irishphiladelphia.com

Snow fooling, the Mid-Winter Scottish and Irish Festival will be going strong all weekend, so head to Valley Forge and warm yourself to three days of tunes and songs. Donal Clancy arrives on Monday, and there’s much more going on. Weather permitting.

Neither snow, nor rain, nor sleet, nor ice–and no power–can stay us from telling you how to be Irish in Philly this week. There’s Jamison, Clannad, Kodaline, Annalivia, the Broken Shillelaghs. . .plenty to keep you warm.

It doesn’t feel like spring, but Timlin and Kane are headlining the annual Celtic Spring Concert at Sacred Heart Church this weekend. Also on tap: a new Irish play debuts, Irish Heritage Night at the 76ers, and Gerry TImlin launches a lecture series on Irish history and music.

A Mass on Sunday at the Irish Center will commemorate the 42nd anniversary of Blood Sunday in Derry, Northern Ireland. There’s music–Slainte, Jamison, and harpist Maeve Gilchrist and dancer Nic Gareiss–theater, and even an Irish trivia night on the calendar.

No, the city isn’t crawling with the Irish version of “Where’s Waldo.” Those green and white stripes mark fans of The Celtic Football Club of Glasgow who are meeting in the city this week to cheer on their team. Also this week: Hair O’ The Dog supports the Claddagh Fund, Cawley’s Tavern celebrates its 40th, and a Martin McDonagh’s play, “The Pillowman,” comes to town.

Dancing Like a Star–the event that puts the fun in fundraiser–is coming up, as is the annual Ambassador Awards from the Irish Business Chamber, a luncheon featuring the Irish Ambassador to the US, Anne Anderson. Get your tickets now.

Christmas Day is smack dab in the middle of the week this year, and there’s a wonderful annual Wren Party on St. Stephen’s Day–that’s the 26th. And some local bands have gigs this week. Check it out.

Seamus Kelleher, Timlin & Kane, Pierce Turner, Eileen Ivers, and Cathy Maguire will be performing at various venues in the region this week. It’s like an early Christmas present.