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Showing posts from 2017

Tourism Ireland Ad Campaign in USA - The Warmth of an Irish Welcome

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Giant's Causeway Tourism Ireland 's Advertising Campaign kicks off in the USA today with this 30 second video airing on NBC, CBS and ABC, in the New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago markets. The ad airs around major entertainment shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show, Blue Bloods, the Late Late Show with James Corden and the Kennedy Center Awards. "Welcome to Ireland. It's not just something we say when you arrive. The warmth of an Irish welcome stays with you long after you leave. So come on over! We'll give you the inside track and let you into some little secrets that will take you back through history, bring our landscapes to life and make your evenings last longer. Welcome to Ireland!" Read more about Tourism Ireland here. Here are more stories about traveling to Ireland from New England .

Tourism Ireland's New Video Features Star Wars Actor Mark Hamill

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Tourism Ireland  has a brand new video with Mark Hamill advising everyone to ‘escape the dark side along Earth’s  Wild Atlantic Way  - it's the perfect place to get away from it all’. The video is now live across all Tourism  Ireland  markets promoting  Ireland  around the globe. Filmed using  the trademark Star Wars screen-wipe transitions and sound effects which Star Wars fans around the globe will recognise, Tourism Ireland’s new promotional film features a number of beautiful holiday destinations along Ireland’s western seaboard.  See the YouTube Video here. Read more about filming Star Wars in Ireland .  See more stories about traveling to Ireland from Massachusetts and New England. 

Wix Tix to see A Christmas Celtic Sojourn in Worcester & Boston

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A Christmas Celtic Sojourn  with Brian O’Donovan sparkles with masterful music, spellbinding stories and dazzling dancing. It evokes emotions of Christmas memories that stretch back generations. It inspires audiences throughout  New England  to embrace tradition, spirituality and community. The  Boston Irish Tourism Association  is a free pair of tickets for the Hanover Theatre show in Worcester on Monday, December 18, and for the Cutler Majestic Theatre show in Boston on Thursday, December 21, 2017. Enter to Win Tickets here  and follow the directions.  Or, you can  purchase tickets online  now to these or other shows, to ensure you get to see one of the magical shows this Christmas holiday. Read  profile of Brian O'Donovan  here. Find year round details on Irish cultural activities in New England by visiting  IrishMassachusetts.com .

BLACKSTONE RIVER THEATRE CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION - TWO SHOWS TODAY

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Blackstone River Theatre's  10th annual Christmas Celebration  takes place on Sunday, December 10,  2017, with shows at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.  Tickets are $22 and can be purchased at the venue. The popular annual celebration features familiar and unfamiliar songs, high energy step dancing and clogging, ancient carols, spoken word, jokes and more – as musicians and dancers perform in varied combinations or join together on beautiful Christmas and winter-themed pieces.  "That's one of the nicest thing about this show," explains Russell Gusetti, BRT executive director. "We all get a chance to perform with each other in several different configurations, something audiences simply do not get to see at any other point in the year.” Here is a schedule of upcoming events at Blackstone River Theatre .  For year round details on cultural events in New England visit IrishMassachusetts.com . 

Boston Holiday Pops - December 5 is Opening Night in Boston

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The acclaimed Boston Holiday Pops season opens at Boston Symphony Hall on Tuesday, December 5, and runs from December 5 through December 31 with 40 evening and matinee performances. Maestro Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Orchestra are joined by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus , conducted by James Burton .  And Santa Claus & Mrs. Claus make an appearance at each performance. Lockhart, who is celebrating his 23 season as conductor, is carrying on a tradition that began in December 1973 by esteemed Conductor Arthur Fiedler.  Boston Symphony Hall itself is a big part of the Holiday Pops experience, specifically decorated to evoke all the magic and charm of the season.  Pops patrons sit at cabaret-style tables and order food and drink with family and friends. The orchestra also takes Holiday Pops on the road, with appearances at University of Connecticut in Storrs on December 2, Hanover Theatre in Worcester on December 8, Southern New Hampshire University in

