Dropkick Murphys Playing House of Blues in Boston to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

Boston hometown band - the Dropkick Murphys - are once again celebrating St. Patrick's Day in Boston, performing at the House of Blues from March 16-18, 2011.  Tickets to the show are $32.50 - $52.50 and can be ordered online.

The Dropkicks will be performing songs from their new CD- Going out in Style, which is available in stores on March 1.

For a full list of concerts at the House of Blues in Boston this month, click here.

For a full schedule of Irish concerts and other activities celebrating St. Patrick's Day in Massachusetts in March 2011, visit the Calendar Page at the Boston Irish Tourism Association site, IrishMassachusetts.com

Ireland's Saw Doctors Playing at Boston's House of Blues on Friday, March 4

Ireland's fun-loving rock band, the Saw Doctors, perform this Friday at the House of Blues in Boston, starting at 8:00 p.m.

The Boston Irish Tourism Association is raffling off a free pairs of tickets to the show.  To enter the contest, click here. 

Tickets to the show are $27.50 and can be ordered online.

For a full list of upcoming concerts at the House of Blues in Boston, including shows by the Pogues and the Dropkick Murphys, click here.

For a full list of Irish concerts throughout Massachusetts this St. Patrick's Day, visit IrishMassachusetts.com.

Cape Cod St. Patrick's Day Parade is Next Saturday, March 5, 2011

Boston's Irish pub, The Black Rose, is Hosting a Fundraiser for Musician Eugene Byrne on Sunday, February 27

The Black Rose Pub in Boston is hosting a fundraiser on Sunday, February 27, 2011 for Irish musician Eugene Byrne, one of the iconic figures in the Boston Irish music scene for nearly 40 years.

The event will help raise funds for health care and living expenses for Eugene and his wife Maura.  Eugene is suffering from an advanced stage of cancer.  

Seven Irish bands and dozens of local musicians are donating their time and music to perform at the Rose, to help Eugene in his time of need and also to celebrate the rich and fruitful life of this gifted musician. 

You can find more details on the event, who is playing and who is attending, on facebook. 

Black Rose

160 State Street, Boston

Begins 5:00 pm | Suggested donation at the door is $20
Contact Sean Cunningham: 978 973-9695 or 

Paul Wilson: 617 451-7400 x 225
Eugenebyrnebenefit@gmail.com | irishconnection.com

Irish Heritage Month in Lawrence Massachusetts Runs from February 27 - March 31, 2011

The City of Lawrence, Massachusetts is launching its annual Irish Heritage Month this weekend, with dozens of lectures, exhibits, concerts, luncheons, banquets and educational programs taking place through March 31.

All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.  For a complete list of events, click here.

The program is sponsored by  the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 8, the Ladies AOH, Division 8, as well as the Irish Foundation of Lawrence.

This year's main attraction is the exhibit, Hometown Heroes: The Lawrence Irish and the Civil War, which runs from March 3-31, 2011at the Lawrence State Heritage Park, located at One Jackson Street in Lawrence. For information call 978 794-1655.

To complement the exhibit, several lectures about the Civil War are scheduled:

Sunday, February 27, 2:00 p.m.
How the Irish Imaged the American Civil War by Michael P. Quinlin

Sunday, March 6, 2:00 p.m.
Lincoln's Reaction to the Events in Baltimore, by Dr. John Condon

Sunday, March 20, 2:00 p.m.
Captain Timothy Deasy: Patriot Irish/American by Robert Bateman

For a complete list of Irish activities in Massachusetts and the New England states throughout the year, visit IrishMassachusetts.com.

US Census Reports that Massachusetts is America's Most Irish State

The US Census Bureau reports that Massachusetts is still the most Irish state in the USA, with 23.7% of all residents claiming Irish ancestry.  That's over 1.5 million people in a state with 6.5 million residents.

Boston, considered to be the Capital of Irish America, has 17.4% Irish-Americans.

The data, which comes from the 2009 American Community Survey, was released this week by the US Census Bureau in time for Irish-American Heritage Month, which takes place each March and celebrates St. Patrick's Day.

