Irish Massachusetts

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston is marking the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's historic 1960 campaign on Twitter . Library officials are posting daily tweets that capture the day-to-day rigors of the campaign trail. The JFK Library is also hosting a series of exhibits, educational events and public forums to commemorate one of America's most significant political campaigns. For more details on President Kennedy's historical campaign, click here .

Aoife Clancy The first annual   Cape Cod Irish SummerFest   takes place today, July 27 at the Cape Cod Melody Tent , in Hyannis, from 3:00 to 10:00 p.m. Tickets are $25 for the full day, including the evening concert, or $10 for the day (no evening concert), and children's day passes are $5.  These can be purchased through Ticketmaster or by calling 508 775-5630.   Tickets can also be purchased at the gate. The festival is sponsored by the Sons of Erin Cape Cod , a year-round Irish organization in Yarmouth that promotes Irish culture and heritage, and the Cape Cod St. Patrick's Parade , which takes place each year in March to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Among the Irish performers at the Cape Cod Irish SummerFest: Aoife Clancy, the Screaming Orphans and McPeake, as well as gift vendors, cultural displays and food courts.  For a full schedule of events at the Melody Tent, click here . For year-round Irish events throughout Ne...

(Boston) - A spectacle of Irish and Scottish music, dance, culture and fun is about to get underway at the 8th annual Blackstone Valley Celtic Festival at Indian Ranch in Webster Massachusetts.   The festival takes place on Saturday, July 17 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and features a great line-up of Celtic music.  Performers  include Fiddlers 3, Fergus, the Gobshites and Jug O'Punch.  Also appearing: the McInerney School of Irish Step Dancing, and the Worcester Fire Brigade Pipes & Drums. In addition to great music and dance, the all-day festival includes children's activities and entertainment, traditional food and fare, and the infamous Men in Kilts contest.  There is also a Celtic Nations Pavilion and Pub on site. The festival is located on beautiful Webster Lake, where swimming is available all day with a lifeguard on duty. Ticket information : General admission is $15.  Seniors pay $12 and children ages five-eleven pay $5. Acc...

This week the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism released its list of   1,000 Great Places , which includes the Boston Irish Heritage Trail and several other Irish landmarks throughout the state. The Great Places initiative was launched last fall, and accepted nominations from residents of  Massachusetts as well as visitors from around the world who have been to the Bay State. Betsy Wall, executive director of the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, said,  "There are so many wonderful and exciting places to explore in Massachusetts .   The list of 1000 great places gives visitors the opportunity to see the variety and richness the Commonwealth has to offer." Many of the stops along the Irish Heritage Trail are on the list, including: the Granary Burying Ground,   the Massachusetts State House, Fenway Park, Bunker Hill Monument and Dorchester Heights.   Another landmark of interest to Irish Americans is the John...