Irish Philadelphia MickWiki - Recently Updated Pages

Parishes

Magilliganlad — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:49:35 CDT

In the Philadelphia area, almost nothing defines where you're from like your parish affiliation.

In the early days of the Delaware Valley, parishes were closely identified with particular immigrant groups ... Poles, Italians, Irish, and so on.

Some of those parishes still retain the same immigrant associations ... and others have gone on to serve new immigrant groups.

This list is meant to identify parishes throughout the Delaware Valley that have historical associations with the Irish, even if those parishes are no longer truly Irish.

Here are a few:

Philadelphia

St. Aloysius (Grays Ferry)
So. 26th St. at Tasker St.
Philadelphia, PA 19145
Closed, school 1999 / church 2003

St. Augustine (Center City)
243 N. Lawrence St
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 627-1838
http://st-augustinechurch.com/history.html

St. Michael (Northern Liberties)

1445 N. 2nd St. (at Jefferson)

Philadelphia, PA 19122

215-739-2358

http://home.catholicweb.com/saintmichael/
http://home.catholicweb.com/StMichaelsHistory/index.cfm

St. Anne (Kensington)

2328 E. Lehigh Ave.

Philadelphia, PA 19125

215-739-4590

Our Lady of Mercy (North Philadelphia 1889-1984)

N. Broad St. & Susquehanna
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(Closed: Records at St. Malachy)

Corpus Christi (Hunting Park
2800–2846 W. Allegheny Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19132
Closed 1987

Holy Family (Roxborough/Manayunk)
234 Hermitage St.
Philadelphia, PA 19127

Immaculate Conception (Germantown)
1020 East Price Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19138-1899

St. Athanasius (West Oak Lane)

2050 Walnut Lane

Philadelphia, PA 19138

St. Brendan (Germantown)
507 Manheim St.
Philadelphia, PA 19144
Closed 1934

St. Bridget (East Falls)
3667 Midvale Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19129

215-739-2358

St. Columba. now St. Martin de Porres (Swampoodle)
2340 W. Lehigh Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19132
Closed as St. Columba's 1993

St. Gabriel’s (Grays Ferry)
S. 29th and Dickinson Sts.

Philadelphia, PA 19146

St. Malachy (North Philadelphia)
1419 N. 11th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19122

St. Patrick (Rittenhouse)
20th and Locust Sts.

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Ancient Order of Hibernians

Navillus72 — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:36:24 CDT

Few Irish organizations in the Delaware Valley have roots as deep as the Ancient Order of Hibernians. The AOH is an undisputed and influential leader among all the organizations in the region.

The Mission of the AOH

The AOH is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. The following is its mission:

It is hereby declared and decreed that the purpose of this organization, the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America, Inc., is:

To promote Friendship, Unity, and Christian Charity.
To foster and sustain loyalty to our country and community.
To aid and advance, by all legitimate means, the aspirations and endeavors of the Irish people for complete independence, promoting peace with justice and unity for Ireland.
To foster the ideals and perpetuate the history and traditions of the Irish people in the United States.
To promote Irish culture and language in America.
To encourage civic participation by our members.
To encourage and promote an equitable U.S. immigration laws for Ireland, and to cooperate with other groups for a fair and just immigration policy in the United States.
To accept and support, without prejudice, the concept of a free expression of religious practice for all of the people of the world.

Membership in the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America, Inc. is confined exclusively to practicing Roman Catholics of Irish birth or descent, who are citizens, or who have declared their intention to become citizens, of the United States, Canada, or any country of the Western Hemisphere.

The AOH performs that mission in Philadelphia in the following ways:

Educational endeavors, such as (scholarships? anything else?)
Religious activities, such as ...
Charitable works, such as the Hibernian Hunger Project, etc. Fill in the blanks.
Other actvities and examples
More activities and examples

Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians are often associated with local divisions. (We need more on this.)

History of the AOH in the Delaware Valley

To come. You might think about using a timeline approach. Something like this:

Organizational Structure

The AOH at all levels--national, state, county and local division--is governed by elected boards of directors.

Delaware Valley AOH/LAOH Divisions

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia County

Division x (61, for example)
Division Name: Joseph Patrick Schickling, for example
Street (including number, not just intersection--we need the exact address in order to make a link to a map and driving directions)
City, ZIP Code.
Telephone number. (215) 624-3007
Web address: http://www.aoh61.com/ (for example)

Division y
Division Name: Joseph Patrick Schickling, for example
Street (including number, not just intersection--we need the exact address in order to make a link to a map and driving directions)
City, ZIP Code.
Telephone number. (215) 624-3007
Web address: http://www.aoh61.com/ (for example)
Division z
Division Name: Joseph Patrick Schickling, for example
Street (including number, not just intersection--we need the exact address in order to make a link to a map and driving directions)
City, ZIP Code.
Telephone number. (215) 624-3007
Web address: http://www.aoh61.com/ (for example)

Etc. (all the following listings need to follow the same format)

Bucks County
AOH Division 2, Bucks County, PA
Contact: Bill Lacey - tadycons@hotmail.com - 917-683-1929

Chester County

Delaware County

Montgomery County

Lehigh Valley

New Jersey

Delaware

Delaware Valley Irish Organizations

jimlogue — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:48:38 CDT

There are countless ways to be Irish in the Delaware Valley. You can play traditional Irish music or dance a jig. You can play Gaelic football or build and row a replica of an ancient Irish fishing boat. You can speak the Irish language, help plan parades, explore your Irish roots, advocate for Irish immigration reform, gather with people whose families all came from Tyrone, Mayo, Cavan or Donegal ... and much more.

