Irish Massachusetts

Ray Flynn , former mayor of Boston and ambassador to the Vatican, discussed this year's Boston mayoral contest with television host Jim Braude on NECN on Tuesday, October 29, 2013.  Here is a video of the conversation . Flynn referred to himself as a "social and economic justice Democrat" when discussing his political philosophy and the importance of jobs in Boston's neighborhoods.  He praised each of the candidates, Martin Walsh and John Connolly , and said both of them would make great mayors. Since retiring from politics, Flynn has been a regular contributor to the Boston Herald and the Irish Echo newspaper in New York and is a frequent commentator on television and radio.  For more about Boston's Irish heritage, visit IrishHeritageTrail.com .

A trio of great musicians - Open the Door for Three - is performing at the Backroom Series at the Burren Pub in Davis Square, Somerville, on Wednesday, October 30, 2013 at 7:30 p.m..  You can purchase tickets online for $24.80 or buy them at the door. The band consists of fiddle player Liz Knowles , a former member of Cherish the Ladies and star of Riverdance; piper and whistle player Kieran O'Hare , who has appeared on Broadway and in motion pictures, and made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2010; and multi-instrumentalist Pat Broaders , a Dublin-born musician who moved to Chicago and plays with the band Bohola. The Burren Backroom Series is hosted by Brian O'Donovan , host of Celtic Sojourn radio program heard weekly on WGBH. Read about Tommy McCarthy and Louise Costello , owners of the Burren Pub and exemplary musicians themselves. Find year round details on Irish music and culture in Massachusetts by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com . For visitor information go...

Irish master chef Brendan Cronin is holding a cooking class at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton on Tuesday, October 29, 2013 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.  Tickets are $25 for ICC members and $30 for non-members . Born and raised in Ireland, Chef Cronin is the author of  Cheffin: From Potatoes to Cavier .  It’s a lively, engaging story that begins on a small dairy farm and ends in the finest hotels and restaurants in the world.  He teaches hospitality management at Endicott College in Beverly, MA. At the cooking class, Chef Cronin will demonstrate recipes from his book, including Irish barley soup and Irish soda bread.  Here are upcoming events at the Irish Cultural Centre . Find year round details on Irish activities in Massachusetts and the New England states by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com . For visitor information go to MassVacation.com and BostonUSA.com .

ArtsEmerson is staging Samuel Beckett 's masterpiece, Waiting for Godot, in Boston on the main stage of the Paramount Center from October 31 to November 10, 2013.  The play is performed by the Gare St Lazare Players Ireland , one of the world's premier interpreters of Beckett's work.  The Boston Irish Tourism Association is giving away a free pair of tickets to see the show.  Enter the contest here .   You can also purchase tickets to the show online . Here is a schedule of ArtsEmerson's upcoming performances . Enter other contests to win tickets from Boston Irish Tourism Association. Find year round details on Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts and the New England states by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com .

Famed Irish tenor Ronan Tynan is performing in concert at the Lowell  Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, Massachusetts on Sunday, November 3, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.   The Boston Irish Tourism Association is giving away a free pair of tickets to the show; you can enter the contest here .  Winners will be announced Friday, November 1, so please check back. Or, you can order tickets to see the show direct from the box office.  Tickets are $39-49 and can be purchased online or by calling (866) 722-8881l. Formerly a member of the Irish Tenors, Ronan has enjoyed an amazing solo career in recent years, from performing the national anthem at Boston Red Sox games to being the voice of solace at the 9/11 ceremonies in New York City.  He has enthralled music lovers around the world with his stunning voice, commanding stage presence, and the utter joy he brings to his performances.  Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium. ...

  John Hutchinson Live boxing is coming to the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton on Saturday, October 26, 2013, starting at 2:00 p.m.  Among the fighters are two Donegal boxers, John Hutchinson from Buncrana and Michael McLaughlin from Carndonagh. Tickets to the event are $40 general admission and $100 for ringside seats.  To order tickets, or for more information, call 781-821-8295 or email info@irishculture.org The boxing match is put on by the  International Federation of Boxing and presented by Big Six Entertainment and Danny Kelly. Here are more events at the Irish Cultural Centre . For year round details on the Irish community in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . 

The United States Senate has confirmed the appointment of Caroline Kennedy  to become the next US Ambassador to Japan.  She won the unanimous endorsement Wednesday night, according to CBS News . Her confirmation hearing took place before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on September 19, 2013.  Here is a video of that hearing .  She promised to carry on the legacy of her father, President John F. Kennedy . Kennedy, who is the president of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation , has recently completed a  book on her grandmother's historical photographs, entitled Rose Kennedy's Family Album . Visit the JFK Library for more information about President Kennedy and the Kennedy family. For year round details on Irish culture and history in Massachusetts visit IrishMassachusetts.com and IrishHeritageTrail.com .

