Irish Massachusetts

An Irish harp and guitar recital featuring Mairie Ni Chathasaigh and Chris Newman takes place at the Cadigan Alumni Center at Boston College on Thursday, April 30, 2015 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Part of the Gaelic Roots Series sponsored by BC's Center for Irish Programs and the BC Alumni Association, the concert is free and open to the public but  registration  is suggested. Here is a map and directions for the Cadigan Center , located on BC's Brighton campus. Gaelic Roots was developed by master fiddler Seamus Connolly , originally from County Clare, who is the Sullivan Artist in Residence at Boston College. Find year round details on Irish cultural activities in greater Boston by visiting IrishBoston.org .

Boston Irish Tourism Association is giving away a free pair of tickets to attend the Spandau Ballet - Soul Boys of the Western World  concert at the House of Blues in Boston at 7:00 p.. on Thursday, April 30, 2015, part of a nationwide tour . Enter the Spandau Ballet contest here.  Winners are being announced on Tuesday, April 28. You can also purchase tickets directly online. Here is a story of Spandau Ballet in today's Boston Globe . Find year round details on Irish cultural activities and performing arts by visiting IrishBoston.org . 

Burning Bridget Cleary , the popular Irish band from Pennsylvania, is performing in concert at Blackstone River Theatre in Rhode Island on Saturday, April 25, 2015, starting at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $16 in advance and $18 the day of show.  For reservations, call 401 725-9272. The band takes its name from the story of Bridget Cleary , the last woman burned as a witch in Ireland in 1895 during a period still fueled by superstition and ignorance. Here is a schedule of upcoming events at the Blackstone River Theatre . For year round information on Irish activities in New England, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . 

The 17th annual  Boston College Arts Festival , which runs April 23-25, 2015,  kicks off this year with a performance by BC's Gaelic Roots program , run by master fiddler Seamus Connolly.  The performance of Irish music with dancing takes place at O'Neill Plaza on campus, from noon to 12:45 on Thursday, April 23. The three-day festival includes dozens of performances, ranging from music and dance to theater and art exhibits to literary readings and film showings.  Here is a complete  2015 schedule . The Gaelic Roots program was first introduced to Boston College by  Seamus Connolly  in 1990, and since then it has become one of the most important academic programs for the study of Gaelic music and dance. You can follow  Gaelic Roots on Facebook . Find year round information on Irish cultural activities in greater Boston at  IrishBoston.org .

The 6th annual Irish Hearts for Orphans benefit dance is taking place at the Marriott Boston Quincy Hotel from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, 2015.  Suggestion donation is $20. The fundraising event benefits NPH USA , a non-profit group that transforms the lives of orphaned, abandoned and disadvantaged children in Latin America and the Caribbean by providing homes, healthcare and educational programs. The benefit dance features a number of local Irish performances by Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, the Noel Henry Show Band and Erin's Melody, along with dancing by the Haley School of Irish Dance. Here is the schedule for the evening . For year round information on Boston's Irish community, visit IrishBoston.org .

The Martin O'Connor Trio is performing in concert at the Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland, Ri on Satuday, April 18, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets to the show are $16 in advance and $18 the day of the show.  Call 401 725-9272 to make reservations. The band includes three exceptional musicians: Martin O'Connor on accordion, Cathal Hayden on fiddle and banjo and Seamie O'Dowd on guitar and vocals. Culture Ireland , a government agency promoting Irish arts worldwide, is sponsoring the group's American tour. Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at Blackstone River Theatre . Find year round information on Irish cultural events in New England by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com .

Anthony Kearns , a founding member of the Irish Tenors and one of Ireland ’s most acclaimed singers, is performing at the Palace Theatre in Manchester , NH on Saturday, April 18, 2015, in his only New England appearance this spring. The Boston Irish Tourism Association is giving away a free pair of tickets to attend the concert. Enter the contest here , and submit your entry.  BITA will announce the winner this Thursday, April 16, 2015.  Or, you can order tickets directly from the venue.   Find year round information on Irish activities in New England by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com  

(Photo Courtesy of HockeyEastOnline) Boston and Belfast have iced a deal to launch a brand new American collegiate hockey tournament in Northern Ireland this November. The Friendship Four Ice Hockey Tournament will compete in the Odyssey Arena in Belfast over Thanksgiving weekend, November 27-28, 2015, and will feature Northeastern University , University of Massachusetts at Lowell , Brown University and Colgate University .  All four teams are in Division One of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) . The Odyssey Arena in Belfast is  home to the city’s Belfast Giants professional hockey team. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Belfast Lord Mayor Arder Carson, along with hockey officials from both cities, made the announcement on Friday outside the TD Garden, where the NCAA Frozen Four championships are being played. Walsh predicted that the American college games will bring a new level of excitement to fans who religiously foll...

Boston-based roots musician Emerald Rae , is performing in concert at the Chatham Fiddle Company in Chatham, Cape Cod, on Saturday, April 4, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.  Suggested donation is $15. Renowned for her fiddle playing and singing/songwriting, the Gloucester native has been influenced by Cape Breton, Irish and Scottish music; she studied in Glasgow, Scotland, and honed her musical skills as a student at Berklee College of Music . For more information, contact Chatham Fiddle Company . Find year round details on Irish and Celtic activities by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com .