The Boston Globe's Emily Sweeney wrote a story in January 2011 naming Scituate as the most Irish town in Massachusetts. Here are the top Irish cities and towns in Massachusetts:


47.5 Scituate
46.5 Braintree
45.8 Hull
45.6 Marshfield
44.9 Avon
44.9 Pembroke
44.6 Milton
44.5 Abington
44.3 Whitman
44.2 Hanover
43.4 Weymouth
43.0 Walpole
42.2 Holbrook
41.4 Duxbury
41.2 Norwell
40.8 Hanson

For year round information on Irish culture, history and heritage, visit IrishMassachusetts.com

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.

Boston Irish group is giving away free concert tickets for St. Patrick's Day

To celebrate this St. Patrick's Day season, the Boston Irish Tourism Association is raffling off free tickets to see leading Irish performances throughout Massachusetts and New England in March and April 2011.  

You can find a full list of the contests, which are updated weekly, at BITA's Contest Page.  Among the concerts where free tickets are available: 

• Ireland's rollicking rock band, The Saw Doctors, perform at Boston's House of Blues on March 4

• The Makem & Spain Brothers play at the Roger Center for the Arts at Andover College in North Andover on March 5

• Irish tenor John McDermott performs at the Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury on March 10

• London's Irish-punk band, The Pogues, perform at Boston's House of Blues on March 11-12

• Women of Ireland comes to Lynn Auditorium in Lynn on March 12

• Traditional Irish ensemble Dervish performs at the Palace Theatre in Manchester NH on March 16

• Irish tenor Ronan Tynan performs at the Wilbur Theatre in Boston on March 27

• Canadian Celtic rockers, Enter the Haggis, perform at Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury on April 8

To see a complete list of Irish activities throughout the month of March, go to BITA's calendar page.

For a complete schedule of St. Patrick's Day parades in Massachusetts, click here.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com.

Ray O'Hanlon Discusses his New Novel, The South Lawn Plot, at Four Green Fields in Boston on Saturday, February 26

Boston's Four Green Fields Pub & Restaurant is hosting writer Ray O’Hanlon on Saturday, February 26, 2011, for a reading of his new novel,  The South Lawn Plot.  The reading begins at 7:00 p.m. and is free to the public.

O'Hanlon, a seasoned journalist, is editor of the national newspaper, The Irish Echo, based in New York City.   This is his first novel, described as a global thriller straddling four centuries and two continents, with a showdown between an American President and a British Prime Minister. 

Writer Pete Hamill called O’Hanlon’s novel “a wonderful work, with a layered, hard-driving narrative, vivid characters, abiding mysteries and the past that has not passed.”

The book is published by GemmaMedia in Boston, which publishes an exciting range of books on cultural memoir, fiction, journalism, and current affairs.

Four Green Fields, Boston's newest pub, opened on February 11, 2011.   Named for a song by the late Irish ballad singer Tommy Makem, Four Green Fields features a spacious first floor restaurant with an oyster bar, an upstairs lounge named for Irish-American boxing champ John L. Sullivan, and an authentic Irish Thatch Cottage.

The pub is located just steps away from the Boston Irish Famine Memorial and other local Irish landmarks along the Irish Heritage Trail.  

For a schedule of upcoming events at Four Green Fields, click here.

For year round details on Irish culture, heritage and history in greater Boston, visit IrishBoston.org.

New Hampshire: The Granite State Goes Green For St. Patrick's Day 2011

The Irish-American community in New Hampshire is going green this St. Patrick's Day season with a host of concerts and family events for residents and tourists to enjoy.

The granite state’s concert season kicks off in style with Celtic Woman: Songs of the Heart show (picture left) coming to the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester on Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.  The show, which is seen frequently on PBS stations around the country, features Ireland’s best woman singers, dancers and musicians performing a blend of classic Irish melodies.

On Wednesday, March 16, top Irish traditional ensemble Dervish is performing at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, starting at 7:30 p.m.  Led by vocalist Cathy Jordan, the band’s virtuosity on the fiddle, flute and accordion elevate the music to its highest level.

