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Philadelphia Donegal Association

2014 Mary from Dungloe Kelly Devine accepts hugs from friend and 2013 Mary, Moira Cahill.

News

Big Crowd, Big Night for the Donegal Association

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Perhaps the most striking thing about the Philadelphia Donegal Association’s Mary from Dungloe pageant is that the winner always seems genuinely astonished and surprised. No one goes on the stage expecting to win. The contestants seem to enjoy each other’s company, even cheer for each other. In this, the “Marys” have a lot in common with the winners of the local Rose of Tralee and the Miss Mayo contests.
In short, in addition to their undeniable accomplishments and talents, the winners happen to be nice.

Judging by the expression on Kelly Devine’s face when she became this year’s Mary from Dungloe Saturday night at the 125th Donegal Ball, she was, well … genuinely astonished and surprised.

And in a quick interview after an exhausting round of picture taking with friends, relatives, outgoing Mary from Dungloe Moira Cahill, and all the other contestants—and a serenade by the Philadelphia Irish Center’s Vince Gallagher—the 2014 Mary proved to be just what you’d expect her to be: Nice.

“I was a little shocked,” said Devine, former marketing major at St. Joseph’s University and currently a junior account executive at Brownstone PR. “I just wanted to come to the ball and have fun, to have a good time. And it was very easy to talk to the other girls here. It was like hanging out with my girlfriends. This is just the icing on the cake.”

Like Cahill, Devine is a longtime competitive Irish dancer, trained at the Coyle School of Irish Dance. She started at age 7. A back injury sidelined her at age 20, but she helps teach other dancers at the Coyle School. She credits Cahill for pushing her to compete. “Moira talked me into it. She’s been very supportive. She is a very good representative for the Donegal Association. I’m trying to live up to her.”

The pageant is typically one of the most dramatic moments at the Donegal Ball, but there were many other high points—including the selection of Carmel Boyce for the first Irene Durning Award, named for a beloved longtime member of the association. The award recognizes local people of Irish descent—they don’t have to be members of the Donegal Association—for their kindness and generosity in the Irish community, and for being a devoted supporter of the Mary from Dungloe contest. The standards are pretty high, and if you know anything at all about the Philadelphia Irish community, a lot of people meet or exceed those standards. Carmel Boyce, a leading figure in the community, sets a pretty high bar herself.

All in all, a great night for the Donegal Association, probably one of the best attended balls in recent memory. So many people crowded into the Irish Center ballroom, they had to bring in extra tables and chairs.

We have many, many photos from that night. Check them out.

December 5, 2013 by Jeff Meade

News, People

Big Crowd, Big Night for the Donegal Association

2014 Mary from Dungloe Kelly Devine accepts hugs from friend and 2013 Mary, Moira Cahill.

In short, in addition to their undeniable accomplishments and talents, the winners happen to be nice.

Judging by the expression on Kelly Devine’s face when she became this year’s Mary from Dungloe Saturday night at the 125th Donegal Ball, she was, well … genuinely astonished and surprised.

We have many, many photos from that night. Check them out.

December 5, 2013 by Jeff Meade

Dance, People

“Quite a Weekend” for Móira Cahill

Moira Cahill

On Saturday night at the Donegal Ball, Móira Cahill ended her one-year reign as the Philadelphia Donegal Association’s Mary from Dungloe, with grace and poise—and an infectious grin that never seemed to leave her face all evening. At the end of the night, when Kelly Devine, her good friend from the Coyle School of Irish Dance, became the 2014 Mary, there was cause for even more joy.

Still, a lot of people didn’t know—at least, not before the Donegal Ball—that Cahill had won the Ladies Under 20 competition Friday at the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Oireachtas. The Oireachtas (ERR-uhk-tuhss) is a major Irish dance championship, held each year over the Thanksgiving holiday in Center City.

“I danced hornpipes and reels, and if you’re recalled, you do a contemporary set dance. I performed ’The Blackthorn Stick’,” Cahill recalled as the evening’s festivities at the Philadelphia Irish Center wound down. “I danced hard shoe and soft shoe. My whole competition was on Friday.”

Cahill, 20, has been dancing for 15 years, and competing for 14. She has always been a very good dancer, as evidenced by her 4th place finish at the Oireachtas two years ago, and her second place last year. But none of her success has come easily. It has required seriously hard work and dedication.

“It takes a lot of practice. I was going to practice four to five times a week,” Cahill said, tiara and heels off, kicking back in a lounge off the Irish Center ballroom—finally taking a well-earned break. “It also takes a lot of mental preparation.”

As a result of her first-place finish, Cahill is qualified to compete at the 2014 North American Irish Dance Championships in Montréal in July, which she said she is likely to attend.

