City to celebrate the luck of the Irish

By Jen McShane
Collegian Staff
February 28, 2007

“Irish Eyes Are Smiling” because it’s that time of the year again. To many people, March appears to be the month devoted to celebrating the Celtic Irish culture. You do not have to be Irish to join in the celebrations devoted to the culture that brought to life the legend of Cuchulainn and the leprechauns.

Philadelphia, being the diverse area that it is, offers many events around the city that help in the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Many of these Celtic-centered proceedings occur throughout the entire month, so there is plenty to do to celebrate the Emerald Isle.

For example, if you are a fan of the famous step dancing like in Riverdance, then you might want to go see the Crossroads Irish Dancers at the Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 1.

The Crossroads Irish Dancers is a dance school that teaches adults Celtic dances to prepare the students to enter Irish dancing competitions, called feisanna. The school offers beginners classes for those who may be interested in learning to step a reel or a jig.

At the Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library, Crossroads will be demonstrating the dances taught at the school. This is a free show, but if you do not get to see the performance, you can always catch Crossroads when they perform in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

If dancing is not your style, then perhaps you are mesmerized by the haunting melodies of the Irish lutes or harps. At the Society Hill Playhouse, there will be an incredible show called “Belles of Dublin: an Evening of Irish Theatre and Music.” Besides just getting a taste of the uplifting Irish sound, the show will also feature Irish history mixed with the great stories and legends of Ireland. This amazing combination of Irish customs will run March 16–18, and the tickets run from about $20-$23.

However, if you are into more rollicking rhythmic Irish tunes, then the Irish Rovers may be just your style. The Irish Rovers are a group that performs many of what we call “Drinking Songs” (like the great “Cockles and Mussels”) or rebel songs like the epic tune, “The Fields of Athenry.” The Rovers will be performing at the Sellersville Theatre Wednesday, March 21.

Or, have you ever wondered about the legend of the Irish rose, which is supposedly black and is indigenous to Ireland? To discover if the legends are true or not, I suggest a visit to the Convention Center for the Philadelphia Flower Show, “Legends of Ireland.” The flower show recreates a visit to the land of Tir-Na-nOg (supposedly the land of the forever young) where the flowers grow yearlong.

You can wrap up your exploration of Irish culture at the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which will be held March 11. In the parade, you will see Irish dancers and legendary characters and hear Celtic tunes. The parade occurs in downtown Philadelphia on Broad Street.

While there may not be a rainbow leading down Olney Avenue, there are many other ways to get a glimpse of the “wee people” and enjoy all that Ireland in Philadelphia has to offer.

mcshanej2@lasalle.edu