On March 17, St. Patrick’s Day itself, families can enjoy the “Luck of the Irish” ski race at Loon Mountain in Lincoln, or the “Shamrock Hunt” at Mt. Sunapee Resort in Newbury.  And in the event, check out the 18^th annual St. Patrick’s Day Dinner at Manadnock Congressional Church in Colebrook.

On Sunday, March 20, the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, located in Dover, is celebrating its 2^nd annual Irish Heritage Celebration, featuring live Irish step dancing, music and stories, plus traditional Irish crafts.

And all month long, you can hear great traditional Irish music nightly at the Shaskeen Pub & Restaurant in Manchester, run by Irish flutist Peter Molloy. 

And finally, the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade takes place in Manchester on Sunday, March 27.  It's a great family event sponsored by the state's Ancient Order of Hibernians.

According to the US Census, nearly 20% of the state's residents claim Irish ancestry, making it the most Irish state in the USA after Massachusetts, where 24% of residents have Irish heritage.

 You can find more information on these and other activities by visiting the New Hampshire Division of Travel & Tourism.

For year round information  Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts and the New England region, visit IrishMassachusetts.com.

Massachusetts tourism agency is raffling off a free travel package to Martha's Vineyard

Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT) is offering visitors to the state a chance to win a free travel package to Martha's Vineyard this year valued at $1,000.00.

The travel package for two includes a round-trip on the Steamship Authority ferry boat from Cape Cod to the Vineyard, a two-night stay at Island Inn in Oaks Bluff, plus food and gift certificates from Kitchen Porch Caterers, Island Alpaca, Jynell Designs and more. 

To enter the contest, click here and fill in the form. 

To order free brochures about visiting Massachusetts, click here. 

For year round information on visiting Massachusetts, go to MassVacation.com
 

President Barack Obama Presents Medal of Freedom to Jean Kennedy Smith and John J. Sweeney

(February 15, 2011) President Barack Obama awarded the prestigious Medal of Freedom to fifteen people in a ceremony at the White House. Topping the list was former US President George H.W. Bush.

Two prominent leaders in the Irish-American community were also recipients: Jean Kennedy Smith, former US Ambassador to Ireland and founder of Very Special Arts, and John J. Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO from 1995 to 2009.

The Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor, and is presented to individuals who have made meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

For a full list of the Medal of Freedom winners, click here.

Irish Actress Sarah Bolger being honored at the Oscar Wilde Irish Film Awards in Los Angeles on February 24

Irish actress Sarah Bolger is receiving the Wilde Card award at the upcoming Oscar Wilde: Honoring the Irish in Film ceremony in Los Angeles on Thursday, February 24, 2011. 

The 6th annual event is hosted by the US-Ireland Alliance and shines a spotlight on the Irish film industry and the achievements of Irish actors, writers and directors.

A star in the Irish/Canadian television series, The Tudors, Bolger is being recognized at the ceremony as a "rising star in the film industry," according to Trina Vargo, President of US-Ireland Alliance.

Also appearing at the Oscar Wilde night is actor Paul Rudd, who is receiving an "Honorary Irishman" award.  Actor Donal Logue is the emcee for the evening.

ArtsEmerson presents Perrier's Bounty film screening in Boston on February 12

ArtsEmerson is presenting a film screening of  Perrier's Bounty by Mark O'Rowe on Saturday, February 12, 2011 at the Paramount Theatre at 560 Washington Street in Boston's Downtown Crossing.

The film is part of ArtEmerson's Irish Theatre Festival this winter.  Show times are 6:45 and 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 general admission; $5 for students. Tickets are available online.

Video clip of Perrier's Bounty 

For a schedule of upcoming events by ArtsEmerson, click here.

For year round Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com.

Author Kevin O'Hara Speaking at Hibernian Cultural Center in Worcester on February 15

The O'Hara Family

Kevin O'Hara, author of two critically acclaimed books,  "The Donkey Pilgrim" and "A Lucky Irish Lad" returns to the Hibernian Cultural Center in Worcester on Tuesday, February 15, 2011, to recount his 30 year journey from Pittsfield to Vietnam to Ireland, and finally to his life as a successful nurse and author.

The lecture runs from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. and admission is $5. 