47th Annual Christmas in Newport, RI Celebrates the Season

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Enjoy hundreds of cultural, culinary, historical and seasonal events at the 47th Annual Christmas in Newport celebration in Rhode Island this month. Tours of the great mansions, holiday caroling, children's activities, visits with Santa, concerts and dance recitals are available throughout December. Overseas visitors now have easy access to Newport thanks to the new Norwegian Air   flights operating out of T.F. Green Airport in nearby Providence.  These flights connect Rhode Island to European cities like Dublin, Shannon, Cork, Belfast and Edinburgh. Read profile of Rhode Island's Irish community here. As part of the community spirit to make this a singular occasion each year, only clear bulbs illuminate the scenic harbor and wharves, the restored colonials of the Point and Historic Hill sections, and the Victorian splendor of Bellevue Avenue . For specific information, call the Christmas in Newport hot line at  (401) 849-6454, or email at  info@christmasinn

Celtic Thunder Symphony 2017 Tour Performs at Lynn Auditorium on December 3

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Celtic Thunder, the popular Irish quintet featured on PBS, is performing its Symphony Tour at the Lynn Memorial Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Sunday, December 3, 2017.  Tickets to the show are $37-47 and available to purchase online   This is Celtic Thunder's 10th tour of the USA since it was launched in 2008. The five male soloists - Damian McGinty, Ryan Kelly, Emmet Cahill, Neil Byrne & Michael O’Dwyer - perform solo and ensemble numbers.  The "Symphony Tour" departs from the Thunder's traditional and critically-acclaimed large set productions to perform hit songs from its Legacy, Mythology, Voyage, The Show & It’s Entertainment Shows.  The band also performs songs from its chart-topping albums, Christmas & Classic Christmas and the newly released Celtic Thunder Inspirational  album.   Listen to samples from Celtic Thunder Inspirational .  See other shows at Lynn Auditorium, including The Tenors on December 21 and The Chieftains

Boston's City Winery Presents Christmas with the Celts on Monday, December 4

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Boston's newest nightspot, City Winery is presenting the popular holiday show Christmas with the Celts at 8:00 p.m. on Monday, December 4, 2017.   Doors open at 6 p.m. You can purchase tickets online or at the venue, located at One Canal Street in Boston's North End. The show was developed by Nashville musician and Celtic music fan Ric Blair, and is currently airing on 222 PBS stations across America.  It combines classic Christmas melodies like "Little Drummer Boy" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas" with ancient Celtic melodies on traditional instruments like the fiddle, uilleann pipes, tin whistle and bodhran.  Read more about the band here. Read more about City Winery here. For year round details on Irish and Celtic cultural activities in Massachusetts and New England, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

Dave Burke Way unveiled in Lawrence as Tribute to Local Civic & Irish-American Leader

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The Burke Family with Mayor Rivera On November 4, the City of Lawrence unveiled a special street sign honoring the late David R. Burke (1940-2009), a civic and community leader in Lawrence as well as an nationally recognized leader in the Irish-American community. Mayor Dan Rivera joined Dave's family and friends for the dedication, near St. Patrick's Church  where Dave was a parishioner and across the street from where Dave ran a successful gift shop called Irish Jaunting Car for many years. Dave's wife Pat Burke and son Kevin spoke about Dave's love of Lawrence and his commitment to making the city a better place for everyone.  Bill Sullivan , president of AOH Division 8 and longtime friend and colleague of the Burkes, recalled Dave's influence on the national and world stage as a thoughtful and committed leader on the issue of Northern Ireland's peace process. Father Paul O'Brien , pastor of St. Patrick's, led the gathering in prayer, C

Christmas Pops, Celtic & Irish Music Concerts across New England in December 2017