For now, though, it’s a time to briefly sit back and take it all in. And it’s a lot to take in, Cahill said, again with the smile. “It’s been quite a weekend.”

December 5, 2013 by Jeff Meade

Sports

“Sam” and Company are Philly-Bound

“The Sam” drew an enthusiastic young audience in a previous visit to Philadelphia.

Jim McGuinness, manager of the Donegal Senior Football Team that this year snagged the All-Ireland Senior Football Championships, played on Philadelphia’s Donegal team for five short weeks in the summer of 1996. He visited Philly again in 1999, and evidently liked what he saw.

When he arrives on Tuesday night for one more visit—this time to the Philadelphia Irish Center—he’ll have some splashy company. It’s called the Sam Maguire Cup, more familiarly known as “the Sam,” awarded to the winning senior football team.

“Jim McGuinness was here 13 years ago,” says Louie Bradley, chair of the Philly Gaelic Athletic Association team, the Delco Gaels. “He hasn’t been back in all that time, and he knows a lot of people here, which is why he wants to come back.”

The Philadelphia visit is one of several in the U.S.—a kind of victory lap that will take McGuinness and the cup to such Irish hotbeds as Chicago, Boston and New York City. The Irish Center event—billed as “An Evening with Jimmy McGuinness and the Sam Maguire Cup”—will also bring to town two Donegal all-stars, Mark McHugh and Michael Murphy.

As eager as McGuinness is to visit Philly, the Sam Maguire tour schedule is tight. Bradley says the local Gaelic Athletic Association, which had only a couple of weeks to pull things together, was hoping to get the Donegal delegation to come to town on a Saturday, but “we had to take what we could get. We are lucky to get them.”

Nevertheless, the local GAA is expecting a great turnout on Tuesday night, with 250 to 300 of tickets already sold, with time to sell more. “It should be a big crowd,” says Bradley.

Admission to the event is $50, which will buy you hors d’oeuvres, dancing to the music of Sullivan Bridge, and photos with the cup, coach, and his all-stars. Kids under 18 will be admitted for free. (Bradley is expecting as many as 100 of them.) Local organizations, such as the Philadelphia Donegal Association and Donegal Philly GAA, will present tributes. State Legislators (and brothers) Kevin and Brendan Boyle will present a citation from the Commonwealth. The Donegal athletes can also expect to receive the key to the city.

The event runs from 7 to 11 p.m.

You can find more information here.

November 9, 2012 by Jeff Meade

People

“I Was Completely and Utterly Shocked”

Stephanie Lennon enjoys a serenade by Vince Gallagher.

By Stephanie Lennon

My Irish heritage has always been a huge part of my life. Growing up, Irish music was the theme song in our home, the tea kettle was always warm, and visits between Donegal, Ireland and Philadelphia were customary. I grew up with a complete sense of my family in Ireland, as well as my Irish citizenship (I hold dual citizenship). I have been lucky enough to sit in the old farmhouse that my grandmother grew up in, hear stories of fairy rings and banshees, and watch my cousin, Brendan Devenney, win “Man of the Match” during Donegal GAA games. More often than not, it was the Irish who made the trek across the Atlantic to enjoy time with “the Philadelphia Lennon’s,” but we also traveled across the pond to experience our native soil firsthand.

As I was walking out the door on November 27, my cell phone rang and it was my cousins from Donegal. They were calling to wish me the luck of the Irish during the 2011 Philadelphia Mary from Dungloe Pageant. They asked if I was nervous, and without hesitation, I replied no. The previous night, as I said my evening prayers, I asked my grandmother, Mary Cannon Lennon, who hailed from Newtowncunningham, Donegal, to send me some Donegal Luck from heaven.

As soon as I entered the Irish Center, I felt completely comfortable. Michelle Mack, the chair for the Mary from Dungloe contest, and Kiera McDonagh, the reigning Philadelphia Mary from Dungloe, greeted each one of us. As the introductions started flowing, I found connections to the other girls. Each one of us was unique, with amazing resumes to wow the likes of Miss America. We brought our own energy and unique personality, as well as our passion for our Irish heritage. This contest, which emphasized personality, community involvement, knowledge of Irish history and most importantly a love for Irish heritage allowed each of us to highlight our individuality within the framework of the Philadelphia Irish society.

Throughout the night we exchanged stories, experiences and laughs. We danced the reels together and shared good craic and by the end of the night, I felt that I had made eight new friends. It wasn’t until midnight that I felt nervous. As we followed the grand march on stage, I started to wonder. After what seemed like hours, Theresa Flanagan Murtagh, the emcee, announced the runners up. Then, followed by a loud drum roll, she announced my name as the 2011 Philadelphia Mary. I don’t think I heard it at first, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw my family jump out of their seats in applause and it hit me. I was completely and utterly shocked.