For a schedule of upcoming events at Hibernian Cultural Centre, click here.

For year round Irish cultural events in Massachusetts and New England, visit IrishMassachusetts.com 

Massachusetts Astronaut Cady Coleman Plays Music Out of This World

Astronaut Catherine "Cady" Coleman, a member of the Expedition 26 crew currently aboard the International Space Station, 250 miles in outer space, is giving flute recitals for the whole world to hear.

 The avid amateur flutist brought "four flute-like instruments in her small allotment of personal items," according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

In addition to her own flute, Coleman also brought on board a flute belonging to Ian Anderson of the rock band Jethro Tull, and two instruments from the Irish traditional group the Chieftains: a 19th century E flat wooden flute from Matt Molloy and a penny whistle from Paddy Moloney, founder of the Chieftains.

Coleman, who lives in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts with her husband and son, said in an interview with National Public Radio (NPR), "I play the flute on the ground and it's one of the things I love to do....I think it's important to share how amazing it is up here. I relate to flute players and I just wanted them to understand what a cool place it was and how many possibilities there were to play music up here on the space station."

Coleman is hoping to have a live concert between outer space and the earth with Anderson, Molloy and Moloney before she returns home in May.

To read Cady Coleman's blog in the months leading up to Expedition 26, click here.

For more about Massachusetts, visit MassVacation.com

Burren Pub in Somerville Hosting Artist Market on February 12

Support the local artist community by coming out to the Burren Irish Pub and Restaurant in Davis Square, Somerville on Saturday, February 12, 2011, from Noon to 4:00 p.m.  Located just minutes from Harvard Square in Cambridge, the Burren Pub has Irish traditional music nightly plus great local bands in the Back Room.

For year round Irish cultural events in Massachusetts and New England, visit IrishMassachusetts.com

Boston Hotels Offer Sweet Deals for Valentine's Day 2011

 

Several of Boston's leading hotels are offering great weekend, dining and overnight packages in February to celebrate Valentine's Day. You can see full details by clicking here.

Back Bay Hotel & Stanhope Grille

"St. Valentine's Getaway" Package

Comfort Inn Boston

"Love and Hugs and Kisses...Oh My!" Package

Langhan Hotel Boston

"My Sweet Valentine" Package

Omni Parker House

"Sweet Rendezvous Romance" Package

Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel

"Engage in Some Pillow Talk" Package 

For a list of hotels in greater Boston, click here. 

For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com

 

Steeler Nation and the Luck of the Irish

The Pittsburgh Steelers, looking to become the 2011 Superbowl Champions in the National Football League, have a strong connection to Ireland, thanks to the team owner, Dan Rooney and the Rooney family.

Rooney is the US Ambassador to Ireland, appointed by President Barack Obama in July 2009.

Rooney's grandfather, also named Dan Rooney, came to Pittsburgh from Newry, County Down, in the 1880s, along with thousands of Irish immigrants seeking work in the coal mines and steel mills.   He settled in Pittsburgh’s gritty North Side – where the family still lives - and by the turn of the century opened his own saloon.

Dan Rooney's son Art  Rooney purchased the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise in 1933, and over the next three decades built it into a stable - but often struggling - enterprise as it competed for its place in the professional football world.  Art's son Dan, the current owner, got involved in the Steelers in the late 1960s and helped to usher in a era of dominance, as the Steelers began winning the AFC and the Super Bowl regularly.

Like his father, Dan Rooney has also been inducted into the Football Hall of Fame. 

The Irish connection has remained strong.  There's even a Pittsburgh Bar in Belfast, Northern Ireland, which has an enthusiastic Steeler following, and even a Dan Rooney Lounge, operated by a local group, the Flax Trust, a group dedicated to economic and social development.

Women of Ireland is Performing at Lynn Auditorium on Saturday, March 12

Women of Ireland, hailed as one of the best new musical acts to come out of Ireland in recent years, is performing a special St. Patrick's Day show at the Lynn Auditorium in Lynn, Massachusetts on Saturday, March 12, 2011.

Tickets to the show are $28 - $68 and can be ordered online or by calling the box office at 781 581-2971. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and doors open at 6:30 p.m.  For directions, click here.

