Boston's Purple Shamrock Irish Pub Getting its Last Hurrah on September 15

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The Purple Shamrock, one of Boston's iconic Irish pubs, is closing its doors after 32 years on Friday, September 15, 2012.  The building's landlord tried to raise the rent by 60%, according to a story in The Boston Globe.

The Glynn Hospitality Group, a family-run business which owns the Purple Shamrock, plans to have a Last Hurrah for the pub by organizing an Irish Wake on Thursday, September 13, complete with Irish bagpipers and a parade.  For more details on the Wake and other activities, click here.

The pub was named for James Michael Curley, Boston's quintessential Irish-American politician, who dominated Boston politics from 1900 to 1949, serving as mayor (four times), governor, U.S. congressman.

Curley got the nickname from his biographer, Joseph F. Dineen, author of The Purple Shamrock: The Hon. James Michael Curley of Boston, who noted that purple represented Curley's royal mannerisms and shamrock his Irish ancestry.

Right outside the Purple Shamrock, in Union Park, is a memorial to James Michael Curley, designed by sculptor Lloyd Lillie.  It was unveiled in 1980 by Mayor Kevin White, whose own memorial is nearby.

Find more details on Boston's history and heritage by visiting IrishHeritageTrail.com.

For more on Boston Irish pubs, go to IrishBoston.org

For year round details on Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts and the New England states, visit IrishMassachusetts.com.

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