Irish Massachusetts

The Huntington Theatre Company   has announced its 2011-2012 schedule , in celebration of its 30th season as one of New England's most acclaimed and accomplished theatre companies. The line-up includes Candide, Before I Leave You, God of Carnage, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Tartuffle,  and The Luck of the Irish. Other plays will be added in the fall. The Luck of the Irish is described as "the world premier of a compelling Boston story by Huntington Theatre Playwriting Fellow Kirsten Greenidge....It explores personal stories of integration and the confict of calling any place your home."  It runs March 30- April 29, 2012 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. For more information about the Huntington Theatre Company, click here .  For year round cultural activities in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com . 

Boston Irish Tourism Association is raffling off free pairs of tickets to see Enter the Haggis - the premier Canadian Celtic Rock Band -- for the April 8, 2011 show at the Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury, Massachusetts.  To enter the contest, click here .  Winners will be announced on Monday, April 4, 2011. Based in Toronto, Enter the Haggis boasts a unique musical sound that blends together Celtic influences alongside rock, jazz, bluegrass and Canadian folk music.  They are one of the most popular Canadian bands in the New England region. For a full schedule of concerts at Blue Ocean Music Hall, click here . For year round Irish music in Massachusetts and the New England region, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .  For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com .

Two outstanding proponents of traditional Irish music with a New York flair are performing at the Gaelic Roots program at Boston College this Thursday, March 31, 2011, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Fiddler Brian Conway   is a direct musical descendant of Martin Wynne, Andy McGann and Michael Coleman, a true exponent of the Sligo style of fiddling. Pianist Brendan Dolan is a great young pianist who learned from his father, Felix Dolan , and he is also a talented flutist and tin whistle player.   The free concert is part of the Gaelic Roots program at Boston College headed by Irish fiddler Seamus Connolly .  For year round details on Irish music and culture in Massachusetts and the New England states, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

My Brothers , directed by Paul Fraser, is being screened today, Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. at the Somerville  Theatre in Davis Square, Somerville. It's part of the Irish Film Festival Boston weekend, which features dozens of new films, shorts, documentaries and animation coming out of Ireland's burgeoning film industry. For a complete schedule of events, click here . For year round Irish cultural activities in greater Boston and the New England region, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .  For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com .

Irish harpist and singer Aine Minogue is performing at the Jenks Center in Winchester, Massachusetts on Saturday, March 26, 2001 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets to the concert are $15.00. For directions to the Jenks Center, located at 109 Skillings Road in Winchester, click here , and for more information, call 781 721-7136. A native of County Tipperary, Minogue presents an evening of poignant Irish songs, classic Irish harp melodies, and storytelling in the Irish tradition. For year round Irish cultural events in Massachusetts and New England states, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

Sandy enjoying Irish music at Seaport Hotel Boston, March 17, 2008 Chrysandra "Sandy" Walter passed away on Monday, March 21, 2011, after a lengthy and brave battle with cancer. She was 63. Sandy is survived by her loving husband, fiddler Seamus Connolly, her mother and stepfather, Winnie and Larry Moore, sisters Diane Evers and Debbie Contro, and three stepchildren, Ronan, Darragh and Keelin Connolly. Sandy was respected and admired as a caring, honest, dedicated leader in the National Park Service , where her 38 year career took her all over the country, including the nation's capitol, and ending in New England as deputy regional director for NPS's Northeast Region.  Sandy retired from the NPS in 2007 and moved to North Yarmouth, Maine with Seamus. She was beloved in the Irish-American community, as a genuine enthusiast for Celtic music and for folk music generally.  She was instrumental, along with Joe Wilson, in hosting the National Folk Festival in Lowe...

