Ray Flynn & Kathleen Kennedy Townsend Featured Speakers at Irish Massachusetts Conference in Lowell

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Ray Flynn, former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican and Mayor of Boston, and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former Lt. Governor of Maryland, were two of the guest speakers at a three-day conference held at the University of Massachusetts/Lowell this week, entitled "Irish in Massachusetts: Historical Significance, Lasting Legacy."

 Alana Melanson of the Lowell Sun wrote a good summary of the panel discussion with Flynn and Townsend, along with David Bartley, former Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and President of Holyoke Community College.

Marty Meehan, Chancellor of UMass/Lowell and former U.S. Congressman, moderated the discussion.

 Other speakers at the conference included writers Aine Greaney, Ronan Noone, and Michael Patrick McDonald.

 The conference concluded on Saturday with a tour of St. Patrick's Cemetery, led by Lowell historian David McKean.

 Find year round information on the Irish in Massachusetts by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com.



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