The Boston Irish Tourism Association is giving away a pair of free tickets to see Josh Groban perform live at the TD Garden on Monday, October 28, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.  Click here to enter the contest. The lucky winner will be notified on Friday, October 25. If you don't want to take a chance, you can order tickets online through Ticketmaster. Groban is a 30-year-old singer, born in California and now living in New York, who has become an internationally renowned, multi-platinum recording artist over the past 12 years. His first big hit was "You Raise Me Up,"  written by Irish songwriter Brendan Graham . For more concerts sponsored by the Boston Irish Tourism Association, visit BITA's Contest Page .  You can find year round details on cultural activities in Massachusetts by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com . For tourist information, go to MassVacation.com or BostonUSA.com .

A Couple of Blaguards , written by Pulitzer Prize winner Frank McCourt and his brother Malachy McCourt, is showing at the Larcom Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts on October 18-27, 2013.  Tickets to the show are $39 and can be purchased online or by calling 617 531-1257. The one hour and forty-five minute show is a showcase of Irish wit, song and storytelling that is set in Limerick, Ireland, where the McCourts grew up, and New York City, where they emigrated and settled.  Also, the Boston Irish Tourism Association is giving away two free pairs of tickets to the October 27 show.  Enter to win the contest here . Located at 13 Wallis Street in downtown Beverly, the Larcom Theatre was built in 1912.  With a full vaudeville stage and seating for 450 patrons, the Larcom has an outstanding line up of shows this fall and winter, including Tomaseen Foley's A Celtic Christmas in December.  Here are directions to the Larcom Theatre .  For more de...

Singer/songwriter Sarah McQuaid is performing at the Burren Backroom Series on Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.   Tickets to the show are $23 and can be purchased online or at the venue. Born in Spain and raised in Chicago, McQuaid lived in Ireland for many years and is now settled in rural England.  Her skill as a singer and guitarist is complemented by her original compositions and unique interpretations of traditional songs. The Burren Backroom Series is hosted by Brian O'Donovan , host of Celtic Sojourn radio program heard weekly on WGBH. Read about Tommy McCarthy and Louise Costello , owners of the Burren Pub and exemplary musicians themselves.  Find year round details on Irish music and culture in Massachusetts by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com . For visitor information go to MassVacation.com and BostonUSA.com . 

Top Irish traditional musicians and dancers from Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann are performing at the Waltham High School in Waltham, MA on Saturday, October 12, 2013 at 8:00 p.m.  The fourteen member troupe includes a number of champions on their respective instruments as well as top dancers and singers. The ten-city tour started in Dublin, Ireland and ends in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Here is a full schedule of the tour . This year's Boston concert has a special theme, Continuing the Tradition, in honor of the late Irish fiddler Larry Reynolds , who formed the Comhaltas branch in Boston in 1976 and had been a supporter of the Echoes of Erin tour for many years. For ticket information, call 617 481-5503 or 508 947-8688 or write to cceboston@verizon.net . Find year round information on Irish culture in Massachusetts and the New England states by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com.

Tin Can Hooley   The 3rd annual Irish Heritage Festival is taking place this Sunday at Florian Hall on Hallet Street in Dorchester.   The festival runs from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and is free to the public. A number of great Irish bands are performing at the festival, including singer Pauline Wells , the Silver Spears , Robbie O'Connell and Aoife Clancy , and Patrick Kennedy and Tin Can Hooley .  Here is a schedule of performances . Also, the award-winning Harney Academy of Irish Dance of Walpole and the Clifden Academy of Irish Dance of Milton are also performing. A variety of Irish products, including clothing, music and jewelry is available.  See vendor list . The Irish Ancestral Research Association (TIARA) is on hand to provide genealogy and family history information.  At 4:00 p.m. the festival is presenting the first Irish Spirit Award in honor of the late Galway fiddler, Larry Reynolds . Any proceeds from the festival are being d...

Irish tenor Ciaran Nagle and fiddler Tara Novak are presenting a music workshop at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton, MA on Saturday, October 5, 2013. Cost of the workshop is $125.  Find information online or by calling  781 821-8291. The workshop is meant to introduce musicians - from a classical background and other genres - about the fundamentals of Irish music.  Here are directions to the Irish Cultural Centre . For year round details on Irish culture in Massachusetts and the New England states, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .