Irish Massachusetts

Tourism Ireland is airing an ad in seven cities across the United States this week, encouraging Americans to visit Ireland. The cities include Boston, Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington DC and San Francisco. The campaign, titled  Jump into Ireland,  is "designed to convey a sense of playfulness and to reflect the immersive  nature of a holiday in Ireland with iconic experiences and warm, friendly people," according to officials.   Here is the 30 second spot . Irish tourism leaders were in Boston last September to introduce the new marketing initiative before several hundred tour operators, travel agents and media. Boston's Logan International Airport has direct flights to Ireland throughout the year on Aer Lingus , according to Massport .   Daily flights between Boston and Shannon take place from January to December, and 14 round trips between Boston and Dublin per week from April to October, and 12 round trips a week from November to...

The final day of the annual Christmas Celebration concert at Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland, RI takes place on Sunday, December 14, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets to the show are $20 and can be reserved by calling 401 725-9272.  The Saturday show was completely sold out. This concert features some of the top traditional musicians, singers and dancers in New England, including dance master Kevin Doyle ,  members of the band Pendragon , Erika Damiani , founder of the dance company Tir na Nog , the Miller Family Trio and more. Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts in 2015 at Blackstone River Theatre . Find year round details on Irish events in New England by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com .

The Irish Cultural Center in Canton is kicking off its Christmas celebration this weekend with an open house, raffle drawing and children's event. On Saturday December 13, the Centre's Annual Raffle offers a grand prize of $30,000, a second place prize of $5,000, and ten prizes of $1,000 each.  The raffle takes place from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m.  You can still order raffle tickets by calling 781 821-8291.  Tickets are $100 each. Then on Sunday, December 14, the Centre is hosting a Brunch with Santa from noon to 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 per family and includes brunch, activities for children, a visit from Santa Claus and stories from Mrs. Claus. The Irish Cultural Centre is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2014 as the region's premier center for Irish culture, sports and heritage.   For year round details on Irish activities in Massachusetts and throughout New England, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . 

The 12th annual Christmas Celtic Sojourn with radio host Brian O'Donovan opens tonight, December 12, 2014, at the Cutler Majestic Theatre at Emerson College in downtown Boston. The show is one of the highlights of New England's Christmas season and features a dazzling line-up of traditional musicians, dancers and singers representing the music and culture of the Celtic nations.  It's a popular outgrowth of Mr. O'Donovan's radio show, A Celtic Sojourn, heard on WGBH 89.7 FM. This year's show features Seamus Egan and Solas, fiddler Kevin Burke, the Foghorn Stringband, the Harney Dance Academy and more. They'll be performing 14 concerts this December, in Boston, Worcester, Rockport and New Bedford. Here is a 2012  interview of Brian O'Donovan talking about Christmas Celtic Sojourn . You can follow the latest updates on Facebook . For year round details on Irish cultural activities in New England, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

The annual Gaelic Roots Christmas Concert is taking place at Boston College on Tuesday, December 9, 2014 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.  The concert, which is free and open to the public, takes place at the Cadigan Alumni Center on BC's Brighton campus, located at 2117 Commonwealth Avenue . The concert features Aoife Clancy , the daughter of Irish balladeer Bobby Clancy, and Robbie O'Connell , her cousin, who performed with the Clancy Brothers. They come from an illustrious Irish music tradition in County Tipperary. The director and founder of Gaelic Roots is master fiddler Seamus Connolly , who is the Sullivan Artist in Residence at Boston College. 

Boston Irish Tourism Association's gift shop is offering some great books for Christmas shoppers this year, with BITA paying the postage/handling charges. Irish Boston: A Lively Look at Boston's Colorful Irish Past / $18.95 paperback Rose Kennedy's Family Album / $45.00 hardcover Elegant Irish Dining  / $35.00 hardcover In the Kennedy Kitchen  / $35.00 hardcover Classic Irish Stories / $9.95 paperback You can order them directly on PayPal, and you'll receive written confirmation.  All shipments are sent priority mail via US Postal Service, shipped within one day of the order.  To guarantee delivery in time for Christmas, please place order by Wednesday, December 17, 2014. If you are in the greater Boston area, you can pick up a copy of Irish Boston (Globe Pequot Press) at a local Barnes & Nobles or independent book stores like Harvard Book Store  in Cambridge or the New England Mobil Bookstore in Newton Falls. Boston Irish Tourism ...

The Irish Echo Newspaper in New York published a story on Irish-themed Christmas shows in New England this December.  The issue is available on news stands in greater Boston and also online. For more details on Christmas shows throughout New England in December, click here .