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Christmas with the Celts at City Winery  Boston Irish Tourism Association has listed dozens of great holiday concerts leading up to Christmas on its December calendar page . Concerts range from the Boston Pops Holiday concerts at Boston Symphony Hall and numerous Christmas shows at  Mechanics Hall in Worcester throughout  Newport, RI . Performers in various Irish & Celtic holiday shows include Canadian group Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy , the Celtic Tenors , Christmas with the Celts featuring Nashville star Nic Blair and  A Christmas Celtic Sojourn with Brian O'Donovan. Venues with lots of Christmas and Irish music include the Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland and RI, the Irish Cultural Centre of New England in Canton, MA, and the Lynn Auditorium  and City Winery in Boston. You can also find stories on these events in the winter issue of Travel & Culture magazine, which you can pick up for free at these venues.

The Cabot Presents Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy - A Celtic Family Christmas on December 2

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The Cabot Theatre in Beverly present premier Canadian band Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy performing A Celtic Family Christmas at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 2, 2017. Tickets are $38.50 - $58.50 and can be purchased online . Also, you can enter a contest to win a pair of free tickets from the Boston Irish Tourism Association.  Deadline ends tonight and winners are announced on Thursday, November 30. A Celtic Family Christmas intersperses classic Christmas songs with timeless Celtic melodies by two of Canada's leading traditional musicians.  Five of their six children are also musicians and perform in the show. Here are upcoming concerts at The Cabot . Find year round information on Celtic music and culture at IrishMassachusetts.com .

Ireland in 60 Seconds - New Video from Tourism Ireland

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Tourism Ireland has released a new video entitled "Ireland in 60 Seconds," a colorful recap of Ireland's many natural, historical and cultural charms. "Take a minute to find out what you've been missing in Ireland" reads the promo. Watch the video here: Find out more stories about Ireland from the Boston Irish Tourism Association.

Blackstone River Theatre Holds Homecoming Concert & Silent Auction on November 25

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Erika Damiani of Tir Na Nog   The Blackstone River Theatre 's 18th annual Homecoming Concert and Silent Auction takes place at 6:30  p.m. on Saturday, November, 25, 2017 in Cumberland RI.  Tickets are $20 .  The concert features Atwater-Donnelly, Evelyn Cournoyer, Eastern Medicine Singers, Torrin Ryan, Mary Lee Partington & Ed Sweeney and the Vox Hunters, as well as an Irish session set with local musicians and dancers, including Tir Na Nog's Erika Damiani. Auction prizes include CDs, jewelry, original artwork, Christmas gifts and gift certificates.  100% of proceeds go to the Blackstone River Theatre for year-round programming and operating expenses. Read more about Blackstone's Executive Director Russell Gusetti here. Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at Blackstone River Theatre . For year round details on Celtic cultural activities in New England, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

Irish Books for Christmas - Cooking, Literature, Kennedy Family, Boston History

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The Boston Irish Tourism Association has a nice selection of Irish books that make perfect gifts for the Christmas season.  Visit the Gift Shop here.  Prices listed include postage/handling charges. The books include:   ⬐ Irish Boston : A Lively Look at Boston ’s Colorful Irish Past, $20 ⬐  Irish Writing in the 20th Century: A Reader $45 ⬐  Rose Kennedy's Family Album $45 ⬐  Elegant Irish Dining $35 ⬐  Tales from the Emerald Isle and Other Green Shores:  Classic Irish Stories, $16 Orders placed via PayPal or by check will be shipped within 24 hours via United States Postal Service (USPS). Follow Irish cultural activities year round at IrishBoston.org .

