The Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be greening up the city on Sunday, March 12, rain or shine (or as Parade Director Michael Bradley likes to say, “sunshine or liquid sunshine.” Dan Harrell, for decades head custodian at The Palestra and patron of the students at St. Malachy’s College in Belfast, will be leading the parade as grand marshal following a Mass at St. Patrick’s Church.
Other parades on the weekend: Bucks County, Hamilton Township, NJ, Conshohocken, and Springfield (Delco), all on Saturday, March 11.
Most parades have after-parties. There’s one at The Irish Center and another at The Mummer’s Museum after the Philly Parade.
A few things that didn’t make it to our How to Be Irish feature last week:
Singer-songwriter Sorcha Richardson, a Dublin native, will be performing at Kung Fu Necktie at 1248 Front Street, Philadelphia, on Friday, March 10.
Also on March 10, there will be a St. Patrick’s Day Social at the American Catholic Historical Society on 4thStreet in Philadelphia with live music, food and drink.
Andy Maher and Dave Fisher, an Irish folk duo, will be at the Mermaid Inn in Chestnut Hill on March 10. Bring cash—no cards or checks accepted at this iconic venue.
On Monday, March 13, the Mary Wallopers, a contemporary Irish folk music group based in Dundalk, County Louth, will be at The Foundry at the Fillmore, 29 E. Allen Street, Philadelphia.
On Wednesday, March 15, there’s a Gaelic BOGO at the Keswick Theater in Glenside: Gaelic Storm with the High Kings who have been touring the US together. Also on March 15, you can catch 60s singer Gilbert O’Sullivan with guitarist Bill Shanley at City Winery in Philadelphia.
On Thursday, March 16, Rob Curto and Tim Buchanan will be in the house at Brewery ARS on Passayunk Avenue in Philly, while The Glengarry Bhoys—they’re Scots-Canadian but close enough—will perform at Sellersville Theater in Sellersville.
Then we have the big day.
Every Irish restaurant and pub, every Irish performer and every Irish dance school is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on Friday, March 17, which is smart as it’s St. Patrick’s
Day.. Some pubs are open in the morning for breakfast and yes, some will let you stay all day.
We captured as much as we could on our calendar where you’ll find the schedules for both the performers and the eating and drinking establishments.
Speaking of breakfast, you can enjoy the full Irish start at 7:30 AM on March 17at The Plough and the Stars at Second and Chestnut in Philadelphia for Judge Jimmy Lynn’s 24th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast. This year, the event raises money for St. Francis De Sales School in West Philadelphia.
Some other good choices on the 17th:
Jamison, will be playing at the Green Parrot in Newtown, the culmination of the pub’s 9-day Irish festival.
Barleyjuice will be holding its St. Patrick’s Day Party at the Sellersville Theater.
The Shantys will be at the FOP Lodge in northeast Philadelphia.
Shawn Nolan and Friends will be partying with their brand of Irish folk and rock at Chestnut Hill’s Mermaid Inn.
The John Byrne Band and the Malarkey Brothers will be at Kildare’s in West Chester and
Raymond Coleman will be splitting his time between Delran, NJ, and Vorhees, NJ, playing for patrons at Dooney’s Pub.
The Bogside Rogues will be at the Ashburner Inn, Mick’s Company at 118 North, Killen Clark and the Paul Moore Band at Brittingham’s,
The Mullins will be at Austrian Village in Rockledge, the Natterjacks will be at New Deck Tavern, and you can find No Irish Need Apply at the Red Rooster on Dungan Road in Philadelphia.
The Shane Dodd Band and the Lenahans will be entertaining at Tir na nOg in Philadelphia. Joe Breslin and Rich Mitchell will be playing at the Springfield Ale House in Delaware County.
Dawson Street Pub is hosting an evening of Irish music with Rosaleen McGill, Bevan Dayne, Pie-Eyed Preachers, and Donegal Armory.
The Jameson Sisters will be giving a concert, featuring Irish traditional music, some sung in Irish, recitations, and comedy (because they’re very funny) at Church of the Holy Spirit in Harleysville.
And there’s a dance party (ceili) at The Irish Center in Philadelphia!
Believe it or not, the St. Patrick’s festivities don’t stop at midnight March 17. We’ll cover the rest of the month—which includes a visit from the Irish supergroup Dervish at the Irish Center, the Bearded Bastard Irishmen at City Winter, and the most raucous Bingo Game (Bingo Loco) you ever encountered at the Irish Center—next week.
For more details on these events and dozens of others, click on our events calendar which we are updating daily. Please, let us know if you’d like your event to appear on our calendar. You can always find us on our Facebook page, Irish Philadelphia.