The annual St. Patrick's Day parade in Manchester, New Hampshire kicks off this Sunday, March 27, 2011 at noon on Elm Street in downtown Manchester. More than 70,000 people are expected to attend. The theme of this year's parade is Helping Hands Feeding the Hungry, and proceeds from the parade will aid local food pantries.  The parade is organized by the local chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians . For great Irish traditional music the day of the parade, visit the Shaskeen Pub , located at 909 Elm Street.  For year round information on Irish activities in the New England states, visit IrishMassachusetts.com  

The 2 nd annual Le Défilé de la St-Patrick de Québec is taking place on Saturday, March 26, 2011, starting at 1:30 p.m. in Quebec City in Canada. The parade was reinstated last year by local Irish-Canadian leaders, and was the first official Irish parade since the 1920s.   The president of the parade committee is Irish native Peter Farrel, now living in Quebec. The Quebec City St. Patrick’s Day Parade web site features a map of the parade route , which goes right through the heart of the historic city.   It begins at St. Patrick’s High School on Avenue de Salaberry, heads along rue St-Jean, through the historic gate, and finishes up on rue des Jardins, near   the Notre Dame Basilica Cathedral. There’s also an historical time line that shows the Irish first arriving in Quebec City as members of the French Army in 1760.  The first St. Patrick’s Day procession took place in Quebec City in 1837 and continued off and on through 1926.    Marching ...

On St. Patrick's Day, US President Barack Obama announced his intention to visit Ireland at the end of May, 2011.  He made the announcement as part of the White House activities celebrating St. Patrick's Day. "I wanted to say today that I intend to come to Ireland in May," said the President at a press conference at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2011. "I’m expecting to go not only to all the famous sites, but also to go to Moneygall, where my great-great-great-great-great grandfather hails from. Joe Biden is envious because he wants to go first -- (laughter) -- but my expectation is, is that I’ll just be laying the groundwork for what I’m sure will be an even more wonderful trip by him. But I’m very much looking forward to that." President Obama is traveling to France for the G8 summit of world leaders in France, and is also expected to visit the United Kingdom.

The Boston Irish Tourism Association is raffling off free tickets to see the region's premier of the new film, White Irish Drinkers , coming to the Kendall Square Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts on Friday, March 25, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. To take a chance, click enter the contest and fill in the information.  While Boston and Massachusetts have dominated the Hollywood narrative of Irish-Americans in recent years, with films like Monument Ave , The Departed , The Town and The Fighter ,  White Irish Drinkers is set in Brooklyn NY.  Like the Boston films, it also explores the themes of ethnic, urban grit and angst.  The story is set in 1975 and involves two teen age brothers who struggle with timeless themes of class warfare, American dreams and loyalty to the clan. To see a full list of contests offered by Boston Irish Tourism Association for concerts, theatre, film and other special events throughout the year, click here .  For full details on Irish ...

The Boston Irish Tourism Association has issued its annual publication, Travel & Culture Guide , in time for St. Patrick's Day celebrations around Massachusetts. The 28 page Guide, which is free to the public, lists hundreds of Irish concerts, literary events, theatre, and cultural activities throughout the Bay State in March and through to May 2011, including the six St. Patrick's Day parades taking place in March. It also includes feature stories and news items, photos, and listings of Irish pubs, gift shops and cultural organizations as well as local hotels, museums, and travel agencies. And there is a special section on travel to Ireland and Celtic Canada this summer. The Guide is available for free at dozens of visitor centers, cultural venues, hotels and museums around the state. In Boston, they're available at visitor centers on Boston Common and the Prudential Center, the National Park Service office on State Street and the John F. Kennedy Library. The...

The St. Patrick's Day Celtic Sojourn concert, hosted by WGBH radio personality Brian O'Donovan , is taking place March 18-19, 2011 in Cambridge and New Bedford, Massachusetts. There is a fantastic line-up this year, featuring Teada , a dynamic young five-piece ensemble from Ireland known for its virtuosity and verve.  Teada is joined by Séamus Begley , a truly iconic singer and accordion player from the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry.  Irish American singer-songwriter Carol Noonan , a New England native described by Boston Globe music critic Steve Morse as a "90s Sandy Denys, soaring into the heavens, as she hits you in the heart," is a featured guest,  accompanied by guitar masters Kevin Barry and Duke Levine. Michael Cooney, the master uilleann piper from Tipperary, is also performing, along with great Irish dancers and a few more surprises. Sanders Theatre (March 18) Harvard University, Cambridge 8:00 pm | $20-$45 | ofa.fas.harvard.edu/b...

