jeff Meade

How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

A bit of a lull in the proceedings this week, but you definitely need to check out the following:

Saturday, October 19

Here’s how to have fun and support a couple of good causes. It’s the first ever Casino Night sponsored by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, to be held in a beautiful refurbished barn in Malvern.

The event starts at 6:30 p.m., featuring live music by Raymond McGroary, open bar with beer, wine and soft drinks, hors d’oeuvres and desserts, an outdoor cigar bar—and of course, a stack of chips to get you started off in a beginner-friendly game of blackjack, poker or craps.

Proceeds benefit the Duffy’s Cut Project and the Friendly Sons Immaculata Scholarship Endowment.

October 18, 2019 by Jeff Meade

Music, People

Fiddler C.J. Mills: ‘I’ll Play Until I Can’t Play Anymore’

It’s a late Saturday afternoon at Paddy Whack’s Irish Sports Club, tucked away in a strip shopping center off Roosevelt Boulevard in Northeast Philly.

Inside, fiddler C.J. Mills and frequent partner, singer-guitarist Seamus McGroary, are blazing away at a set of reels, playing for two little girls in sparkly dresses who are performing that day for Celtic Flame School of Irish Dance.

Suddenly, Mills leaps from the stage and climbs atop two high-top bar chairs, and plays away as if fiddling while poised inches away from the ceiling tiles is something he does all the time.

In fact, it is what he does all the time. He’s also renowned for jumping up and down while he plays on stage, as if he can’t contain the energy of the tune he’s cranking out. And he’s also known for playing with his electric fiddle propped behind his neck, which he does while he’s performing the balancing act on the chairs in Paddy Whack’s.

It took a while for him to learn how to play the fiddle version of a high wire act, but he loves doing it—and the audience loves that he does it.

October 18, 2019 by Jeff Meade

How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

We’ve had festivals of one kind or another for a month—and it’s not ever. There’s a great one in New Jersey this weekend.

Here’s what’s up.

Saturday, October 12

The Smithville Irish Festival kicks off at the Village Greene of Historic Smithville in Galloway, N.J. They’ve got a full schedule of music on two stages, dancing, food, pipers, vendors, and more.

Sponsored by the Ancient Order of Hibernians of Cape May County Division II and all Irish Martyrs, the festival starts at 10 a.m.

You’ll recognize some of the bands—they’re among the best in the area.

Birmingham Six will be on the main stage, along with Jamie & The Quietmen. In the Gazebo, it’s John O’Callahan and Bill Felix and Tom Brett.

October 11, 2019 by Jeff Meade

Audio, Audios

Podcast: Interview with Fiddler Winifred Horan

Fiddler Winifred Horan is best-known for her work with the band Solas, but she has also forged a productive and creative solo career.

Now she is out with a beautiful new CD, “The Memory of Magic.”

We spent a good long time recently talking about the new album, and the thought and inspiration that went into it.

You can see Win Friday, October 25, at 8 p.m. at the Philadelphia Irish Center in a concert presented by the Philadelphia Ceili Group. She’ll be joined by pianist Utsav Lal and guitarist Dan Faiella.

Purchase tickets here.

Here’s our interview.

Editor’s note: All Irish Philly podcasts are now available on iTunes, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, TuneIn and Spotify.

October 9, 2019 by Jeff Meade

Food & Drink

Can’t Get Enough of All Those Pumpkins!

While pumpkins are not native to Ireland, they’re in great demand during the autumn, especially around Halloween (also known as Samhain, one of the four ancient Celtic festivals).

In the U.S. we use pumpkins in many sweet and savory dishes, but most cooks find it more efficient to purchase canned pumpkin rather than to cut and scrape the flesh from a fresh one.

If you love pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie, you’ll adore this rich pudding made with challah bread! Top it with freshly whipped cream enhanced with mascarpone cheese. You’ll find recipes like this in my cookbook Favorite Flavors of Ireland (now BOGO/buy one get one free); order signed copies at www.irishcook.com.

PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING WITH MASCARPONE WHIPPED CREAM
Serves 6 to 8

October 9, 2019 by Margaret M. Johnson

Arts, History, News, People

A Night at the Museum of the American Revolution

Two Portraits of Richard St. George

During a multi-day visit to Philadelphia, where most of the focus fell on the modern era politics of Brexit and the interest of the Irish diaspora, Ambassador Daniel Mulhall’s presence at the Museum of the American Revolution’s launch of their new exhibit “Cost of Revolution: The Life and Death of an Irish Soldier” was an opportunity to talk history.

Ambassador Mulhall, along with Dr. Martin Mansergh, historian and former Irish political advisor who helped negotiate the Good Friday Agreement, gave context and insight into the influence of the American Revolution on Ireland’s own path to independence. In addition, Dr. Mansergh is a descendant of Richard St. George Mansergh-St. George (from here on referred to as Richard St. George, as he is in the Museum’s exhibit) who is the subject of the “Cost of Revolution” exhibition, providing a personal connection to the historical narrative.

The evening’s events were planned by an Honorary Event Committee including Honorary Chair, Governor Edward G. Rendell; State Representative Mike Driscoll; Charles E. Hopkins; Marita Krivda Poxon; Kevin Kent, Esquire; Honorable James Murray Lynn; Joseph S. Martz; Edward D. McBride and Kathleen M. Sullivan. The crowd was welcomed in by bagpipers William Watson, Frank Watson, Tom Conner and Lee Nolan, and then treated to traditional Irish music throughout the evening performed by musicians including Paddy O’Neill, John McGillian and Darin Kelly.

October 4, 2019 by Lori Lander Murphy

How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

It’s a short week in Irish Philly land, but what’s on is pretty spectacular.

Let’s jump right into it:

Saturday, October 5, and Sunday, October 6

We’ve been lousy with festivals lately, and here comes another one: Kilt Fest in Bordentown, N.J.

If it sounds like it must be Scottish, it is—but it’s also Irish. Let’s just call it pan-Celtic and have done with it. Whatever, you’ll fit in, and have fun.

Fun is what they’re all about. Here’s a sampling of the bands that will be on hand: The Kennedys, The Shantys, Rancocas Creek Pipe Band, Na’Bodach, Nothing Sacred, and Chaste Treasure. There’s also highland games—or as the folks at Kilt Fest say, “men and women throwing heavy things.” Celtic Flame Irish Dance will be on hand. You won’t go hungry or thirsty, either. Plenty of grub and brew available. There’s also kilted fun run on Sunday morning at 10.

You’ll find Kilt Fest at Liberty Lake in Bordentown. The fun starts at 9 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday.

October 4, 2019 by Jeff Meade

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