Irish Hurling Tournament & Festival at Fenway Park Today, November 19, 2017

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The AIG Fenway Hurling Classic and Irish Festival ,supported by Aer Lingus , is taking place from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 19, 2017 at Fenway Park in Boston. This year's hurling competition debuts a new three-game tournament championship format, featuring two semi-final matches followed by a final match where two teams go head to head for the championship trophy.  Counties Clare, Dublin, Galway and Tipperary are the teams represented this year. In addition, families can enjoy an Irish festival of music, dance and fun prior to the competitions right in the park.  Performers include the Burren Traditional Band, Brian Boru Pipe Band from Cape Cod and U2 tribute band Joshua Tree.  Fenway   Park is one of America's most iconic sporting venues with a distinguished history of hosting  Irish sporting events at the park .   Read about  Charles Logue , an Irish immigrant from County Derry who built Fenway Park in 1912.  And here is a story on the  100th a

Irish Pastoral Centre Celebrates 30 Years in Boston with Gala on Saturday, November 18

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Boston ’s Irish PastoralCentre celebrates its 30 th anniversary with a Gala Event on Saturday, November 18 at Florian Hall in Dorchester .  Tickets are $100 and can be purchased online or at the hall, which is located at 55 Hallet Street. Special guests and honorees include former Vatican Ambassador and Boston Mayor Ray Flynn and Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald , Ireland ’s deputy head of government.  Music is by Irish band Devri .  The Centre was founded in 1987, when young Irish were emigrating due to a faltering economy. Co-founders Fr. Dan Finn and Sr. Veronica Dobson operated the Centre at St. Mark’s Parish in Dorchester and St. Columbkille in Brighton . In 2012 the Centre moved to St. Brendan’s Parish in Dorchester . Read profile of IPC's 25th anniversary . For year round details on the Irish community in Boston, visit IrishBoston.org . 

Winter Issue of TRAVEL & CULTURE Magazine Features New England Holiday Concerts & Travel to Ireland

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( BOSTON ) -- The Boston Irish Tourism Association (BITA) has released its winter issue of  Travel & Culture , a free magazine that promotes the New England region’s Irish community as well as mainstream cultural events for visitors. Holiday concerts are featured in this issue, with stories on Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart and a round-up of Celtic Christmas shows.  Additionally, St. Patrick’s Day activities are included, from parades and concerts to cultural events. The cover photo features Haley Richardson, one of the performers at this year's A Christmas Celtic Sojourn concerts taking place in Boston, Rockport, Worcester, New Bedford and Providence.  The “Travel Ireland ” section has stories on Irish Christmas markets throughout the country and on a new museum honoring poet Seamus Heaney in County Derry . There are also stories on new upcoming flights to Ireland on Delta Air Lines and Norwegian Air. Other stories include a profile of Newpo

Jeremy Kittel Trio Performs at Blackstone River Theatre on Saturday, November 11

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The Jeremy Kittel Trio is performing at the Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland, RI at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 11, 2017.  Tickets are $18 and can purchased at the venue or by calling 401 725-9272. Kittel is an a ward-winning fiddler, violinist, and composer, a master in Celtic, classical, jazz, and bluegrass traditions, according to BRT. He is gifted in fusing and revitalizing these diverse styles. Jeremy was a member of the Turtle Island Quartet for five years. Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at Blackstone River Theatre. For information on year-round cultural activities in New England, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

Clannad Singer Moya Brennan Performs at Irish Cultural Centre on November 9

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Irish singer Moya Brennan is performing at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton on Thursday, November 9, 2017.  Tickets are $25 general admission ($20 for ICC members) and can be purchased at the door. A native of Donegal,  Moya Brennan  and her band Clannad helped jump start a revival of Irish traditional music in the 1970s, while also shining a spotlight of the rich body of music in the Irish language. Here is a schedule of upcoming activities at the Centre . For year round details on Irish cultural activities, visit IrishBoston.org .

