Irish Massachusetts

Today marks the 100th birthday of John Fitzgerald Kennedy , 35th president of the United States.  President Kennedy left an indelible mark on the world as a leader who combined a positive, can-do attitude with a vision for peace and prosperity. The John F. Kennedy Library in Boston is celebrating President Kennedy's birthday with a series of special events .  In addition, the library has posted a digital birthday card for people to sign and express their thoughts on President Kennedy. Here is a short video about President Kennedy in honor of his 100th birthday.    For more information on President Kennedy's Irish-American heritage and connections to Ireland, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

The Boston Irish Tourism Association has compiled a selection of top Irish, Scottish ad Folk festivals taking place in New England this summer. The season starts with the Boston Irish Music Festival in Canton, MA on June 3-4 and wraps up with the New Hampshire Highland Games at Loon Mountain, NH on September 15-17. See the full schedule here . The 7th annual Summer Solstice Festival , hosted by Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland, RI, is becoming one of the most popular Celtic festivals in the region.  This year's line-up - featuring  Kevin Crawford and Cillian Vallely, Archie Fisher,  Les Poules à Colin - encompasses a wide range of Irish, Scottish, Canadian and American folk traditions. And the 24th annual Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival outside of Northampton, MA continues to offer a strong portray of Scottish music and dance, athletic games and bagpipe competitions, and food and cultural traditions here in New England.  In addition, New Engl...

Iconic composer and musician Ben Folds returns to Boston Symphony Hall for the first time since 2012, to perform with maestro Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops on Thursday, May 18, 2017.   Tickets are available online or for purchase at the venue.  His genre-bending musical works include pop albums as leader of the Ben Folds Five, multiple solo rocks hits, music for film and TV as well as a role as a judge on NBC's  The Sing-Off .  Folds is performing the Boston premiere of his critically acclaimed  Concerto for Piano and Orchestra . Here is a full schedule of the 2017 Boston Pops season . 

Daniel O'Donnell, one of Ireland ’s most popular artists, is performing his "Back Home Again"  concert at the Shubert Theatre/ Boch Center in downtown Boston at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16, 2017. Tickets to the show are $47 and can be purchased online.  The Shubert Theatre is located at 285 Boylston Street, across from Boston Common.  The Boston Irish Tourism Association is raffling off a pair of free tickets to attend the show.   Enter to win here . The Donegal native launched his singing career in 1983, and reached the American market in 2002 with his first PBS Special.  He made music history earlier this year as the first recording artist in the history of the UK Artist Album Chart to have charted at least one new album every year since 1988, an unprecedented and unbroken 29 year span, surpassing everyone from Michael Jackson, the Rolling Stones, Madonna and Irish strongholds U2. Along with this, Daniel makes regular appearances in the Bi...

Former President Barack H. Obama is receiving the  2017 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award on Sunday, May 7 2017, as part of the centennial celebration of John F. Kennedy’s birth.  Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and her son, Jack Schlossberg, are presenting the award  at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.  The evening includes a special performance by James Taylor with Kim Taylor and Owen Young. See the live proceedings here. Find  out more about the John F. Kennedy Library & Museum . 

Transatlantic Sessions , a concert tour showcasing the music of Nashville, Scotland and Ireland, performs at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston on at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, 2017. You can win a free pair of tickets to the show through the Boston Irish Tourism Association .  Or you can purchase tickets directly from  Ticketmaster.com Nashville dobro master Jerry Douglas and celebrated Shetland fiddler Aly Bain lead an all-star band from the US and UK, including Phil Cunningham, Donald Shaw, Danny Thompson, Mike McGoldrick, John McCusker, James MacKintosh, Russ Barenberg, and John Doyle.  Featured guest stars include Rosanne Cash, Sarah Jarosz, John Paul White, Aoife O’Donovan, Declan O’Rourke, Karen Matheson, and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Having originated as an award-winning BBC television series seven years ago, this tour marks the first multi-city tour in the US and begins a new chapter in the continuing evolution of the Transatlantic Sessions, bringing ...