The full stage production showcases a new generation of Ireland's top female singers and musicians, performing a beautiful selection of Ireland's vast repertoire of traditional music and song.  The Irish Times described the show as 'excellent' while the Irish Examiner called it 'mesmerizing.'
 
For a full schedule of concerts at Lynn Auditorium, click here.

For year round Irish music in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com.

Boxer Micky Ward is Grand Marshall at Cape Cod St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 5

Boxing legend Irish Micky Ward is the grand marshal at this year's Cape Cod St. Patrick's Day Parade taking place on Saturday, March 5, 2011 in Massachusetts.

Ward joins a distinguished group of grand marshals that have included Boston Bruin stars Bobby Orr and Terry O'Reilly, and former Boston Mayor and US Ambassador Ray Flynn.

The two-mile parade starts at 11:00 a.m. at School Street in West Dennis, crosses the Bass River Bridge and ends at Forest Road in South Yarmouth. For a map of the parade, click here.

A native of Lowell, Massachusetts, Ward won the New England Golden Gloves championship three times, before turning professional.  His legend as a fighter was enshrined forever in a trio of boxing matches in 2002-03 with Canadian Artuo Gatti.

A movie on his life, The Fighter, starring Mark Walhberg and Christian Bale, was released in 2010.

For more details on the Cape Cod St. Patrick's Day parade, click here.

For a list of St. Patrick's Day parades in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, click here.

For year round Irish cultural events, visit IrishMassachusetts.com

Irish St. Patrick's Day Parades in Massachusetts 2011

Boston Irish Tourism Association (BITA) this week released its 2011 schedule of St. Patrick's Day parades taking place in cities and towns across Massachusetts and New Hampshire.  This year's marching season kicks off on March 5 with the Cape Cod St. Patrick's Day parade. 

To view the full schedule, click here.

BITA also publishes a complete cultural calendar of Irish music concerts, dances, theatre, lectures, and heritage-related Irish activities taking place in March to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

Jim Rooney to represent Boston on international board of professional convention managers

James E. Rooney, executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA), has just been elected to a three-year term as a board director of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA).

The group represents the convention and meeting industry throughout the world, and has sixteen chapters in North America.  Based in Chicago, the 20-member board was formed in 1959.  It is considered the premier educator and professional resource for the meeting and convention industry.

Rooney was cited for “his leadership and vision” by PCMA President and CEO Deborah Sexton, who made the announcement after PCMA's annual meeting in Las Vegas.

A native of South Boston, Rooney has been with the MCCA for ten years, and was appointed executive director in 2003.  Under his leadership, Boston has been ranked as one of the top ten convention destinations in North America.  Rooney has launched an initiative, t5Boston, to make Boston one of the top five destinations on the continent.

For more details on the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, click here.

For year round cultural activities in Massachusetts, click here.

For visitor information, visit BostonUSA and MassVacation.

Boston Irish Parades, Heritage and Cultural Events in March 2011

(Boston) -- Today the Boston Irish Tourism Association (BITA) and Massachusetts state tourism officials released a schedule of the 2011 St. Patrick's Day parades and cultural events planned this March in cities and towns across Massachusetts.

 Among the highlights: 

• Schedule of St. Patrick's Day Parades in Massachusetts and New Hampshire
• Dozens of Irish concerts, theater and literary events throughout March
• History and heritage events celebrating Boston's Irish history dating to the 18th century 
• Gift Shops and authentic Irish products
• Pubs and restaurants with live Irish music and Irish-style menus
• Hotels close to parade routes, cultural venues and heritage landmarks.

Nearly 24% of all Massachusetts residents claim Irish ancestry, according to the US Census, making it the most Irish state in the nation.
 

For more information.

Boston Irish Tourism Association / IrishMassachusetts.com
Boston Irish Heritage Trail / IrishHeritageTrail.com
Patrick S. Gilmore Society / PSGilmore-Society.org
Boston Irish Famine Memorial / Boston.com/famine

Blog / IrishMassachusetts.blogspot.com
Blog /  IrishBoston.blogspot.com 

For tourist information:
BostonUSA
MassVacation