Marty Walsh Overwhelmingly Wins Re-Election for Second Term as Mayor of Boston

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Marty Walsh won a convincing victory over opponent Tito Jackson to secure his second four-year term as Mayor of Boston.  The 50 year old son of Irish immigrants from Connemara, County Galway, was first elected in November 2013.  Since then he has become one of the state's most popular politicians who has built a solid record in affordable housing, economic development, arts & culture, immigrant rights and opportunities for all Boston residents.  Read Marty Walsh's full speech at The Boston Globe site. "Today, I am more determined than ever to make Boston a city where everyone’s dream can come true—a city that’s a hub of opportunity for every individual in every neighborhood," Walsh told his jubilant followers at Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston's Back Bay.  "A city for all of us. That’s what the next four years will be about." Walsh has gained national attention this year for his fierce advocacy of immigrant rights in the Uni

Tourism Group Offers Free Tickets to AIG Fenway Hurling Classic & Irish Festival at Fenway Park, November 19

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The Boston Irish Tourism Association is giving away 25 free pairs of tickets to the AIG Fenway Hurling Classic, supported by Aer Lingus , taking place on Sunday, November 19, 2017 in Boston.  Gates open at 11 a.m. and the final match takes place at 3 p.m. Enter the contest here , and we'll notify the winners on Friday, November 17. Or, order your tickets online  now to make sure you're part of this amazing annual event.  There are also special packages for hotel rates and opportunities to meet the players.  Fans are able to get a 10% discount on Aer Lingus flights to attend the match. This year's hurling competition debuts a new three-game tournament championship format, featuring two semi-final matches followed by a final match where two teams go head to head for the championship trophy.  Counties Clare, Dublin, Galway and Tipperary are the teams represented this year. In addition, families can enjoy an Irish festival of music, dance and fun prior to the

Lonely Planet Names Belfast & Causeway Coast Best Travel Destination in 2018.

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Belfast and the Causeway Coast were named the Number One region in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel for 2018.  Belfast and the Causeway shared the top ten list with other destinations like Alaska , Kii Peninsula in Japan , and Bahai in Brazil . Belfast was praised for its world-renowned restaurants, historical sites and the friendliness of people in Northern Ireland .  The Causeway Coast has magnificent castles, seascapes and natural wonders.  The Causeway has been a film location for the HBO series Game of Thrones. Lonely Planet wrote:  "From epic landscapes to hip hotels and doomed ships to fine food, Belfast & the Causeway Coast has plenty to attract visitors. Belfast , a city once defined by the Troubles, has a new and compelling energy. Old shipyards are giving way to gleaming new developments, while Victorian architecture and Titanic Belfast ensure history is never far from the surface. To the northwest is the Causeway Coast , a stretch of ru

Thomas J. Butler Memorial Park Opens in South Boston

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Massport  recently joined local elected officials, friends and family of Tom Butler to officially unveil the Thomas J. Butler Memorial Park in South Boston. Joining Massport CEO Tom Glynn at the event were Governor Charlie Baker, Congressman Stephen Lynch, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, state Senator Linda Dorcena Forry, state Representative Nick Collins, City Councilors Michael Flaherty and Bill Linehan and other local officials, as well as former officials like Ray Flynn, Bill Bulger and Jack Hart. The park is named to honor Tom Butler of South Boston, who was beloved in his neighborhood for his many decades of community service and charitable deeds to the town.  As Director of External Relations for Massport, Butler was also a well-respected public official who helped mitigate effects of Logan International Airport, Conley Terminal and Cruiseport Boston for the residents who lived nearby those facilities. "My father acted as a buffer for the  community he served in his cap

Inroads Ireland - Tours off the Beaten Path in 2018

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Inroads Ireland , a Seattle-based travel company, offers a number of customized, unique tours of Ireland each summer and fall.  Founded and operated by the husband-wife team of Carolyn Janette and Phil Ryan, Inroads Tours run from May through October 2018 and are divided into three segments: Go North, Go South, Go West. You can find details of the 2018 tours with dates here. Read more about Exploring Ireland here.

