Browsing Tag

Rambling House

Music, News

A Treat of a Halloween Party Does the Trick

Father John and his fellow merry-makers.

My Samhain party at the Philadelphia Irish Center began with a weird proposition. A very creepy “Father John” offered to hear my confession.

I respectfully declined. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Father’s face was clear and didn’t move. Eek.

Samhain (SOW-en) is an ancient Gaelic festival that led indirectly to Halloween. So the Samhain Rambling House party was mostly an excuse for some people to dress up—everything from a Goth witch to a Cleopatra to a little Debbie Reynolds-esque sailor girl. (And let’s not forget Father John. We can’t.) For others it was a reason to dance to the music of Fintan Malone and Bob McHugh, who had their own Halloween gremlins to cope with in the form of an uncooperative sound system.

For most of us, though, it was a great excuse to get together around the bar, swap gossip and laugh too much.

Whatever … what a swell party it was!

We have photos.

October 30, 2010 by Jeff Meade

Dance, Music, People

A Flood of Generosity for Flood Victims

Rath deHouth and Ann McGee sold tickets for some beautiful baskets.

An evening of music and dancing at the Irish Center last week raised more than $2,000 for the people of Kingston Springs, Tennessee, who lost their local elementary school in the floods that wreaked havoc on Nashville and the entire Cumberland River area in May.

It was a gesture of thanks from a group of 52 Irish Philadelphians who found themselves in Kingston Springs after last May’s flooding turned back their tour bus which was taking them to Memphis for a visit to Graceland.

When the group holed up at a BP station, the tour band—local musicians Fintan Malone, Luke Jardel, and Pat Kildea—set up their instruments and started to play. Many of the Philly tourists were dancers, so an impromptu ceili went into full swing—and it was recorded for YouTube by a Texas tourist who was also stranded.

A nearby merchant sent sandwiches and cases of water to the dancers and some of the local residents joined in the fun, dancing and singing as the rain fell.

To repay the kindness, tour coordinator Marianne MacDonald and musician Luke Jardel planned a benefit (“The Gas Pump Ceili Benefit”) at last Thursday’s Rambling House event at the Irish Center.

The people of Kingston Springs responded when photos from the benefit were posted to the city’s Facebook page. Here are a few examples:

“Fabulous!! We heard so much about your visit, yet no one could really tell us who you were or where you came from! Thanks so much for your positive approach during the flood and leaving a positive memory behind. Thanks for entertaining the stranded.”—Laurie Cooper, City Manager

“Thank you… I wish the flood didn’t happen but it was wonderful for us all to come together. Seems like things stopped ( everyday worries) and people came together like they should. What beautiful hearts you have!”—Jennifer Baer Reese

“Thank you all so much for your generosity, kindness and those much needed smiles your created May 2!”—Marie Spafford

We have photos from the benefit. Click on the photo at upper right to view a photo essay.

June 25, 2010 by Denise Foley

News

Last Rambling House Till Next Year!

Karen Boyce McCollum, Mike Boyce and John Boyce were the house band for last week's Rambling House.

We confess: We’re addicted to the Rambling House events at the Irish Center. There won’t be another one until January and we’re looking at a month of withdrawal.

For those of you who just joined us, a Rambling House is a tradition of rural Ireland in which neighbors would gather together at someone’s house and entertain one another with their “party piece”—a song, story, recitation, something they did well. And the Irish Center’s Rambling House events, started last year by WTMR Irish radio hosts Vince Gallagher and Marianne MacDonald, are authentic. Audience members, occasionally fortified at the Center’s bar, have gotten up to sing, tell jokes, play an instrument, and, last week, to delve into local Irish history.

Part of last week’s excitement was hearing Karen Boyce McCollum sing, with her brothers Mike and John Boyce (of Blackthorn) accompanying. She was “due any minute,” and a few days later did deliver a boy, Daniel Terrence McCollum. Congratulations to Karen, Brian, and Sarah Carmel!

We were there, of course, and did the photo thing.

November 27, 2009 by Jeff Meade

People

Halloween at the Philadelphia Irish Center

Four hags, no waiting.

The witches didn’t both waiting for the witching hour. In fact, the whole darn coven—four altogether ugly hags—showed up for the start of a special Rambling House party at the Philadelphia Irish Center Friday night.

And they weren’t the only creepy crawlies at the bar that night. There was an especially strange looking thing in a dashiki, for one.

But of course, it was all in good fun, and host Marianne MacDonald kept the fun rolling all night long. There was music, for sure, as there always is. And there was dance, as there always is, but with monsters on the Irish Center floor this time around.

A ghastly time was had by all.

November 4, 2009 by Jeff Meade

News

Come to the Rambling House

If you’re looking for an old-fashioned good time, next month try the Rambling House free entertainment event that’s scheduled for March 12 at 7:30 PM at the Irish Center in Philadelphia.

The program, the brainchild of WTMR 800-AM Irish radio hosts Marianne MacDonald and Vince Gallagher, debuted February 19 with music, dancing, recitations, joke- and limerick-telling, even a short lecture on the meaning of tradition by dancer Ed Reavy, Jr. Fiddler Mary Malone of The Morrigan, Blackthorn’s John Boyce, Fintan Malone, John Donnelly, and guitarist-singer Kevin Brennan provided the music in front of a roaring fire in a scene reminiscent of the old Irish “house parties” of long ago, when neighbors entertained one another in the kitchen. (The Irish Center provided hot snacks and desserts.)

We were there, and of course we took photos and video so you can see why we’re recommending it.

Check out our pictures too.

February 20, 2009 by Denise Foley