By far the most complete list of organizations is to be found in Tom Slattery's labor of love, the CCC Celt Directory.

Here is a listing of major Delaware Valley Irish organizations, broken down by category:

Athletics

Gaelic Athletic Association
Philadelphia Celtic Currach Club (rowing club)

Business

County & Regional Associations and Societies

Donegal Society of Philadelphia
Galway Society
Sons and Daughters of Derry
Tyrone Society
Cavan Society (www.cavansociety.org)

Cultural & Educational

American Conference for Irish Studies
An Fleadh Liteartha (Cultural Club)
Bucks County Irish-American Cultural Society
CCC Celt (Bucks County Celtic Library)
Celtic Heritage Foundation
Emerald Education Committee
Irish Famine Curriculum Committee and Education Fund
Irish Famine Memorial, Inc.

Dance

Philadelphia Ceili Group

Emerald Societies (Police & Fire)

Camden County Emerald Society
Mercer County Emerald Society
Ocean County Emerald Society
Philadelphia Emerald Society

Fraternal

Ancient Order of Hibernians
The Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick

Immigration

Irish Language

Trocaire (Irish Language Discussion Group)

Law & Lawyers

Brehon Law Society

Local & Regional

Bucks County Irish-American Cultural Society
Federation of Irish American Societies of Delaware Valley
Irish American Cultural Institute Philadelphia Chapter and Irish Film Society
Irish American Cultural Society of South Jersey
Irish Culture Club of Delaware
Irish of Havertown
MacSwiney Club
New Castle County Irish Society
Philadelphia Irish Center (Commodore Barry Club)

Parade Committees

Bucks County St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee
Burlington County St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee

Political/Republican

Clan na Gael
Irish Northern Aid

Traditional Music

Coatesville Traditional Irish Music Series
Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann-Delaware Valley
Philadelphia Ceili Group

Women

McBride's Colleens Women's Irish Organization

Irish Places

irishphilly — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:16:08 CDT

Clannish? Well, maybe just a little.

Historically, the Irish have tended to congregate in the same neighborhoods, parishes, clubs and so on.

This is a snapshot view of where the Irish are ... or were.

Neighborhoods
Parishes
Gathering Places

Dance

irishphilly — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:15:32 CDT

Most people, when they think of Irish dance, immediately conjure up just one image: Riverdance.

No doubt about it, Riverdance probably accounts for the huge popularity of Irish dance in the United States.

That said, the kind of dance performed in that juggernaut of a show is not the only kind of Irish dance there is. (No need to wear a puffy shirt and a rubber band on your head, a la Michael Flatley. And while you might need a fancy costumes or shoes with taps on them, depending on what kind of Irish dance you plan to do, you could get along fine in a T-shirt, jeans and sneakers for much of the rest.)

Irish dance generally is divided into three categories:

Ceili and set dancing generally are categorized as social dances. That is, people just dance them for the fun of it.

New Castle County Irish Society

irishphilly — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:31:46 CDT

Address:

1301 South Rodney Street
Wilmington, DE 19805

About the Organization: A brief history of the organization. Summarize its mission/goals.

About The New Castle County Irish Center:
Give a brief tour of the facilities. Which rooms, etc. What the rooms are used for (weddings, etc.)

History: To come.

Web Site URL:
http://nccirishsociety.org/

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Philadelphia Irish Center (Commodore Barry Club)

irishphilly — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:30:52 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

MacSwiney Club

irishphilly — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:30:21 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Irish Cultural & Heritage House of Pennsylvania

irishphilly — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:29:53 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Gathering Places

irishphilly — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:28:35 CDT

Local Irish and Irish Americans are incurable gatherers. They meet in countless venues throughout the Delaware Valley, large and small. We'll exclude from our tally all the halls operated by the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH). They're big enough to get their own listing.

Beyond the AOH divisions, some of the larger and more prominent places include:

Pennsylvania

Irish Cultural & Heritage House of Pennsylvania
MacSwiney Club
Philadelphia Irish Center (Commodore Barry Club)

New Jersey

Trenton

Delaware

New Castle County Irish Society

Neighborhoods

irishphilly — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:21:57 CDT

For now, let this be a list of historically Irish neighborhoods, not just in Philly, but in the suburbs (Delaware County, for example) and in Jersey and Delaware.

It doesn't matter whether the neighborhood is still mostly Irish.

