irishphiladelphia.com

His friends and colleagues describe the 2012 Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal, labor leader John Dougherty, as a family man, a church man, and a true Irishman. Even Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams weighs in.

Family, friends, a fellow Hibernians gathered on Sunday to remember a rising star, a born leader, and a great friend, gone much too soon.

Worshippers gathered at the Irish Center for a Mass celebrating the 40th anniversary of the peaceful protest that ended in the deaths of 13 innocent people.

They definitely come when they’re called. Cavan people from the Philly area and from as far away as Florida got together last weekend for a reunion. We have photos!

The parade and the pre-parade Mass get new start times, and the parade luncheon is now a dinner.

The leader of a national immigration lobby came to Philadelphia to rally support for a bill that would grant work visas to more than 10,000 Irish a year.

A group of seniors bid a fond farewell to Christmas at the Irish Center on January 6, the feast of the Epiphany also known as “Little Christmas.” The event–with a home-cooked lunch, live music, and dancing–was co-sponsored by the Irish Center and the Irish Immigration Center.

The New York head of an Irish immigration reform group will be in Philadelphia on Monday to discuss a proposed bill that would grant visas to 10,500 Irish. Representatives from all the major Irish organizations in the region are expected to be there. It’s open to the public.