Irish Cultural Centre Holds 27th annual Golf Tournament on October 23

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The Irish Cultural Centre of New England is holding its 27th annual Golf Tournament at the Brookmeadow Country Club in Canton at 11 a.m. on Monday, October 23, 2017. The golf tournament raises funds for year-round programming at the Cultural Centre. It is described as a day of golf, with music, raffles and a dinner afterwards. Opened in 1989, the 46 acre Irish Cultural Centre represents the Irish and Irish-American community year round, with regular cultural activities including music, dancing, theatre and lectures; a Irish pub and Irish cottage on site, and playing fields for Gaelic sports such as hurling, camogie and football. Find out more about the Centre here.

Getting to Know the Island of Ireland

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Tourism Ireland has created a new online film to highlight some of the many wonderful and unique locations that international visitors can enjoy throughout the island of Ireland. From the Wild Atlantic Way and Northern Ireland, to Ireland’s Ancient East, Belfast and Dublin, there is so much for visitors to enjoy about Ireland.  The film is being promoted through Tourism Ireland’s social platforms, including Facebook (4 million + fans worldwide), Twitter (440,500+ followers) and  YouTube . In 2016, Ireland welcomed approximately 10.3 million overseas visitors to the island of Ireland, delivering revenue of about €5.3 billion. For stories and information about going to Ireland from the New England region, read these stories on Ireland .  For  full details on visiting Ireland, go to Ireland.com . 

Guided Tour of Boston's Irish Heritage Trail from Boston Common, October 21

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The final guided tour this season of Boston's Irish Heritage Trail takes place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 21, 2017, starting at the Boston Common Visitor Center . The tour is led by seasoned guide Ted Kulik , who covers ten stops along the trail that encompass over 300 years of Irish history in Boston.  Tickets are $15 for adults, and $12 for seniors, students and military.  You can purchase your ticket at the Visitor Information Center front counter prior to the tour. The 90 minute walk takes you through Boston Common, past the State House, Old Granary Burying Ground, down School Street, and over to City Hall and Faneuil Hall. The Irish Heritage Trail was created by Boston Irish Tourism Association as a way of sharing the illustrious history of the Irish in Boston from colonial times to the present. Find more about the Irish Heritage Trail here. For more details on the October 21 tour, contact Colette at BITA.

Harpist Patrick Ball Performs at Blackstone River Threatre on October 14

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Renowned Celtic Harpist Patrick Ball is performing "A Pilgrimage to Yeats Country" at the Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland, RI at 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 14, 2017. Tickets to the show are $15 and can be purchased at the venue the night of the show. Ball's show about the Irish poet W. B. Yeats combines the age-old traditions of storytelling, poetry and verse, and music  and dance.  Yeats, founder of Ireland's National Theatre, delved deeply into the culture of Ireland's peasantry when shaping his body of work, which helped him win a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923. Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at Blackstone River Theatre . For year round information on Irish cultural activities in New England, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

Boston College Celebrates the Seamus Connolly Collection of Irish Music on October 12

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Séamus Connolly, a 10-time All-Ireland fiddle champion and former Sullivan Artist in Residence at Boston College , returns to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the acclaimed  Séamus Connolly Collection of Irish Music  launched by the BC Libraries. Connolly will describe how his project—a digital collection that pays tribute to his early traditional music mentors—came together. The event takes place starting at 6 p.m. at the Cadigan Alumni Center at 2121 Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton.  Admission is $20 and registration is online .  The program is co-sponsored by the Boston College Libraries and the University Advancement Alumni Education Series. The evening will feature live music performances by Jimmy and Séamus Noonan on flute and tin whistle; Séamus Connolly on fiddle; and Shannon and Matt Heaton on vocals, flute, and guitar. Here is a profile on Seamus Connolly's Collection of Irish Music .  Find out about Irish cultural activities year round in

