Irish Massachusetts

Henry Pelham's original illustration, courtesy of American Antiquarium Two hundred and fifty-two years ago, on a wintry Monday night on March 5, 1770,  a deadly confrontation between occupying British soldiers and local residents resulted in five Bostonians being shot and killed.  The sudden confrontation between the soldiers and citizens, after an escalating week of smaller skirmishes and fist fights between the two groups, became a transformative event in American history that launched the road to revolution among the colonists against the British Crown.  Five men - Samuel Gray Samuel Maverick, James Caldwell, Crispus Attucks and Patrick Carr - died from their wounds and were laid to rest at the Old Granary Burying Ground on Tremont Street.  The Boston Gazette summed up the mood of the colonies when it wrote on March 12, “The town of Boston affords a recent and melancholy demonstration of the destructive consequences of quartering troops among citizens in a time of...

Three Catholic immigrants whose military and naval valor helped win the Revolutionary War between 1775 and 1783 have been honored with public memorials by the City of Boston.  The three memorials pay homage to Ireland's John Barry, Poland's Tadeusz Kościuszko and France's Marquis de Lafayette, and are located close to each other in two iconic downtown parks, the Boston Common and adjoining Boston Public Garden.  All three were unveiled in the 20th century.    John Barry, Ireland Born on March 25, 1745 in Tacumshane, County Wexford, Ireland, Barry emigrated to Philadelphia at age 15 and became a successful maritime merchant.  When the Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775, Barry immediately contacted George Washington and volunteered to serve on the colonial side. In March, 1776, Barry was commissioned to command the ship USS Brig Lexington and a month later, in April, 1776, the Lexington captured the British ship Edward, marking the first American naval...

The  JFK Hyannis Museum  on Cape Cod is pleased to feature the 1962 documentary, "A Tour of the White  House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy ," during the month of February, 2026. The film chronicles the First Lady's extensive restoration project, which sought to restore the building’s historical integrity using period-appropriate furnishings and artifacts.  Originally broadcast on February 14, 1962, the program provided unprecedented public access to the residence and remains one of the most-watched specials in television  history. Mrs. Kennedy’s dedication to preservation not only professionalized the management of White House collections but also earned her a prestigious Trustees Award . Located at 97 Main Street in Hyannis on Cape Cod,  t he JFK Museum is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout February. PM  

  Thomas E. McGrath, president of the South Boston Citizens’ Association , shares the following update on plans for the 250th anniversary of Evacuation Day on March 17, 2026 at Dorchester Heights in South Boston. "The day will begin with the Evacuation Day Mass at St. Augustine Chapel at 9:00 a.m..Following the Mass, wreaths will be laid in honor of the first Chief Marshal of the Evacuation Day/St. Patrick’s Day Parade, as well as Officer Barney McGinniskin, who was the first Irish-born officer on record to serve in the United States in 1851, the year he joined the Boston Police Department. "Immediately after the wreath-laying ceremonies, we will join the procession mustering at the Boys & Girls Club. The procession will proceed along Mercer Street, up Telegraph Street, and into Dorchester Heights for the 250th Anniversary Evacuation Day ceremony and the rededication of the Dorchester Heights Monument. "The plan includes a tented event at Dorchester Heights, along wi...

First organized on November 5, 1871, the   Rev. James T. O’Reilly OSA Division Eight of the Ancient Order of Hibernians has been promoting Irish culture and heritage in Essex County, MA ever since. Its annual Irish Heritage Month each March offers a spectrum of Irish music and dance, lectures, exhibits, and social gatherings.   Here is the 2026 schedule.   Sunday, March 1, 2026  “AN AFTERNOON OF IRISH MUSIC WITH BRIAN CORCORAN”   Lawrence Heritage State Park Visitors Center, 1 Jackson St, Lawrence, MA @ 2 pm.  Monday, March 2, 2026   IRISH FLAG RAISING Across from City Hall – Common St. @11 a.m. Saturday, March 7, 2026  154th SAINT PATRICK’S DAY BANQUET AND DANCE  Lawrence Lodge of Elks, 652 Andover Street, Lawrence, MA. 6 pm – 11 pm  Sunday, March 8, 2025  OPENING of the EXHIBIT - "THE PEMBERTON MILL: THE WORST INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT IN MASSACHUSETTS HISTORY” Lawrence Heritage State Park Visitors Center, 1 Jackson St, Lawrence, M...

On February 1st each year, Ireland celebrates the extraordinary life of St Brigid, Ireland's matron saint and beloved figure who bridged the Celtic and Christian traditions of the island in the 5th century.    She shares a name with Brigit, a Celtic goddess from whom many legends and folk customs are associated. Born around 451 A.D. in Ireland, Brigid's life straddled the transition between pre-Christian Celtic beliefs and Christianity.  She is patroness of poetry, learning, healing, protection, blacksmithing, livestock and dairy production. The Book of Lismore, a 15th century Gaelic manuscript of religious material relating to Ireland's saints, writes this about St. Brigid:  "For this was Brigid's desire: to satisfy, the poor; to expel every hardship; to relieve every misery. Now never hath there been one more bashful, modest, gentle, humble, more sage, more harmonious than Brigid. She is the Prophetess of Christ; she is Queen of the South; she is the Mary of the ...

  On Thursday, February 5, 2026, the USS Constitution Museum's Leadership Forum welcomes former Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Meet Boston President and CEO Martha J. Sheridan for a candid conversation about what it takes to lead through complexity, create community across wide networks and drive change inside organizations with strong, established cultures. Sheridan will moderate the Forum with an eye toward service, collaboration, and impact, drawing out the lessons that matter most to leaders trying to move a mission forward. The Forum takes place at the Intercontinental Boston at  510 Atlantic Avenue, starting at 5:30 p.m. with the one-hour speaking program beginning at 6:30 p.m.  Tickets are $60 per person and include a full bar and hors d’oeuvres. Order tickets online .  Baker leads the NCAA, a national organization spanning more than 1000 colleges and universities, hundreds of thousands of student-athletes, and a web of conferences, m...

Worcester Parade  January 22, 2026 — Boston Irish Tourism Association (BITA) today released its schedule of thirteen   2026 St. Patrick’s Day Parades   taking place in New England this March to celebrate Irish-American Heritage Month. The 2026 parade season kicks off on Saturday, March 7 with parades on Cape Cod, Hartford and Pawtucket and finishes up on Sunday, March 22 with the iconic parade in Holyoke. The pinnacle of parades takes place the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday, March 15, when parades are held simultaneously in Abington, Boston, New Haven, Portland, Scituate and Worcester. The popular parade in  Manchester, NH  has been cancelled in 2026 due to logistical issues. These parades honor Saint Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint, while also showcasing the region’s vibrant Irish-American community. The  US Census reports that the New England region  has the highest percentile of residents claiming Irish ancestry in the United States. “T...

A new "Dublin Heritage Marker" was unveiled on Monday, December 8 at 25 Water Street in the historical town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, best known as the place settled by English Pilgrims in 1620.  The marker was created by the Father John Murphy Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, who helped fund the project along with the Government of Ireland Emigrant Support Programme. Attending the ceremony were Ireland's Consul General Sighlé Fitzgerald,  South Shore Irish Heritage Trail President Greg Shanahan, AOH Plymouth President Mike Schilling, plus various local officials, AOH members and representatives of other Irish organizations. Congressman Bill Keating's District Director Michael Jackson also attended. "This marker commemorates the historic Irish Dublin neighborhood and the families who helped shape the fabric of our community, "wrote officials officials. The Dublin Heritage Marker is being added to the South Shore Irish Heritage Trail , a trail o...