Watch (and Learn!) Irish Social Dances at “A Winter’s Ball,” Jan. 21

Enjoy Spiked Eggnog, Hot Chocolate and Happy Hour Specials

 Listen to an Irish Poetry Reading in the Museum's Cost of Revolution Special Exhibit

Fall into step and join in a traditional Irish ceilidh (kā-lē), a social gathering with dancing and storytelling, at A Winter’s Ball on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020 from 5 – 8 p.m. The event is part of the Museum of the American Revolution’s History After Hours series. Visitors are encouraged – but not required – to wear their finest ballroom attire. 

In the Museum’s first-floor rotunda, watch as the Timoney Irish Dancers perform a blend of traditional and contemporary Irish dances set to festive folk tunes. Throughout the evening, join in 18th-century country dances set to Irish tunes accompanied by costumed living historians in the Museum’s elegant Liberty Hall. Niel De Marino, of the New Jersey-based dance company In Good Company, will teach the dances so that everyone can participate.

In Cross Keys Café, warm up with spiked eggnog or hot chocolate and enjoy happy hour specials, including an Irish-inspired sandwich featuring corned beef, swiss cheese, and braised cabbage. Those who are 21+ can enjoy free samples of Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Old Fashioned Cocktail.

In the Museum’s special exhibition Cost of Revolution: The Life and Death of an Irish Soldier, listen to a poetry reading of works by 18th-century poet Anna Seward. Cost of Revolution explores the untold story of Richard St. George, an Irish soldier and artist in the British Army, through more than 100 artifacts, manuscripts, and works of art from Australia, Ireland, England, and the United States, many of which are on display in America for the first time. The exhibition is on display through March 17, 2020.

The Museum’s series of monthly History After Hours events feature extended evening hours, special themed programs, happy hour food and drink specials in Cross Keys Café, and full access to the Museum’s exhibits. Tickets for History After Hours are $10 and can be purchased online in advance here or at the door.

In the upcoming months, History After Hours will include Black History Untold on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020 and A Revolutionary St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday, March 17, 2020.

About In Good Company
Susan Braisted and Niel DeMarino co-founded In Good Company in 2005. The troupe was founded with the idea to reinterpret the country dances with historically accurate "stepping" and incorporate notated period minuets and other figured dances for balls and assemblies. 

About Timoney Irish Dancers
Under the direction of Rosemarie Timoney, the Timoney Irish Dancers promote Irish Culture through step and ceili dancing for children and adults. Established in 1966, the Timoney Irish Dancers have performed and competed in a variety of venues in and around the Delaware Valley. Performing in the Dublin St. Patrick’s Day Parade and serving as the Grand Marshal for the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade are highlights of the last fifty years for Rosemarie and the Timoney Irish Dancers.

About Cost of Revolution: The Life and Death of an Irish Soldier
What can a life tell us about an era? Explore the untold story of Richard St. George, an Irish soldier and artist whose personal trauma and untimely death provide a window into the entangled histories of the American Revolution and the ensuing Irish Revolution of 1798. The exhibition chronicles St. George’s dramatic journey with more than 100 artifacts, manuscripts, and works of art from Australia, Ireland, England, and the United States, many of which are on display in America for the first time. It also presents one of the largest collections of objects from Ireland’s 18th-century revolutionary history and war for independence ever displayed in Philadelphia. The exhibition is on display through March 17, 2020 and is included with regular Museum admission. For more information, visit www.amrevmuseu.org/exhibits/special-exhibitions.

About Museum of the American Revolution
The Museum of the American Revolution uncovers and shares compelling stories about the diverse people and complex events that sparked America’s ongoing experiment in liberty, equality, and self-government. Through the Museum’s unmatched collection, immersive galleries, powerful theater experiences, and interactive elements, visitors gain a deeper appreciation for how this nation came to be and feel inspired to consider their role in ensuring that the promise of the American Revolution endures. Located just steps away from Independence Hall, the Museum serves as a portal to the region’s many Revolutionary sites, sparking interest, providing context, and encouraging exploration. The Museum, which opened on April 19, 2017, is a private, non-profit, and non-partisan organization. For more information, visit www.AmRevMuseum.org or call 877.740.1776.