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

-

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.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Blazing the Trail" depicts early Irish filmmaking, showing on November 23 in Brookline

-
Image
The Boston Irish Film Festival is presenting a fresh new look at early Irish filmmaking with the presentation of Blazing the Trail: The Story of the Kalem Film Company in Ireland. The multimedia event takes place on Monday, November 23, 2009, at the historic Coolidge Corner Theater at 290 Harvard Street in Brookline, MA, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The project was created by film scholar and director Peter Flynn, founder of the Boston Irish Film Festival , and produced by Dawn Morrissey. They will show a selection of rarely-seen films from the early 20th century, as well as several short films that put the historical film in retrospect and modern context. Live music will be interspersed between the films to create an old-time Nickelodeon atmosphere. Musicians are pianist Peter Freisinger and vocalists Victoria Hayes and Liz Hayes. There is also a chance to win free tickets to this premier event through the Boston Irish Tourism Association . Tickets to the show are $9.75 and are availa
Read more

General Edward L. Logan, Namesake of Boston's Logan International Airport

-
Image
General Edward L. Logan (1875-1939), namesake of Boston’s Logan International Airport , died on July 6 1939 from a sudden 'heart ailment.'  His brother, Reverend Leo J. Logan, presided over the funeral mass at the Gate of Heaven Church in South Boston, with tributes by leading politicians like Senator David I. Walsh , former Massachusetts Governor and Boston Mayor James M. Curley and former Mayor John F. Fitzgerald .  Logan is buried at the Calvary Cemetery in West Roxbury.  A first generation Irish-American, military leader, civic leader and municipal judge with family roots in Galway and South Boston,  Edward was the oldest of nine children of Lawrence and Catherine (O’Connor), according to Michael Cummings of Milton, an expert on the Logan Family. Edward’s father Lawrence immigrated to Boston from Ballygar, County Galway, in 1858, and became a successful businessman at a young age when he became president of the Boston Brewing Company in South Boston.  The family resided a
Read more

Damian McGinty, former Celtic Thunder Star, Performs in Hartford and Providence this Fall

-
Image
Damian McGinty , the young singing star from Derry, Northern Ireland who performed with Celtic Thunder , is returning to New England in October as part of a national tour with  Ethan Bortnick . They will be performing in Hartford, CT on October 5, followed by two shows in Providence, RI on October 12, 2014. Find details here. McGinty was part of the original Celtic Thunder ensemble for several years, and left the band in 2012 when he won a coveted spot on the television show Glee .  Since then he has embarked on a solo career that has taken him around the world.  In 2013 McGinty was Cultural Ambassador for his home city of Derry, Northern Ireland . Find year round details on Celtic and Irish cultural activities at IrishMassachusetts.com .
Read more