How to Be Irish in Philly

There’s plenty to keep you Irish peeps busy this week.

Let’s start with Saturday night. You’ll have an opportunity to hear two great local bands:

• The first event is Irish night at Cannstatter Volksfest Verein, 9130 Academy Road in Northeast Philly. The biergarten opens at 5 p.m., and The Shanties take the stage at 7:30. Free admission!
• If you’re down the shore, take in the Bogside Rogues at Anglesea Pub, 116 West 1^stAvenue in North Wildwood. The show starts at 9.

On Sunday, another truly fun-packed event, with an opportunity to help well-known local Irish musician Luke Jardel. Luke suffered a severe injury to his hand and required major surgery. Continue Reading

Welcome to HTBI, or as we like to think of it this week, party central.

Two events tonight:

First, it’s Parents’ Night Out, a Dine and Donate and Adults’ Night Out at Jerzee’s Sports Bar in Glenside, sponsored by the Glenside Gaelic Club. All you have to do (besides having fun) is mention Glenside Gaelic Club when ordering in (or ordering takeout), and 20 percent of the proceeds go to the club. It all starts at 5 p.m. Music by Raymond McGroary begins at 8:30. There’s a $10 charge at the door that will also support the club. Continue Reading

Hope you’re all having a great summer. You can add to the fun and relaxation this week with three Irish events.

If you’re a golfer, you’ll want to pay attention to this: St. Pat’s Donegal Gaelic Football Club is hosting its annual golf outing Saturday at Cobbs Creek Golf Course, with a 1 p.m. shotgun start. Cobbs Creek is at 7400 Lansdowne Avenue in Philadelphia. For details, contact Gerard Bourke at 215-863-1775. Teams and sponsorship welcome.

We’ve mentioned Maggie’s Boots before. Always entertaining as a trio, you can catch them downsized as a duo Saturday at Pumphouse Plaza, Longwood Gardens, 1001 Longwood Road in Kennett Square. The duo includes Hollis Payer on fiddle, and Rob Curto on button accordion. The show starts at 6 p.m. and runs till 8.

And on Monday, be sure to take in Musikfest, 700 Old York Road in Bethlehem. The John Byrne Band takes the stage at 7 p.m. Continue Reading

It’s not a jam-packed week to be Irish, but what there is, well, it’s truly outstanding.

If you want to watch three of the best and fastest moving field sports in all of athletics—hurling, camogie and Gaelic football—check out the Gaelic Athletic Association’s Annual Continental Youth Championships this weekend at Greater Chester Valley Sports Complex, 37 Line Road in Malvern. (There is no parking at the fields or on Line Road. There is a satellite parking lot at East High School, 450 Ellis Lane, West Chester, with shuttle buses running every half hour.)

Philly is this year’s host for the massive event, with up to 25,000 kids from 4 to 18, and it’s billed as the “biggest tournament of Gaelic sports outside of Ireland.” We’ve been before, and we can’t argue. Continue Reading

This week features a few big fund-raisers, so it’s time to hit the ATM and be prepared to give generously.

On Saturday, there’s a benefit for the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It takes place at Keenan’s North Wildwood, 113 Olde New Jersey Ave., North Wildwood, N.J., from 3 to 7 p.m. It costs $30 to get in, and includes domestic bottle beer, wine, food, and music provided by a DJ. Tickets will be available at the door. For details, contact Kathy Fanning at 267-237-2953.

Closer to home on the same day, the Commodore John Barry Arts and Cultural Center, otherwise known as the Irish Center, is hosting a fund-raising bash at J.D. McGillicuddy’s, 8919 West Chester Pike in Upper Darby. The event runs from 6 to 8 p.m.

For $25, you get light food, music and raffles. There will also be a special raffle for four tickets to the Carl Frampton-Emmanuel Dominguez fight on August 10. Continue Reading

Summer doldrums may be setting in, but fear not. There are two big Irish fund-raisers coming up—both of them next Saturday, July 13, with one at the shore and the other in Upper Darby. So unless you’re prepared to drive like the wind up the AC Expressway (it’s been done, of course) you might not catch both.

We’ll start with the shore gig, a benefit for the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Yes, it’s months till the next parade, with the bands, the floats and all the dudes wearing funny hats, but it’s always a good time to support the cause.

It’s at Keenan’s North Wildwood, 113 Olde New Jersey Ave., North Wildwood, N.J., from 3 to 7 p.m. It costs $30 to get in, and your entry fee gets you a lot—domestic bottle beer, wine, chow, and tunes by a DJ. Tickets will be available at the door. Details, contact Kathy Fanning at 267-237-2953. The shore’s a great place to be this time of year, so if you’re planning on a beach trip, don’t forget to check in. Continue Reading

Welcome to another scintillating episode of “As the Philly Irish World Turns.”

Aside from all the other features on our heavily populated events calendar, there are five events in particular this coming week to which we’d like to draw your particular attention.

First, on Saturday, it’s the third annual Havertown Irish Festival, behind the Manoa Shopping Center, 1305 West Chester Pike in Havertown. It’s sponsored by Acme Markets.

Much like all the other Irish and Celtic festivals this summer, the Havertown event features plenty of entertainment, food and drink, fun for the kids (and everybody else). Music includes a day of tunes from a variety of Irish and Celtic bands, including the John Byrne Band, Dylan McGuire, Scott McClatchy Band, Shades of Green and Poehemia. If you’re into bagpipes, look for appearances by Philadelphia Emerald Society Pipe Band and Brian Boru Pipes and Drums. There’ll be appearances by Irish dance schools and plenty of crafters selling their Irish-themed goods. Continue Reading