For more than 30 years, Tommy Moffit has been playing his accordion in the corner of Emmett’s Place, an Irish pub in the now multicultural section of Philadelphia called Oxford Circle, three nights a week. And for more than 30 years, he’s been the voice of Philadelphia’s Irish community on the radio (lately WTMR-AM).

He won’t be putting down the accordion any time soon, but he’s retiring from radio. On Sunday, May 28, the Roscommon native and founding member of the Philadelphia Ceili Group turned over the microphone to Marianne McDonald, set dancer and Irish music tour operator. “It’s hard taking over for somebody like Tommy, who is one of a kind,” McDonald said on Memorial Day (2006) at Emmett’s, which was filled with Tommy fans and well-wishers (and where Tommy played from 4 to 8 p.m.).

Like Anita Auerbach of Philadelphia, an Emmett’s regular. “We come for Tommy,” said Auerbach, a member of the Starlighters, a musical group based at the Northeast Older Adult Center on Castor Avenue. “We’re not Irish but we love Irish music. And Tommy lets us get up and sing.” Auerbach led the wall-to-wall audience in patriotic songs, then gave the floor to tiny Mitzi Marbach who launched into a typically lachrymose Irish ballad. Apparently, Mitzi is also a regular, because Tommy called out to her several times over his accordion, “Mitzi, Mitzi, do not say ‘mither!’” But Mitzi did say “Mither.”  “Mitzi,” he chided her, “in Ireland, we do not say ‘Mither.” We call our mothers ‘Mother.’” “But it says ‘Mither,’” she protested, waving the lyric sheet. Tommy rolled his eyes.

But the man of many words was left speechless later when presented with a cake with the words “Tommy Moffit - For the sweetest music this side of Roscommon” and a plaque honoring him for his decades on the air, promoting Irish music in the Philadelphia region. “I loved doing it from the bottom of my heart, but I’m stuck for words,” he said, removing his glasses and wiping his eyes “So many people have been so good to me ...” He couldn’t go on.

Boldly breaking the sentimental tone of the evening was singer Owen Rooney, a long-time friend. Acknowledging the guest of honor’s emotional state, the deadpan Rooney explained it to the crowd:  “Tommy thought he was gettin’ a car.”