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How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

We have an exceptionally busy week, some of it with a holiday flair.

Here’s how to get your week in gear. There’s plenty to choose from.

On Saturday, the John Byrne Band puts in an appearance at Puck in Doylestown, starting at 8 p.m. You can find Puck at 1 Printers Alley.

McDade-Cara School of Irish Dance hosts the Irish You a Merry Christmas Dance Spectacular Sunday, December 9, from 2 to 4 p.m., at Archbishop Carroll High School, 11 Matsonford Road in Radnor. Tickets are available at the door—it’s $10 for adults, $5 for children under 10. Continue Reading

December 6, 2018 by
How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

Hoo boy, do we have a weekend for you!

In some cases, you’d have to very nearly be in two places at once, so unless you know some trick involving the space-time continuum, you’ll have to make some tough choices.

There are several events on Saturday.

From 10 a.m. to noon, help out some local families this Christmas by attending the second annual Knute’s Angels Breakfast with Santa Toy Drive. The event takes place at Haggerty’s Café, 2373 MacDade Boulevard in Holmes, Pa. Kids will love it. There will be face painting, a photo booth … and a visit from Santa! Continue Reading

November 30, 2018 by
How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

We’re publishing early this week on the theory that a lot of us are still recovering from Turkey Day. I don’t know about you, but a long nap might be in order. Opening emails might be the last thing you do on Friday.

Besides, there’s a lot going on, and for some of it, the sooner you hear about it, the better.

So here we go. Take a deep breath. Continue Reading

November 21, 2018 by
How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

This coming week, there’s a lot to be thankful for—including some night-before-Thanksgiving Irish activities sure to get you in the holiday spirit.

One quick reminder: Sunday night, the 18th, starting at 5 p.m., we’re celebrating the contributions of four of our favorite peeps at the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame Dinner, at the Commodore Barry Arts & Cultural Center (the Irish Center), 6815 Emlen Street in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia. Honored will be irishphiladelphia.com founding editor Denise Foley, Pearse Kerr and Sister Frances Kirk, SSJ. Receiving the Commodore John Barry Award will be Sister James Anne Feerick, IHM. Details here.

Now … on to the Thanksgiving week festivities.

On Thanksgiving Eve, you’ll have a lot of choices: Continue Reading

November 16, 2018 by
How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

Your weekend starts out with a full day of Irish dance. If you’ve never taken in the Intercollegiate Irish Dance Festival at Villanova, now’s your chance to see some of the best college-level Irish dance teams strut their stuff. Saturday marks the sixth festival hosted by Villanova’s dance team. We’ve gone, spent the day, gotten the T-shirt. It’s incredibly fun to see how creative the competitors can be. This year, there will be 10 teams.

The festival takes place in the Jake Nevin Field House, 800 East Lancaster Avenue on the ‘Nova campus in Radnor. The competition starts at 9:30 a.m., with a Grand Irish Show starting at 4:30 p.m. Tickets available in advance for $10 on VUTix, and $12 at the door. Kids and student admission, $5.

On Sunday, two big events. Continue Reading

November 8, 2018 by
How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

It’s baaaaaaaaaaack!

This week, highlights include a delish Sunday dinner, music, and a fund-raiser. Here’s what’s up.

