Katherine Ball-Weir Recipient of 2018 Mary O’Connor Spirit Award

Katherine Ball-Weir is the current chairman of the Philadelphia/Delaware Valley branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ), a worldwide cultural organization based in Dublin, Ireland. The CCÉ local branch serves the Philadelphia, Delaware and southern New Jersey area, offering classes in Irish language and music, and presenting Irish music workshops, concerts, dance programs and sessions in collaboration with various Irish groups in the region.

 

Four years ago, Katherine and musical partner Frank Daly brought the Sober St. Patrick's Day party to Philadelphia. Over the years, St. Patrick’s Day has become associated with binge drinking and public intoxication, which reinforces negative stereotypes and alienates large segments of the community—families with young children, teens, senior citizens, members of the recovery community and many others who have stopped celebrating the day due to concerns about out-of-control behavior. Sober St. Patrick’s Day, which started in New York City and is now in other cities in the U.S. and Ireland, was created as an alternative way to celebrate the holiday. Not anti-alcohol, but alcohol-free, the mission is to reclaim the true spirit of the day, and to change the perception of what St. Patrick’s Day can be. Musicians from Ireland, New York, Baltimore and other areas augment great local musical talent, as well as local dance schools, the Rose of Tralee organization, the Ronald McDonald House Charities, and others to create the “ultimate family-friendly St. Patrick’s Day Party.”

 

Katherine is currently the Director of Institutional Advancement at Archmere Academy. She previously worked as a Director and Major Gifts Officer for the College of Visual and Performing Arts at West Chester University, the Delaware Art Museum, and WHYY-FM in Philadelphia. During her tenure at WHYY she was a lead writer of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting proposal that led to the national distribution of Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

 

Katherine and her husband Carl are the parents of 19-year-old Alexander Weir, a 2017 Archmere Academy graduate and an All-Ireland champion fiddler and former Irish dancer. He is a student at Northeastern University in Boston, majoring in finance, and minoring in vocal performance. After following her son and his music around for 16 years, Katherine began studying concertina this past year when Alexander left for college, with hopes of being able to take her own place in the Irish session circle someday soon. Katherine will be celebrated and presented the Mary O’Connor Spirit Award at the Philadelphia Rose Selection Night on June 23rd.