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RUNA and the Choctaw Nation: A Friendship Rekindled
Photo of RUNA with members of the Choctaw Nation by Brad Joe In 1847, members of the Choctaw Nation, who had lost one-sixth of their population in the forced resettlement known as the Trail of Tears only a decade before, did a remarkable thing. It was an act of kindness that would reverberate throughout 175 years of history and create a permanent friendship between two cultures an ocean apart. Members of the indigenous tribe met […] Read More
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Isle of Erin celebrates their 100th
On Saturday April 15th,2023,the Isle of Erin performed their 100th Exemplification of the Major Degrees of the Order Ceremony. It took place at Upper Merion Vantage Academy in Bridgeport Pennsylvania.There was a full house as 48 AOH members form various Divisions made their Degrees with as many AOH Brothers in attendance as Observers. The Irish Thunder Pipes and Drum and Montgomery County AOH Honor Guard lead the candidates into the hall. The Degree Team performed […] Read More
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Local Irish Musician’s Daughter Spurs Effort to Raise Funds–and Awareness–for Autism
Philadelphia area musician Raymond Coleman remembers when he and his wife Jaclyn first started worrying about their daughter Céilí. Céilí was a year and a half, and she didn’t respond when they called her name or rolled a ball back to her. At first, they thought she might have a hearing problem. Then, Coleman says, he wondered whether Céilí might be developmentally delayed. They consulted with Céilí’s pediatrician, who recommended testing. “We were calling her […] Read More
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BLACKTHORN vs DONEGAL TOWN RUGBY MATCH
No pads, No fear, just brute strength, skilled tactics and a little speed, that is what was on display Saturday at College Settlement Park in Horsham. I was surprised to see the range of age in the players and the athleticism of men this size who look like they would be more comfortable sitting in a pub than pushng, pulling there way down a pitch on a nice Saturday afternoon. Sorry I couldn’t stay for […] Read More
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Saving the Irish language, One Student at a Time
Growing up in Gweedore, the heart of Donegal’s Irish speaking region known as The Gaeltacht, Sorcha Ní Ghallachóir’s first encounter with the English language was a children’s television program about a red-haired, red-cheeked puppet named Bosco. She watched, mystified. He was speaking a foreign language. “To me it was double Dutch,” recalls Ní Ghallachóir. “I had no idea what he was saying except for the word or two he said in Irish.” Though Irish is the […] Read More
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It’s Asparagus Time!
Imported asparagus are available year-round, but there’s nothing like those locally grown in its short spring season: in Ireland, traditionally beginning on April 23 and ending on Midsummer Day. Although its delicate flavor and seasonality makes it highly desirable in the kitchen, asparagus is much more than just a pretty vegetable and has long been recognized as high in antioxidants and a good source of dietary fiber. Delicious steamed, grilled, or baked, it’s also a […] Read More
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John Byrne’s Songwriting Skills Take Center Stage
Standing in front of the noontime crowd at WXPN’s Free at Noon concert on this St. Patrick’s Day, John Byrne sounded almost giddy. “How are ye all?” he called to the crowd as he and his eponymous band launched into their version of the Dubliners’ “The Twang Man,” the story of a man who kills his lover’s new partner, then rolled right into “The Well Below the Valley,” an ancient tale of incest and infanticide, with […] Read More
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My Life with Uncle Jake
The late, legendary Villanova University Athletic Director John “Jake” Nevin wasn’t my uncle by blood, but he was closer to me and my family than any blood relative could be. As the Irish like to say, we’ll begin at the beginning. Jake lived near my maternal grandparents’ humble Bryn Mawr apartment near Lancaster Avenue, in which my mother, Doris, and my aunt, Joanie, grew up. Sadly, their father (my grandfather), Buck, had a stroke in […] Read More