  • On Saturday, November 3, at the Commodore Barry Arts and Cultural Center (The Irish Center) … the Mayo Association of Philadelphia’s 113th Annual Mayo Ball! Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door for $30. Dinner will be available starting at 6 p.m. for an additional $25. The Center is at 6815 Emlen Street in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia.
  • Mick Moloney & Friends return to St. Malachy Church, 1429 N. 11th Street. in North Philadelphia Sunday, November 4. The show starts at 2 p.m. Always a memorable performance. No tickets are required but a free-will donation to support St. Malachy School will be collected at the concert intermission.
  • Sona Pub & Kitchen, at 4417 Main Street in Manayunk, is hosting a Sunday Carvery Sunday, November 4, from 3 to 6:30 p.m. If you’re looking for a delish Sunday dinner, here’s a good place to start. It’s a three-course dinner, with live Irish entertainment from Davie Furey. Among the other tasty entrees—ham, salon, roast beef and much more—you can chow down on turkey with stuffing. Get an early preview of your Thanksgiving feast. More details on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/245307212817743/.
  • Also on Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., get your breakfast at the Commodore Barry Arts and Cultural Center. It’s a great value, and a splendid opportunity to check out the Center, if you’ve never been. The full menu is here: https://i1.wp.com/phillyirishcenter.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/irish-center-menu-1.png?ssl=1&w=450.
  • On Saturday, November 10, Celtic Connection returns to Breen’s Tavern, 704 Huntingdon Pike in Rockledge, from 8 p.m. to midnight. Guest singers and players are welcome. Prep your party piece.
  • Also on Saturday, November 10, this one starting at 8 p.m., check out the John Byrne Band at The Locks at Sona, 4417 Main Street in Manayunk. More details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/293859921186632/
  • The Irish Immigration Center is hosting Youth Mental Health First Aid classes, designed for adults who assist young people. The class is eight hours long, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Saturday, November 10. The course introduces common mental health issues confronting young people, reviews adolescent development, and teaches how to help youth in crisis and non-crisis situations. Places are limited. Call the Irish Immigration Center at 610-789-6355.
  • Finally, on Sunday, November 11, the AOH/LAOH Annual Fund-Raiser for Irish charities and educational organizations in the North of Ireland. Philadelphia FOP Lodge 5, 11630 Caroline Road in Northeast Philly. Starts at 3 p.m., lasts till 7 p.m. Guest speaker: Carmel Quinn of Relatives for Justice. The $35 donation includes, buffet, beer and soft drinks. You can get tickets at the door. To reserve group tables in advance, contact Pearse Kerr at 267-253-9001.

As always, you can find lots more, including traditional Irish sessions, on our Irish events calendar, here: http://irishphiladelphia.com/calendar

If you have an Irish-related event in the Greater Philadelphia/Delaware Valley area, you can also submit your event here: http://irishphiladelphia.com/submit

Your event will appear both on our calendar and the Irish Immigration Center of Philadelphia’s website.

November 2, 2018 by
How to Be Irish in Philly

How To Be Irish in Philly This Week

Don’t let a little chance of rain spook you. Hey, what does Hurricane Schwartz know? Tomorrow is a great day to head out to Cherokee Day Camp and Festival Grounds in Bensalem for the Philadelphia Fleadh. There’s fabulous music on five stages from Jamison, No Irish Need Apply, The John Byrne Band, the Bogside Rogues, the Shantys, the Paul Moore Band, the Kilmaine Saints and more. There’s a feis open to all dance schools, a ceili sponsored by Comhaltas, and loads of kids’ activities and kids under 12 get in free! It’s a great family outing.

The group Glengesh is at the Dubliner on the Delaware on Saturday night. They were asked to sing the National Anthem at Irish Heritage Night at the Phillies a couple of weeks ago. Continue Reading

May 13, 2016 by
How to Be Irish in Philly

How To Be Irish in Philly This Week

Tomorrow morning at 4:15, a group of runners and walkers will brave the rain, the chill, and the dark to do a 5K course, all to raise money for an Irish organization that helps those who are considering suicide.

The “Darkness Into Light” 5K will be duplicated around the world, from Canada to Ireland to Australia, anywhere Ireland’s diaspora live. It’s a major fundraiser for Pieta House, which offers free counseling for those in the depths of despair. Pieta House opened its first North American branch last August in New York. Local supporters hope to open a Pieta House in the Philadelphia area. Read more about it here.

The event start at Lloyd Hall on Kelly Drive, along the Schuykill River, and will end on the Art Museum steps at the head of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Latecomers are welcome. Continue Reading

May 6, 2016 by