Norwegian Air Service from Providence Profiles the Rhode Island Irish Connection

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Graphic Courtesy of Providence Journal   There is significant joy around Southern New England these days, since T.F. Green International Airport in Providence became a regional hub from for travel to Ireland , Northern Ireland , Scotland and England .  The launch of Norwegian Air ’s new service from Providence  gave New Englanders a direct path to Belfast , Cork , Shannon, Dublin and Edinburgh . Find information about fall and winter  Norwegian Air flights to Ireland and the UK .      It turns out the Providence airport is ideally located to meet the ongoing needs of travelers looking for direct service at low cost.   T.F. Green is “an access point for a huge part of the Northeastern U.S. ,” industry analyst Michael Boyd told the Providence Journal this spring.  According to the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, 64% of New Englanders live within 75 miles of Green. Rhode Island – an Irish State Rhode Island ranks fifth in the country in terms of Irishne

JFK Library Screening New Documentary, "John Hume in America: In the Name of Peace, on October 10

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The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum is airing a new documentary entitled, "In the Name of Peace: John Hume in America," at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 10, 2017. Admission is free, but registration is required. The screening has been named an "Event of the Week" by Boston Irish Tourism Association . The screening is followed by a discussion between filmmaker Maurice Fitzpatrick and former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, who was the Northern Ireland envoy during the Clinton Administration.  Boston Globe columnist Kevin Cullen is moderator. Former U.S. Senator Paul Kirk introduces the documentary and discussion. Here is a schedule of upcoming forums at the JFK Library . For year round information on Irish activities in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

Win Tix to See Irish Singer Tommy Fleming at Larcom Theatre on October 8

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  World-renowned Irish singer-songwriter  Tommy Fleming  is performing at the Larcom Theatre in Beverly at 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 8, 2017.   It is his only New England appearance and is a concert not to be missed! BITA is offering a pair of tickets, courtesy of our friends at Larcom Theatre, to see the show.  Enter to win here , then check back on Friday, October 6, as we announce the winner. Or you can purchase tickets online to avoid the suspenseful wait! Tommy’s unique and powerful voice has brought him worldwide recognition on sold-out tours in Ireland , UK , US, Australia and Japan . He has that distinctive Irish ability to perform live across a wide range of music with equal mastery – from traditional songs like  Danny Boy and  Isle of Innisfree  to contemporary classics like  You Raise Me Up  and  Bridge Over Troubled Waters. Larcom Theater  in downtown Beverly is one of the small venue gems in Massachusetts . Built in 1912 during the Vaudeville

Win Tix to See Irish Play, Star of the Sea, at Fine Arts Center in Amherst, October 3-4

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Galway-based  Moonfish Theatre  presents the critically-acclaimed play,  Star of the Sea  at the UMass Fine Arts Center in Amherst. Win a pair of tickets to see the play from the Boston Irish Tourism Association;  enter to win here  and check back on Monday, October. 3.  Or, you can  purchase tickets directly online . Performed in Irish and English, audiences are invited to experience Irish as a theatrical language, translated continuously through subtitles, movement and song – completely accessible to non-Irish speakers. There will be a Question & Answer session with the company after each performance. Here is a trailer to the play . The play is adapted from   Joseph O'Connor 's best-selling novel about passengers on a ship, Star of the Sea, that sets sail from Ireland to America in 1847, the height of the Irish Famine. Find out more about Irish activities in New England by visiting  IrishMassachusetts.com .

Master Bodhran Player Mance Grady Teaching at the Irish Cultural Centre this Fall

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Bodhran master player and maker Mance Grady is teaching a five-week course on playing the Irish drum at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton, beginning September 22, 2017. A beginner course runs from 7-8 p.m., followed by an Intermediate/Advanced class from 8-9 p.m.  Tuition is $125 for ICC members and $140 for non-members.  A recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Award for his bodhran playing, Mance is also the first American endorsed by NEA to teach the bodhran in the United States.  In addition to being an ace player, Mance is also recognized as a respected instrument maker who has made dozens of drums over the past four decades.   To reserve a spot in the class, call the ICC at 781 821-8291.   Here is a schedule of fall events at the Irish Cultural Centre .  Find year round details on Irish activities in New England by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com .