St. Patrick's Day Ceremony Marks Irish Contribution To Philadelphia History And Culture
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - About a hundred people attended an annual ceremony today at Philadelphia's Irish Memorial, at Front and Chestnut Streets, to reflect on their heritage.
"All you have to do is look around to see how important and productive the Irish contribution has been," said one board member of the Irish Memorial, leading a ceremony at the bronze monument that includes 35 life-size figures depicting Irish immigrants coming to start a new life in America.
Seventeen-year-old singer Timmy Kelly was there, singing the US national anthem and a Irish ditty, "McNamara's Band."
"Ohhh, the drums go banging, the symbols clanging, the horns that blaze away..."
A group of young Irish dancers had the crowd clapping their hands and tapping their toes.
Kelly, the singer, said he was delighted to be a part of today's St. Patrick's Day ceremony.
"For Irish-Americans it is a great day. It is a day when we celebrate our heritage, it's a day that we can come out and unite and just enjoy ourselves and remember why we are here," he told KYW Newsradio.
Reported by John McDevitt, KYW Newsradio 1060.
