South-Central PA Irish Sessions 

This list is subject to change.
Last updated February 11, 2009

Check it out -  we now have a larger variety of sessions than many major U.S. cities.  If you are coming for the first time or traveling a great distance to attend a session, you should verify that the session is still alive & well by contacting the person in right-hand column.  Support these sessions by stopping in for some food and drink.  The bottom of the list shows what happened to several Irish sessions over the past couple of years.  If you know of any changes or corrections, please contact diviney@embarqmail.com.  Come to play or come to listen, enjoy the food, drink & craic.
 1st Sunday 2-5pm  NEW Dec 2008! Open - All Levels      Garryowen Irish  Pub 126 Chambersburg St Gettysburg, PA  Click here for session format/etiquette for this session.
 Email session leader at   diviney@embarqmail.com
 2nd Sunday - 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm Advanced players  Annie Bailey's 28-30 East King Street,   Lancaster, PA  
 3rd Sunday 2-5pm  NEW Oct 2008!
(no session Dec 2008)
Advanced - by Invitation  Garryowen Irish Pub 126 Chambersburg St.Gettysburg, PA   The Session Band members playing.    irishtrad@embarqmail.com
 3rd Sunday 5 - 8 pm Open - All Levels  Molly Maquire's Pub  197 Bridge St    Phoenixville, PA  hosted by whoever shows up nice venue, appreciative crowd and willing warm management but call (610.933.9550) there to make sure that it's REALLY happening...  all Trad levels and singers welcome 
 Every Monday  7 - 9:30 pm Open - All Levels  West Chester Kildare Seisiùn 18-20 Gay St           West Chester, PA young gran' players...the next traditional generation well welcomed, drinks on house,  nice location and venue,  with great sound quality
Last Tues 7-10pm
Revived from the dead
Open - All Levels Molly's Pub 253 E. Chestnut St,

Lancaster, PA

 Check with EY - eymurph@yahoo.com
 Every Wednesday 8:30 - 11:30 pm Open - All Levels  Piece of Ireland
 23 Chesmar Plaza, Newark, DE Leader Eric and this venue are absolute Irish, pints for the players, welcoming and open session/house party... moderately lively sharing, continuous play, new tunes shared since it's EVERY Wednesday players change, BUT not Eric's atmosphere tricky to find Rte. 896 South to Rte. 4/2 east about 1.5 mi on right
 Every other Wednesday 8-10 pm starting 9/12/07 Open - All Levels O'Lordan's Irish Pub  Westminster, MD Contact Robert Dougherty jigsandreels@adelphia.net  or his wife Toni on 410-635-3551 for more info
 Every Thursday, 7:30 - 10:30pm Advanced players.    The Ugly Oyster   21 S. Fifth St                     Reading, PA  Rich Dodson, session leader.
 First Thu  Open - All levels The Bog  341 Adams Ave,   Scranton, PA   (570) 341-6761 hosted by Leo Schott
 1st Thu  7 - 9:30pm  McCooles Session  Quakertown, PA  Contact:  Teresa Kane
  2nd Thursday, 7 - 9:30 pm Open - All Levels Cafe 210 West Session  210 West College Ave, State College, PA  Contact:  Patty Lambert
Thursday after the 3rd Tuesday of the month  6:00-10:00pm Open - All Levels  The Lucky Duck (previously Flavers)
Elizabethtown, PA Open - Beginner & Intermediate
Contact Eileen Bozarth  
embozarth1@comcast.net
 Every Friday 9 - 11pm thru Dec 19, 2008 Open - All Levels  Puirseil's Irish Pub  15 S. 6th St
 Lewisburg, PA
Open Irish music seisun from 9:00 pm until closing. Preceded by a performance by the Irish traditional music group Lux Bridge from 8:00 - 9:00 pm.  570-523-6000
2nd Friday, 7:30 - 10:00 pm
CANCELLED - replaced with 210 West Session
Open - All Levels  Red Horse Tavern  104 N. Main St.
Pleasant Gap, PA
Patty 814.692.8966  2celtichorses@gmail.com    
(at the traffic light, 8 miles northeast of State College,
5 minutes past the Nittany Mall)


Maryland, Virginia & DC area Sessions various various http://members.aol.com/pfod/irishdance/sessions.htm
2nd Friday, 7:30-10pm  CANCELLED - replaced with Red Horse Tavern Session Cool Beans Coffee House 141 W High St

Bellefonte, PA

Patty 814.692.8966 esppatty@attglobal.net or call Cool Beans at 814.355.1178
1st Thursday 7-10pm
CANCELLED as of 9-29-07
If you are a trad player coming thru South-Central PA, give Dan a call or email him to see if there are any private trad sessions occuring.

 

 Spiritfields

 

619 Baltimore Street Gettysburg, PA 17325

Phone: 717-334-9449

Contact Dan Diviney  diviney@embarqmail.com
(717) 624-2542 
1st Wednesday starting April 6, 2005

CANCELLED

Harp & Fiddle York, PA Open - Story telling & Music

Contact Bob Gingerich of Mountain Moon Storytellers [mtnmoon6@suscom.net]

 4th Sunday , 3-5pm NEW!
CANCELLED
 Molly Brannigan's  2nd & Walnut, Harrisburg, PA louis.lynch [louislynch@paonline.com]
3rd Friday of the month -
7 pm to
10 pm.
CANCELLED - Tavern closed
 Middle Ridge Tavern Newport (North of Harrisburg off 322/22) Directions: 322/22 NW as if going to State College from Harrisburg,
see exit for Newport (towards Rte. 34), left turn off exit ramp, go
thru Newport on this road. When it deadends (is this a verb?), right
turn, two blocks later follow yellow lines up hill for 5
miles...Middle Ridge is on the left. (help contact MurphEY at
717.725.5565)
4th Tues 7-10pm
CANCELLED - 2006
Molly's Pub 253 E. Chestnut St,

Lancaster, PA

Check with EY - eymurph@yahoo.com
2nd Tuesday  6:30-9:30pm
CANCELLED - 2007
Coakley's Restaurant and Irish Pub 305 Bridge Street

New Cumberland, PA
(717) 774-5556

Open - All Levels
Contact Len Zaikoski 
lzaikoski@paonline.com
1st & 3rd Sunday    6-9pm CANCELLED  Appalachian Brewing Company Harrisburg, PA Contact Jamie O'Brien
jamie@launies.com
1st Wednesday starting March 3, 2004  CANCELLED  P.J. O'Brien's New Cumberland, PA Open - Beginner & Intermediate
Contact Rodney Owens
rowens@aessuccess.org
4th Tuesday   6:00-10:00pm CANCELLED  Lancaster Brewing Company Lancaster, PA Open - Beginner & Intermediate
Contact Tom Knapp
rhymer@redrose.net
1st Thursday  7-10pm CANCELLED O'Reilly's Pub at 4-Points Sheraton Harrisburg, PA Open - Beginner & Intermediate
Contact Joseph Osborne
osbornej@osbornej.com  717-249-7729
Session etiquette - click on the follwoing links to go to articles discussing session etiquette.
Read about sessions and session etiquette (funny that the word etiquette is French)

http://www.c7r.com/sessionbook/etiquette.html
http://www.oblique-design.demon.co.uk/musicbook/session.html
http://www.mckenna.dk/sessionetikette.htm
http://users.argonet.co.uk/users/gatherer/sess/ss4.html

The word "seisiun" is the Irish for "session" and in Ireland is synonymous with the gathering of singers and musicians to sing and play songs and music.  What is a seisiun?.