I don’t know if it was my grandmother, Mary from Donegal, looking down on me from heaven or the fact that she met my grandfather at the original Irish Center shortly after they both immigrated to Philadelphia. Either way, I am blessed with the honor of being the 2011 Philadelphia Mary from Dungloe. I am looking forward to the coming year, as I represent the Donegal Association at various events and functions, including the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the International Mary from Dungloe contest in Ireland this summer.

December 10, 2010 by Guest

News, People

New Mary from Dungloe Crowned at Donegal Ball

We catch Karen Boyce McCollum dancing with her dad, Barney Boyce, a Donegal native. Those faces tell the story: Ball-goers were having. . .a ball.

A 27-year-old speech-language pathologist from Philadelphia was crowned the new Mary from Dungloe at Sunday night’s Donegal Ball at the Philadelphia Irish Center.

Stephanie Lennon, who works with autistic and developmentally disabled children and is also the religious education teacher and softball coach at St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church, will travel to Ireland next summer to compete in the international Mary from Dungloe Festival in Dungloe, County Donegal. She succeeds Kiera McDonagh, an honors graduate of LaSalle who majored in integrated science, business and technology. McDonagh recently became engaged to attorney Justin Gdula.

Judges this year were apparently selected on a Law and Order theme: They were Montgomery County Court Judge Kelly C. Wall; John McNesby, a 22-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department and president of FOP Lodge #5; and Laurence P. Banville, Esq., a Wexford native, an insurance defense attorney in Philadelphia, and founding chairperson of Irish Network-Philadelphia.

Lennon’s crowning capped off a magical evening of music and dancing at the 122nd annual ball, which featured the Celtic rock group Blackthorn and Vince Gallagher and his band. This year’s ball chairman was Nora Campbell, vice president of the Donegal Association of Philadelphia. Jim Crosson was Ball co-chair and the Mary from Dungloe Pageant was organized by a former Mary, Michelle Mack, and Coleen McCrea Katz. Several former winners, including Emily Weideman (’09) and Brittany Lough Basis (’06) and Theresa Flanagan Murtagh (’91) were in attendance. Murtagh was emcee for the evening.

The 2010 Rose of Tralee, Mairead Conley, along with three former Roses—Jocelyn McGillian, Colleen Tully, and Sinead Cunningham (of Southern California)—were at the ball. McGillian was a Mary contestant this year and came in second runner-up. First runner up was 19-year-old Villanova student Kristin Ward, a native of Pearl River, NY.

Grand Marshal for this year’s ball was longtime Donegal Association member John McCaul.

The Philadelphia Donegal Association was founded in 1888 to take care of the needs of the vast influx of immigrants from Ireland’s northern most county. One of the first official acts of the new organization was to hold a concert and ball to raise money for the suffering people of Gweedore, County Donegal. Even today, the organization, through fundraisers like the ball, donates money to a variety of charities and sponsors a summer trip to the US for children from Northern Ireland.

The Mary from Dungloe Festival is one of Ireland’s biggest, founded in 1967 and named for a young woman, Mary Gallagher, whose sad love story is told in a traditional song.

Check out our photos of the event–and see the new Mary’s unusual footwear! We loved it.

December 3, 2010 by Denise Foley

News, People

Donegal Association Chooses Its Mary from Dungloe for 2010

Kiera McDonagh

The newest Mary from Dungloe is a LaSalle University graduate working in the real estate field who loves sports and adventure travel.

On Sunday, November 28, Keira McDonagh of Philadelphia, an Archbishop Wood alum, was chosen from a field of 13 young women and crowned at the 121st Donegal Ball, which was held at the the Irish Center in Mt. Airy. Although the story of young woman for whom the pageant is named, celebrated in a 1936 song by stonemason Pádraig Mac Cumhaill, is one of tragic love, the pageant is sweet and tends to promote new friendships among the young women who participate. Witness: The following day, the former competitors were all friending each other on Facebook.

McDonagh will represent the Philadelphia Donegal Association at all major events over the coming year, including the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This summer she’ll travel to Dungoe, County Donegal, to compete in the International Mary from Dungloe pageant. The reigning Mary is from County Derry and Philadelphia’s retiring Mary–a spitfire who is anything but retiring–is Emily Weideman.

When you’ve been throwing a ball for more than a century, you tend to do it right, and this one was no exception. Almost 500 people attended the more than six-hour event. There were dancers on the floor for hours, twirling to the tunes of the Sean Wilson Band and DJ John McDaid. Grand Marshal was Eileen McAleer and Ball Chairman, John Gallagher. There were even distinguished visitors from the Dublin Donegal Association.

But don’t just take our word for it.

