Irish Massachusetts

Boston's Irish community has played an oversized role in the nation's military, from the Revolutionary War to the present.   Here are four distinguished Irish-American war heroes.  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. In March, 1776, Barry was commissioned to command the ship USS Brig Lexington and in April, 1776, the Lexington captured the British ship Edward, marking the first American naval victory in the American Revolution. Barry fought valiantly throughout the war, fighting the British Navy on the high seas.  In December 1781, following the Battle of Yorktown, Commodore Barry transported Marguis de Lafayette back to France aboard the frigate Alliance. There, Lafayette joined American emissaries Benjamin Franklin, John Laurens, John Adams, and John Jay to secure continued French support for the new American nation. After the war, Geo...

Ireland’s  Dublin Book Festival  returns for its 20th season on November 4-8, 2026 at dozens of venues throughout the city, showcasing the best in Irish writing and publishing for both adult and children readers. Featured authors and speakers this year include Mary Robinson, Roddy Doyle, Marian Keyes, Anne Enright, Sebastian Barry, Louise Kennedy, Kevin Barry, Mario Rosenstock, Djamel White, Colm O’Regan, Katriona O’Sullivan, Naoise Dolan, Patrick Freyne, Doireann Ní Ghríofa and Hector Ó hEochagáin. The Dublin Book Festival provides a great opportunity to hear both established and emerging authors in conversation about their new books, to enjoy stimulating panel discussions, poetry readings, walking tours, creative workshops and special celebrations and launches.  Plus, there is a full weekend of  Family Events  that are free and open to the public. Here is the  complete program . This year’s Festival Hub is the iconic Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM), l...

Garden of Remembrance,  Springfield, MA. Courtesy of Springfield.gov Public officials and local Irish leaders are holding a special Irish Remembrance ceremony at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 18, 2026 at the Rose Garden in Forest Park. The event honors Ireland’s history and history and celebrates Irish heritage and traditions that have enriched Springfield for generations. It also marks the 45th anniversary of the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike, in which ten young Irishmen lost their lives. The ceremony remembers the families and communities affected by the conflict, while reflecting on the importance of remembrance, reconciliation and the ongoing pursuit of peace, according to the office of Mayor Domenic J. Sarno. Irish Proclamation in the Garden of Remembrance, Springfield, MA. Courtesy of Springfield.gov Congressman Richard Neal is attending the ceremony, along with officials from the Irish Cultural Centre of Western New England, the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the John Boyle O'Rei...

One of Boston's most accomplished Irish leaders for over 60 years was Michael Cummings (1924-2011), a stand-out in Gaelic football, Irish set dancing, Irish scholarship, cultural heritage and immigration reform.   In 1947,  Mike arrived in Boston  from Ballygar, County Galway as a heralded young football star who helped lead the Galway Football Club in Boston to five consecutive championships from 1948-1952.    He was elected the youngest president of the  Gaelic Athletic Association in New England , a group he continued to support through his life.    1955 Boston GAA Team, Mike Cummings, back row, third from left Off the playing field, Mike was active in Boston’s Irish cultural community, teaching set dancing classes at the Intercolonial Hall in Dudley Square, Roxbury and at Harvard University.   He was active in Irish cultural groups like the Eire Society of Boston , Charitable Irish Society , Galway County Club and similar groups. ...

  Boston Logan International Airport has a Boston Logan 9/11 Memorial , a powerful homage to the passengers and crews of American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, the two planes that departed Boston Logan for Los Angeles, but were hijacked by terrorists who flew them into the World Trade Towers in New York. Massport describes the memorial as "a place contemplation, reflection, and remembrance for a world impacted by the events of September 11, 2001." The memorial is located between Terminal A and the Hilton Boston Logan Airport Hotel and can be accessed through the parking garage. Massport writes, "Landscaped paths lead to a large glass cube that presents two glass panels etched with the names of every person aboard each flight. From inside, visitors look up at a sky transformed by a prism of reflective panels by day; the cube glows with a soft light by night." The Massachusetts 9/11 Fund is organizing 25th anniversary commemorations and cerem...

  The annual  Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann  (Festival of Irish Music) takes place in Belfast, Northern Ireland, from August 2-9, 2026. Billed as the world’s largest celebration of traditional Irish music and culture, the week-long festival features continuous live music, dancing and singing on stage and in the streets, pubs, hotel lobbies, cafes and cultural venues throughout the city. Here is a complete  schedule of Fleadh Cheoil activities  throughout the week.  Launched in the 1950s by  Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann  to preserve Irish traditional music, dance, singing, recitation and the spoken Irish language, this is the first year the Fleadh is being held in Belfast. An estimated 800,000 people are expected to attend, according to officials. Tourism Ireland  is promoting the Fleadh as a platform to shine a spotlight on Belfast’s designation as a UNESCO City of Music and to showcase the rich cultural and music experiences available right acros...

  For visitings enjoying Sail Boston's Tall Ship promenade this week, take a minute to check out two memorials to Boston's most famous boat maker, Donald McKay (1810-1880). Born in Jordan Falls, Nova Scotia, Donald was one of 16 sons and daughters born to Hugh and Ann McPherson McKay.  At age 22, he moved to New York and became a ship carpenter's apprentice, working at various shipyard in the Northeast.  By age 30, he had achieved  Master Ship Building status in Newburyport, MA.  Backed by Boston merchant Enoch Trail, McKay built 49 vessels between 1845-1853 in his East Boston shipyard, hailed for their speed, agility and size. His most famous ship was the Flying Cloud built in 1851, which set a record for sailing from New York to San Francisco in 89 days, two months quicker than the previous record.  Castle Island Monument to Donald McKay In 1933, the Donald McKay Monument was unveiled on Castle Island , designed by architect William T. Aldrich. The bron...

  This week, Ireland’s  An Post  (Post Office) unveiled a special new stamp to mark 75 years of  Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann , an organization that promotes traditional Irish culture throughout Ireland and around the world, especially music and dance. Created by  DesignWorks Ireland , the stamp was designed and illustrated in-house by Louise Nichols and Aoife Carroll, according to Martin Gafney, who along with Rocky Grennell represented DesignWorks Ireland. The stamp features a stylized fiddle reimagined as a patchwork of color and texture, with each section symbolizing the diverse communities, traditions and experiences brought together through Comhaltas. An Post’s stamp commission team was led by Aileen Mooney and Dave Mulholland.  An unveiling of the special stamp held in Dublin included Minister for Culture, Communications and Sports, Patrick O’Donovan, TD; Minister of State Charlie McConalogue, TD; and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann officials Labhrás Ó Mu...

  Bacchante and Infant Faun at BPL by sculptor Frederick MacMonnies Bacchante and Infant Faun Boston Public Library Courtyard This controversial masterpiece was created in 1893 by American-born sculptor Frederick MacMonnies (1863-1937), the son of William and Julinana Eudora (West) MacMonnies. His father William emigrated to New York from the Isle of Whithorn in Dumfries, Scotland and became a successful grain merchant. Frederick gave the original casting of Bacchante to his friend, architect Charles Follen McKim , whose own masterpiece, the Boston Public Library, was being built. When the statue was unveiled at Boston Public Library, an outcry ensued from puritanical opponents who objected to the nudity of Bacchante, the Goddess of Wine.  McKim withdrew the gift, giving it instead to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, where the original piece still resides. The controversy over the censorship of the artwork gained MacMonnies a certain notoriety, and he mad...