Philadelphia Ceili Group

irishphilly — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:43:36 CDT

is a Nonprofit, all-volunteer, educational organization governed by a nine member Board of Directors interested in the support of Irish culture through a variety of activities. The group was founded in 1958 to preserve traditional ceili and set dancing.

The Ceili Group has for many years presented an ongoing series of concerts and instrumental workshops by the cream of the crop of Irish music - at the Irish Center, in a tree-lined West Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia. We host a weekly music session at the same location, ceili dances and dance instruction, a new learners' session, and of course our big Annual Festival of Traditional Irish Music & Dance in September.

Set Dancing

irishphilly — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:17:19 CDT

Here's what set dancing is.

Here's how it came to be in the Delaware Valley.

Here's where people dance.

Here are some of the major teacjers/instructors/groups, etc.

Resources:

Living

Marimac — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:26:04 CDT

Some of the most influential Irish and Irish-Americans make their home in the Delaware Valley.

Here is a list of the best known, by category:

Academic

Arts

Associations & Organizations

Clergy & Religious

Dance

Food & Drink

Genealogy

Literary

Media

Byrne, Anthony, publisher, The Irish Edition
Duffin, Jane, editor, The Irish Edition
Foley, Denise, editor, www.irishphiladelphia.com
Gallagher, Vince, radio host, www.wtmrradio.com
Keenan, Tom, photographer, The Irish Edition
Kelly, Bob, traffic reporter, CBS3
MacDonald, Marianne, radio host, www.tradtours.com
Meade, Jeff, editor, www.irishphiladelphia.com
Mendte, Larry, news anchor, CBS3

Music

Deceased

coolbean1000 — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:11:29 CDT

No other town in America has been home to so much Irish royalty. Some of them spent their entire lives in the Delaware Valley. Some—notably, the professional athletes—were just passing through.

Here is a list of some of the most noteworthy Irish Philadelphians from the past:

Clark, Dennis, author, "The Irish in Philadelphia: Ten Generations of Urban Experience"
Conwell, Henry, bishop
Dougherty, Dennis, cardinal archbishop
Egan, Michael Francis, bishop
Green, William Joseph, Jr., U.S. Representative
Kelly, Grace, actress, princess of Monaco
Kelly, John Brenden "J.B." Sr., Olympic oarsman, politician and president of the largest bricklaying company in the U.S.
Kelly, John Brenden "Jack," Philadelphia City Council and Olympic oarsman
Hynes, Sister Margaret "Peg"
Kenrick, Francis Patrick, bishop
Mack, Connie, managerand owner of the Athletics
O'Hara, John Francis, cardinal archbishop
Prendergast, Edmond Francis, archbishop
Ryan, Patrick John, archbishop
Tate, James H. J., mayor of Philadelphia
O'Connor, Cardinal John Joseph, Diocese of New York

Music

Proinsias — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:16:10 CDT

Irish music seems to take on many forms, everything from the psuedo-Irish tunes that really have their roots in Tin Pan Alley to the New Age Celtica of Enya to the traditional folk music also known among aficionados as "trad." For some, the definition would also have to include the "Punk Céilidh" of the Pogues. Still others would include bagpipe music, even though there's always been some dispute over the role of the warpipes in Irish music and culture.

Much Irish music in the Delaware Valley is instrumental, particularly within the traditional style. However, some musicians specialize in song, particularly sean nos, or "old style." (One particularly good local practitioner is Terry Kane, also known professionally as Treasa Ní Chatháin.)

Purists might argue that only traditional Irish music "counts," but millions of Irish Americans aren't even familiar with "trad." A good many of those for whom "Danny Boy" is the ultimate expression of Irishness simply don't like traditional Irish music when they hear it. (The converse is also true: Died-in-the wool devotees of traditional Irish music often turn up their respective noses at "Danny Boy.")

Within the Greater Delaware Valley, virtually all of those varieties of Irish music flourish. In many of the pubs, such as Brittingham's in Lafayette Hill, you can nurse your pint and sing along to "The Wild Rover" or "The Unicorn." You can tote your two-row button accordion along to the Commodore Barry Club in Mount Airy on a Friday night or to the Plough and Stars in Old City on Sunday afternoons to play in a traditional Irish session with other local musicians. You can join a band of pipers like Irish Thunder, Brian Boru or the Philadelphia Emerald Society. The Philadelphia Ceili Group holds forth at the above mentioned Barry Club (aka: The Irish Center) with concerts and workshops of traditional Irish music, while an hour west of the city in Chester County, the Coatesville Traditional Irish Music Series takes place at the Coatesville Cultural Society. At a weekend beef and beer or in a club in Wildwood, N.J., you can listen to "shamrock and roll" by local bands such as Paddy's Well, Blackthorn or the Bogside Rogues.

Daltaí na Gaeilge

irishphilly — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 11:08:27 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Sports

irishphilly — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 11:07:11 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Gaelic Athletic Association

irishphilly — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 11:06:39 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Step Dancing

irishphilly — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 11:03:32 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.