Irish Massachusetts

The Chatham Fiddle Company on Cape Cod is presenting Cape Breton duo Wendy MacIssac on fiddle and Janine Randall on piano, on Friday, August 29, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. Suggested donation is $20 and tickets can be purchased at the venue.  Find more information on Facebook . Located at 875 Main Street in Chatham, the Chatham Fiddle Company is run by Rose Clancy, accomplished Irish fiddler and maker of fine stringed instruments . Find year round Irish cultural activities in New England at IrishMassachusetts.com .

Hot Sprockets The Boston Irish Tourism Association is giving away tickets to see two great Irish bands - Cold Comfort and Hot Sprockets - playing at the Brighton  Music Hall in Boston on Tuesday, August 26, 2014  at 8:00 p.m. Enter the contest here , or  you can purchase tickets directly online . Hot Sprockets, based in Dublin, play Delta Blues and early rock and roll.  Cold Comfort, also based in Dublin, is a folk rock band. For year around news on Irish music in greater Boston, visit IrishBoston.org .

The Irish Rovers - one of Ireland's beloved ballad bands - is performing at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center in Hyannis, Cape Cod, on Friday, August 22, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets to the show are $49 and can be purchased online or at the venue the night of the concert. The concert is part of the group's Farewell to Rovin' tour, marking the group's incredible 50 years on the road, performing around the world. Find year round information on Irish activities in New England by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com .

Gaelic Storm The Boston Irish Tourism Association is giving away a free pair of tickets to the  annual Newport Celtic Rock Festival , taking place this year on Saturday, August 23, 2014 from noon to 10:00 p.m. Enter the contest here , then check back on August 21 to find out if you're the winner.  Or, you can purchase tickets online . Featured performers this year include Gaelic Storm, Eileen Ivers,  Black 47, the Fighting Jamesons, Tartan Terrors and Celtica: Pipes Rock. The festival takes place at the Newport Yachting Center overlooking beautiful Newport Harbor. For year round details on Irish and Celtic cultural activities in New England, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

Dine Out Boston , a movable feast of delicious dining opportunities from some of greater Boston's finest restaurants, is taking place from August 17-22 and 24-29, 2014. Created and organized by the Greater Boston Convention & Visitor's Bureau (GBCVB) , the bi-annual program allows visitors and tourists alike to savor a variety of restaurants at special prices.  Started in 2001 as Boston Restaurant Week, the Bureau recast the event this year, giving restaurants greater flexibility in setting course prices for both lunch and dinner meals. Prices this year include $15, $20 and $25 for lunch, and $28, $33 and $38 for dinner, says Pat Moscaritolo, executive director of the Bureau. American Express is also a partner in Dine Out Boston, and this year patrons are eligible for a five dollar  Am Ex credit by spending $21 or more. The Dine Out Boston website allows visitors to browse the site by neighborhood, type of cuisine, and price points, and a handy map sites each...

Irish fiddle champion  Eileen Ivers and her band, Immigrant Soul , headline an Irish Music Rock Festival coming to the S outh Shore Music Circus in Cohasset on Thursday, August 21, and the Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyanis on Friday, August 22, 2014. Also performing are the Fighting Jamesons and Celtica: Pipes Rock . Tickets to the shows are $31.50 and can be purchased online at both the Music Circus and Melody Tent . Here is a schedule of Irish and Celtic festivals in New England and Quebec through the fall. For year round details on Irish cultural events, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

The Boston Irish Tourism Association is offering a guided tour of the Boston Irish Heritage Trail on Thursday, August 21, 2014 at 1:00 p.m.  The tour begins at the Boston Common visitor information center on Tremont Street in downtown Boston. The tour is being led by noted guide Ted Kulik, an authority on Boston history, the Kennedy Family and the American Civil War. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for children, seniors and military, and children under 12 go free.  You can make a reservation online or pay at the Visitor Center the day of the tour. The Irish Heritage Trail was created in 1994 as a way of celebrating Boston's illustrious Irish history, which dates back to the early 18th century. For other information on Boston's Irish community, visit IrishBoston.org .

Boston Irish Tourism Association is giving away a pair of tickets to see world-renowned Irish accordionist Sharon Shannon at the Irish Cultural Centre on Friday, August 8, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. Enter the contest here , and check back for the winner announcement on Wednesday, August 6 to see who won. Or, you can purchase show tickets directly from ICC's web site . A native of Corofin, County Clare, Shannon has been a champion accordion player since she was a child, and has embraced a variety of musical influences beyond Irish, including French Canadian, Portuguese, reggae and Cajun.  She is also an excellent fiddler and tin whistle player. Here are more opportunities to win tickets from Boston Irish Tourism Association , which promotes the state's Irish cultural scene throughout the year.