Sweeney's Retreat , a family run restaurant on the coastal town of Marblehead, Massachusetts, is celebrating its Irish roots this week with a live concert by Pauper's Glory , an Irish traditional ballad band from County Tipperary, on Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. On Thursday, March 17, Sweeney's Retreat starts serving its prize-winning corned beef & cabbage dinner from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.  Live music with Irish singer Dan Hallissey starts at 6 p.m. The restaurant - which is renowned for its fresh seafood - is owned and operated by the Sweeney Family, long-time residents of Marblehead.  Phil Sweeney Sr. started the famous Black Rose Pub in Boston in 1976. For a full schedule of Irish activities in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com .  

The Boston Irish Tourism Association is offering free tickets to the upcoming Irish Film Festival Boston , taking place on March 24-27 in Boston and Somerville. To enter to win, go to the Contest Page on BITA's web site and fill out the information. This year's festival includes a number of extraordinary films, including: Parked , starring Colm Meaney and Colin Morgan; The Runway ,  with Director Ian Power and Producer Macdara Kelleher in attendance; and My Brothers , directed by Paul Fraser. For a full schedule of films at the Irish Film Festival Boston, click here .  For a full list of Irish activities taking place throughout greater Boston for St. Patrick's Day, visit BITA's March Calendar .

The Black Rose Pub in downtown Boston is opening its doors at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, March17, to get a head start on St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Manager Paul Wilson says that the line begins forming at the Rose as early as 4:00 a.m. and stretches all the way to the North End.   This year the Black Rose is raffling of ten pairs of tickets to see the Dropkick Murphys at the Tsongas Cente r at UMass in Lowell on March 19, plus five pairs of back stage passes to the show. Here is the schedule of events on St. Patrick's Day at the Rose: 6 am -  The first 100 people get a free breakfast 8 am – 10 am – Irish punk rockers Black 47 are playing 11 am – 3 pm – Lunch is served 2 pm – 2 am – Continuous music featuring Sunday’s Well and Celtic Clan . For more details visit Black Rose Faceboo k or IrishConnection.com For full details on Irish activities in greater Boston during St. Patrick's Day season, visit IrishBoston.org . 

Irish Step Dancing champion Liam Harney and his Irish Dance Company were featured in a Boston Globe story by writer Rich Fahey called, The Dancing of the Green, then Aiming at the Gold Harney, a six-time Irish step dancing champion and former lead dancer of the show Riverdance , is preparing his dancers for the World Irish Dancing Championships in Dublin in April, 2011.  Boston has secured the bid to host the World Irish Dancing Championships in 2013, thanks to efforts by the Massachusetts Convention Center and local tourism and Irish organizations. For year round information about Irish music and dance, history and heritage and cultural activities in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com For tourist information visit MassVacation.com .

Celtic Woman - the all-female ensemble of Irish musicians and singers - is performing at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH on Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $54.85 and $$67.65 and can be ordered online through Ticketmaster . Formed in 2004, the group plays an exciting arrangement of Irish, Celtic, New Age and Contemporary music that showcase Ireland's great love of music. They're seen often Public Broadcasting Stations (PBS) and are currently touring around North America. For more details on Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts and the New England states, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

Boston's popular jazz club, the Beehive , is holding its annual Erin Go Beehive to celebrate St. Patrick's Day on Thursday, March 17, 2011, from 5:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., partnering with the Boston Irish Tourism Association. Featured performers this year include Matt & Shannon Heaton , harpist Maeve Gilchrist , Irish drummer Paddy League , and singer Sheila Linnehan. Beehive Chef Rebecca Newel has put together a distinctive Irish menu that includes Corned Beef & Cabbage flatbread with Sauerkraut & Cheese, Finaan Haddie Smoked Fish & Chips with malt vinegar aioli and slaw, and Grilled Lamb Chops with Colcannon mashed potatoes. There is no cover charge but reservations are suggested by calling 617 42300069.. The Beehive is located at 541 Tremont Street in Boston's South End. For a schedule of upcoming events at Beehive, click here . For year round information on Irish music, culture, and special events, visit IrishBoston.org . For tourist infor...

Larry Reynolds See Boston Globe story by reporter Rich Fahey on the annual St. Patrick's Show, A Little Bit of Ireland , presented by Reagle Theatre Company of Greater Boston, on March 12-13, 2011. Featured in the story are fiddlers Larry Reynolds and Seamus Connolly , along with dance champion Liam Harney and the Harney Academy of Irish Dance in Walpole. . For a full list of Irish music and cultural events in Massachusetts this month, visit the March Calendar page of the Boston Irish Tourism Association . For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com or BostonUSA.com .

Irish Famine Memorial in Lawrence, MA Boston Globe reporter Rich Fahey wrote a great story on the Irish-American activities taking place in Lawrence and Lowell Massachusetts this month as part of St. Patrick's Day celebrations across the state. To read Fahey's complete story in today's Boston Globe, North edition, click on: Lawrence, Lowell Celebrate Irish Heritage . Lawrence has been hosting a month long Irish Heritage Month for years, under the direction of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 8 , and the Irish Foundation of Lawrence.  To see the full schedule of events this month, click here .  For a full line-up of Irish culture, history and heritage across Massachusetts year round, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com .

The Burren Pub in Davis Square, Somerville, famous for its stellar Irish traditional music, is hosting a St. Patrick's Day artists market on Saturday, March 12, 2011, from noon to 4:00 p.m. Organized by Saturday Local Artist Market (SLAM) , the event features the finest work of local artists, painters, jewelry makers, photographers and craftsman.  For a list of artists attending, click here . The Burren is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2011 as one of America's best Irish traditional music pubs.  It was founded by two musicians - fiddler Tommy McCarthy and Louise Costello , banjo/accordionist , in 1996.  For a schedule of music at the Burren, click here . For year round details on Irish  music and dance, history and heritage, theater and literature, parades and festivals and other Irish cultural activities, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

Reagle Music Theatre 's annual salute to Irish music, dancing, storytelling and culture- A Little Bit of Ireland - is taking place on March 12-13, 2011 at Robinson Theatre in Waltham. Tickets to the show are $35-$50 and can be ordered online . Many of the region's top Irish performers are in the show, including Irish fiddler Larry Reynolds and members of the group Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann (Irish Musicians Association). Brendan Bulger, an All-Ireland fiddle champion, is a special guest. Also performing is world step dancing champion Liam Harney , who starred in Riverdance , and dancers from the Harney Academy of Irish Dance .  For a full schedule of Irish concerts in Massachusetts this St. Patrick's Day, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com .

(March 4, 2011) --  Governor Deval Patrick has issued a proclamation declaring March 2011 to be Irish Heritage Month in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The proclamation cites the state's first St. Patrick's Day gathering in March 1737, organized by the Charitable Irish Society , and also praises the accomplishments of Irish-American historical figures like painter John Singleton Copley , musician Patrick Sarsfield Gilmor e, astronaut Christa Corrigan McAuliffe , Senator Ted Kennedy and President John F. Kennedy . According to the US Census , 23.7% of all residents claim Irish ancestry, making Massachusetts the most Irish state in the United States.  For year round information on Irish-American culture, history and heritage in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com .

The 29th annual Worcester County St. Patrick's Day Parade is taking place this Sunday, March 13, 2011.  The parade begins at noon at Mill Street and ends at Highland Street. Marching in the parade is Worcester native Tim Murray , the Lt. Governor of Massachusetts. He served as a member of the Worcester City Council and was also the Mayor of Worcester. For a profile of Lt. Governor Murray's Irish heritage, click here This year's Grand Marshal is Charles F. Monaghan, Jr ., president of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences . Also participating in the parade are dozens of marching bands, Irish organizations, local businesses and Irish step-dancing schools like the McInerney School, pictured above. For a list of parades throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire in March 2011, click here . For year round information on Irish culture, history and heritage in Massachusetts and the New England states, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . For tourist i...

A new exhibit entitled Hometown Heroes: The Lawrence Irish and the Civil War opens at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 6, 2011 at the Lawrence Heritage State Park Visitors Center , One Jackson Street in Lawrence.  The exhibit is on display through March 31, 2011. The exhibit was created by the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 8 , an Irish-American group that organizes the Irish Heritage Month celebrations each year.  The exhibit honors the 2,617 people from Lawrence who enlisted in the American Civil War, with an emphasis on the Irish immigrants who served during that conflict. As part of the opening reception, Dr. Sean Condon of Merrimack College is giving a lecture entitled "President Lincoln's Response to the Baltimore Riot."   For a full list of activities taking place in Lawrence for Irish Heritage Month, click here . For year round information on Irish culture, history and heritage in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . For visitor informa...

The Seamist Trio, featuring Irish harpist Mairead Doherty , fiddler Rose Clancy , clarinetist Clayton March and Irish tenor Richard Sullivan, perform an Irish traditional music concert at the Harwich Junior Theatre in West Harwich, Cape Cod, on Sunday, March 13, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets to the show are $20 and can be ordered online or by calling 508 432-2002. The concert features lively dance music, slow airs and favorite songs (some old, some new), and proceeds benefit Harwich Junior Theatre’s Education Programs. A reception with refreshments follows the performance. For year round details on Irish concerts and cultural activities, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . 

Indian Hill Music in Littleton, Massachusetts is presenting a day-long Celebration of Irish Music & Culture on Saturday, March 12, 2011. The celebration includes an Irish Festival from noon to 5:00 p.m. at Indian Hill Music School, featuring a series of musical workshops, storytelling, family activities, and traditional music sessions.  Featured during the day are Irish fiddle legend Charlie Lennon and Michael Cooney , a champion on the uilleann pipes, plus a host of great traditional Irish music from the New England region, including flutist Shannon Heaton , Flynn Cohen , Laurel Martin and others. In the evening, the Orchestra of Indian Hill presents a  Tip O' the Hat to St. Patrick's Day .  The music includes the American premier of Charlie Lennon's Island Wedding Suite , plus Victor Herbert's Irish Rhapsody, Lord of the Dance and more.  Brian O'Donovan , host of the popular PBS radio show, Celtic Sojourn, is the master of ceremonies. Tickets to th...

American Idol singer Siobhan Magnus - the first ever Queen of the Cape Cod St. Patrick's Parade - talks about her Irish heritage on a recent interview on MyAccessTV on Cape Cod. And John Fallon, co-chair of the Parade, talks about the formation of the parade and the participants in this year's event. myaccesstv.com   For year round information on Irish events in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . 

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum is holding a forum to celebrate the 50 th anniversary of the founding of the Peace Corps, this Thursday, March 3, 20011, from 5:30 to 7::30 p.m. Former Peace Corps volunteers Sarah Chayes, Chris Dodd, Elaine Jones, Joe Kennedy III and Paul Theroux share their memories of serving and discuss   how their experiences changed their lives. Stanley Meisler, author of When the World Calls: The Inside Story of the Peace Corps and Its First Fifty Years, moderates. The event is part of the JFK Library’s Forum Series , lectures which are   free and open to the public. To make reservations and for further information, visit the Kennedy Presidential Library web page at www.jfklibrary.org or call (617) 514-1643. For year round details on Irish cultural activities in Boston and throughout Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com .

IRISH-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, 2011 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION Our diverse Nation has been shaped by the sacrifices and successes of those who crossed both land and sea in pursuit of a common dream. For millions of Americans, this journey began in Ireland. In the wake of the Great Hunger, many sons and daughters of Erin came to our shores seeking a brighter day, with only courage and the enduring values of faith and family to sustain them. Alongside many others who sought a better life in a new Nation, these intrepid immigrants built strong communities and helped forge our country's future. During Irish-American Heritage Month, we honor the contributions Irish Americans have made, and celebrate the nearly 40 million among us who proudly trace their roots back to Ireland.   From the earliest days of our Republic, the Irish have overcome discrimination and carved out a place for themselves in the Ame...