Irish Massachusetts

Congratulations to Joe Leary, head of the American Irish Partnership , who was honored at the Golden Bridges Conference in Boston by the Irish Echo Newspaper . 

The Irish Pastoral Center of Boston is holding its annual banquet at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, 2015 at Florian Hall in Dorchester.  Tickets are $100 and proceeds go to support year round programs at the Center. This year's honorees include Ken Casey , leader of the Dropkick Murphys, and Sister Marguerite Kelly , a lifelong missionary who recently retired from the Centre.  Read more about the IPC here. Here is an article on the 25th anniversary of the Irish Pastoral Centre . For year round details on greater Boston's Irish community, visit IrishBoston.org .

Northern Ireland's Belfast Community Gospel Choir is performing a special concert at the Grand Staircase in the Massachusetts State House on Friday, October 23, 2015 at 1:00 p.m.   State Senator Eileen Donoghue is sponsoring the concert. The Choir, which is renowned in Northern Ireland and Europe, is directed by Marie Lacey , who has performed with Sir James Galway among others. The Belfast Choir is performing in Massachusetts throughout the week, at the Golden Bridges Conference at the Seaport Boston Hotel, Quincy Marketplace in downtown Boston, the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton, the Lowell High School Auditorium in Lowell, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston's South End, the Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury and the Morningstar Baptist Church in Mattapan. Here is a video of the Belfast Community Choir . For more information contact Ann-Marie at BCGCBOS2015@gmail.com. Find year round information on Boston's Irish community at IrishBoston.org .

Boston Irish Tourism Association has posted an exciting schedule of Christmas/Holiday musical shows this December in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. They range from Keith Lockhart's Boston Pops Holiday season at Boston Symphony Hall and Handel's Messiah and the Nutcracker Ballet at Mechanics Hall in Worcester to popular shows like Reagle Music Theatre's Christmas time, plus Elf the Musical and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Musical at the Citi Arts Performing Center in Boston. There is a full slate of Irish-themed Christmas shows, including A Christmas Celtic Sojourn, Tomaseen Foley's A Celtic Christmas, John McDermott's A Family Christmas, Cherish the Ladies Christmas Show, and the Blackstone River Theatre's annual Christmas Concert  and BRT's Irish Christmas Dance Spectacular. And check out non-holiday shows like Once: The Musical at Citi Performing Arts Center and Irish comedian Brendan Grace at the Burren Pub. You can also find year round de...

Patrick Ball, one of the premier harp players of the world, is performing at the Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland, RI on Saturday, October 17, 2015 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the venue.  This is his only New England appearance this season. In his show, Celtic Harp & Story , Ball combines the art of Irish storytelling with the timeless melodies of the ancient Irish musical traditions, "weaving words and music into a spellbinding performance," as one newspaper wrote. Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at Blackstone River Theatre this winter.

Eleanor McEvoy , one of Ireland's top singer/songwriters, is performing at the Burren Pub in Davis Square, Somerville,  on Saturday,  October 10, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $23 and can be purchased online or at the venue. The Boston Irish Tourism Association named the McEvoy concert the Event of the Week throughout Massachusetts. One of the great contemporary singer/songwriters, Eleanor McEvoy's work has spanned many decades of diverse work and collaborations from her sensational "Only a Woman's Heart" to her most recent release, The Thought of You .  Her repertoire and style range from folk ballads and love songs to hard hitting social commentary.   The Burren Backroom series is well established as one of the most sought-after boutique series of traditional presentations. The series was founded by well-known traditional musicians Tommy McCarthy and Louise Costello , and is hosted by Brian O’Donovan of WGBH Celtic Sojourn. Find year rou...

Uilleann pipe master & whistle player Cillian Vallely of Northern Ireland and guitarist Ryan McGiver of New York are performing in concert at the Chatham Fiddle Company in Chatham, Cape Cod, on Saturday, October 10, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. Suggested donation is $20 and can be purchased at the door. Chatham Fiddle Company is run by Rose Clancy , an accomplished fiddler, teacher and instrument maker. Find year round information on Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com .

Legendary musicians from County Clare have traveled to Boston to perform at the Burren Pub in Somerville, MA on Friday, October 9, 2015.  The event benefits the Michael Dunleavy Foundation , which raises research funds for childhood cancer and brain tumors. Among the Clare musicians are Oliver O'Connell, Mickey Dunne, Mike Nestor, along with Boston's John Coyne. Find out more about the Michael Dunleavy here. Here is a schedule of other events at the Burren . Find year round info on Irish events in greater Boston .