How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

There’s plenty to keep you in an Irish frame of mind all this week and beyond.

Here’s what’s happening.

Friday, July 30

Fiddler Alice Marie accompanies Shaun Durnin at Catherine Rooney’s, Trolley Square, 1616 Delaware Avenue in Wilmington, starting at 7 p.m.

It’s the great singer-guitarist Gerry Timlin at Dubliner on the Delaware, with all his songs and stories—and you can always count on Gerry for the best and funniest of stories. Dubliner on the Delaware is at 34 Main Street in New Hope, Bucks County. The show begins at 7 p.m.

Paul Wiese and C.J. Mills perform at Fred’s Tavern, the landmark pub in Stone Harbor, N.J., 314 96th Street, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Catch their act in this lovely shore town. (Try the banana peanut butter ice cream at Springer’s for me before you go to the show. I haven’t been back to Stone Harbor at all this summer.) 

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July 30, 2021 by
Sports

Irish-American Soccer Coaches Keep their Eyes on the Ball

This summer at Matt Paul’s soccer camp, two Irish-American soccer coaches are helping young athletes develop skills and take their game to the next level. 

Ronan Higgins and Aiden Scollin have both been playing the game of soccer from a very young age.

Soccer has been present in Higgins’ life for as long as he can remember as both of his older brothers played it. “I probably had a ball on my feet when I was 3 years old,” Higgins says. 

Higgins’ family has strong Irish roots, “My dad is from Galway so he grew up over there and moved to America when he was around 19 or 20 years old. He played a few different sports like basketball, soccer and Gaelic football.”

Now, the family lives in Lafayette Hill. As a kid, Higgins loved watching his older brothers play in their high school soccer games when he was younger. His long journey as a soccer player has led him to becoming a captain of Dickinson’s soccer team heading into his senior season this fall.

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July 30, 2021 by
How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

Break out the Celtic-strength sunscreen. You’re gonna need it. Lots of Irish doings happening outdoors this weekend.

Here’s what’s on.

Saturday, July 24

It’s a full day of Gaelic athletics at the Philadelphia Gaelic Athletic Association’s field, up in the shadow of the Limerick cooling towers. (For GPS purposes, the address is 945 Longview Road, Pottstown.) The day starts with hurling at 10:30 a.m., followed by ladies’ football, developmental football and men’s games from 1:30 p.m. onward. $10 to get in.

Down the shore, Jamison Celtic Rock brings some of the Christmas spirit to Wildwood Crest’s Christmas in July Celebration, at Sunset Lake along New Jersey Avenue from Farragut to Miami Avenues. That particular gig runs from 6 to 8:45 p.m. Details of the event here.

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July 23, 2021 by
Food & Drink

Another Easy Summer Supper: Poached Fish

Everyone loves a good portion of fish ‘n chips, but not everyone appreciates the added fat and calories that come with it. 

Here’s where poaching comes in—a simple, healthier and flavorful way to prepare fish with no batter, no breading and no hot oil. When you return to Ireland, you’ll definitely find poached fish in restaurants there, but until then, try this recipe that comes from renowned Chef Jacques Pépin, whom I was fortunate to interview onboard an Oceania cruise where he serves as executive culinary director for the line. 

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July 23, 2021 by
Food & Drink

The Yankee Chipper: An Irish Culinary Tradition Comes to Montgomery County

If you are looking for fish and chips in the spirit of a classic Irish “chipper,” look no further than the Yankee Chipper, a fish and chip shop that just opened up in Wyndmoor, Montgomery County, recently.

The Yankee Chipper is owned by cousins Eric Connor and Shana Cox. Connor has been working in the restaurant industry for much of his life, including when he lived in Dublin for about three and a half years. 

“I’ve always wanted a restaurant, and I thought of the concept a couple of years ago,” Connor says. “There weren’t really any restaurants in Philadelphia just focused on good fish and chips. And since we come from a big Irish family, it just kind of made sense for us to do an Irish-themed place.”

The name of the game at the Yankee Chipper is authenticity. These fish and chips take a lot of time and effort to prepare. It is a labor-intensive process. The way the cod is butchered, in particular, is incredibly important for Connor.

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July 22, 2021 by
How to Be Irish in Philly

How to Be Irish in Philly This Week

We have lots of Irish-ness to keep you happy this week, including music, dance and probably some adult beverages along the line.

Here’s what’s on:

Friday, July 16

The John Byrne Band takes the stage for a drive-in concert sponsored by People’s Light and Point Entertainment tonight at 39 Conestoga Road in Malvern, starting at 6:30 p.m. The band will be performing the music of Shane MacGowan and The Pogues.

This is one hot ticket: Which is to say you can no longer buy tickets online, but if you move fast you can still score them by phone at 610-644-3500. (Or so the ticket office told us at noon.)

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July 16, 2021 by
Music, People

Irish Musical Merriment Afoot with Maggie’s Boots

Maggie’s Boots is one of the many music groups gearing up for a summer of events after not being able to play live music very much over the past year. They are a traditional Irish music ensemble made up of Hollis Payer on the fiddle, Rob Curto on the button accordion and Melissa Brun on cello.

Payer has been playing music from a very young age and played violin, piano and guitar throughout her youth. Her interest in Irish music came after hearing The Chieftains.

“I certainly played folk music, but I didn’t know Irish traditional music until I heard what The Chieftains were doing and I just thought, ‘What is this?’ and I immediately gathered up all the money I could and went to Ireland with my fiddle and just traveled around for three months,” Payer explains.

She spent those months hitchhiking and going to music sessions and began learning traditional music. Back in America, she started learning under musicians like Kevin Burke and James Kelly. “I tell people that Kevin Burke was my first fiddle teacher because when I came back from Ireland, I moved to Portland, Oregon, and that’s where he lives,” says Payer. “I didn’t even know he was famous. I just started going to him to learn more about playing the fiddle.”

She notes that there is a deep history of Irish music in Philadelphia, but there are pockets of people playing the music everywhere now. Payer also teaches tune and fiddle classes which led her to meeting one of her bandmates.

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July 16, 2021 by
News, People

Come Out and Support the Irish Center

The Commodore John Barry Arts and Cultural Center—otherwise known as the Irish Center—will hold its summer fundraiser at Tip O’Leary’s in Havertown on Sunday, July 11. This will be the Irish Center’s first big live event since COVID restrictions have been lifted. After a year that put financial strains on many, this fundraiser is vitally important for the Irish Center, located in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia.

“This time every year, we do a fundraiser,” says Lisa Maloney, vice president of the Irish Center board. “It’s for regular operating expenses and for maintaining the building. We work within a very limited budget.” 

Last year, everything was shut down so an in-person event was out of the question. Instead, they sent out an appeal letter asking people for donations so that the Irish Center could make it through the year.

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July 9, 2021 by