Check out the photos.

December 4, 2009 by Denise Foley

News, People

“One of the Greatest Experiences of My Life”

All the Marys in Dungloe--that's Philadelphia's Mary second from the right, second row.

Emily Weideman didn’t expect to win when she entered the Mary from Dungloe competition last year. A program sponsored by the Philadelphia Donegal Association, Mary from Dungloe is a pageant open to young women of Irish descent who compete for the international crown in the town of Dungloe (pronounced Done-low) in County Donegal every summer.

But she entered, won the right to represent Philadelphia in Dungloe, and in the essay she shares below, apparently had the time of her life.

A little about Emily: The Montgomeryville native is an area coordinator for Holy Family University and holds a BA in political science from Arcadia University and an MA in global security from Keele University in Stoke-on-Trent, England. She studied in Dublin, Ireland while an undergrad and interned in Dail Eireann in 2004. She does volunteer work for the Irish Immigration Center.

By Emily Weideman

I was crowned the Philadelphia Mary from Dungloe back in November, 2008, so I thought I was more than ready to head off to Dungloe for the International Mary from Dungloe Festival in July. Nothing, however, could have prepared me for the experience of being a Mary. I can now say that I have fifteen amazing friends with whom I shared one of the greatest experiences of my life.

The Mary from Dungloe Festival in Dungloe, County, Donegal kicked off on Saturday, July 25, but it was the Introduction of the Marys on Wednesday, July 29 in the Main Street that started the week for fifteen young women representing many counties in Ireland, the six Northern counties, London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bayonne, and Philadelphia. At the head of the group was the 41st Mary from Dungloe, Una Rooney, from County Armagh.

The sixteen Marys spent five days together traveling throughout Donegal, with stops at Glenveagh National Park, Gweedore, Ballybofey, Donegal Town, and of course many appearances in Dungloe. The Marys also made a quick afternoon trip to County Fermanagh to visit the Belleek Pottery Factory. We greatly enjoyed it—each of us was presented with Belleek jewelry as a keepsake of the week in Dungloe after the crowning on Sunday night.

A favorite stop for all the Marys was a visit to the Angle Day Center in Dungloe, a day facility for the handicapped. One of the escorts (all the Marys have an escort), Mark Gallagher, provided the music and the Marys spent the morning dancing and singing with the Angle’s patients.

On Thursday night, the Saw Doctors had Dungloe and all the Marys dancing away at their concert on the Main Street in town. The music and weather were fantastic. The evening culminated with the Saw Doctors joining local band, The FlyBys, on stage at the Midway Pub after the show. On Friday, The Fureys had the Marys and escorts dancing to such songs as “One More for the Road” and “My Father’s House”. Amazing music was also provided by Gary Gamble, Philomena Baddeley, Georgette Jones, the Glasgow Mary, Lisa McHugh, Daniel O’Donnell, and many other amazing artists all week long.

The week seemed to fly by and before we knew it, we were on stage Sunday night giving our public interviews. Questions included ‘Where do you see yourself in five years?’, ‘What was your favorite moment from the week?’, and my personal favorite, “What exactly is a cheesesteak?” All of the Marys gave wonderful interviews and the party pieces were superb.

Finally, the Marys were on stage waiting for the 42nd International Mary to be announced. After a carefully designed pause by the Compare, Gerry Kelly from UTV, 25-year-old Kate Ferguson of Derry was named the winner. We were all overjoyed.

Kate is a trainee solicitor who lives in Dublin and just completed working with the Ryan Commission which was set up to investigate child abuse in Irish institutions. She is set to begin her final legal apprenticeship and once it is complete, will be a fully qualified lawyer. . .who plays a mean clarinet (she played the “Derry Air” as her party piece).

While all of the Marys were thrilled with Kate’s win, the true highlight of the week was sharing the experience and creating lasting relationships with one another. The group became very close and, along with Carol Kiernan, the Marys Coordinator, created lasting memories. We all plan to visit one another and we’re already talking about a reunion. I am sure that the 2009 Marys will remain great friends for a long time to come.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Philadelphia Donegal Association for the opportunity to represent them, as well as the City of Philadelphia, at this year’s Festival. It was an experience like no other and I will remember it fondly for the rest of my life. Thank you for all of the support throughout this year!

On November 28, 2009, the 2010 Philadelphia Mary from Dungloe will be selected at the Donegal Ball hosted by the Donegal Association of Philadelphia and held at the Commodore Barry Club. Young women of Irish descent and between the ages of 18 – 27 are invited to join in the evening by competing for the Philadelphia title and the trip to have the experience of a lifetime in Dungloe. For more information and the application, please visit the Donegal Association’s website, www.philadonegal.com.

October 9, 2009 by Guest

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