Irish Massachusetts

The John F. Kennedy President Library & Museum presents Pulitzer Prize-winning historian   Doris Kearns Goodwin  to speak about her book, Leadership in Turbulent Times , from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on November 7, 2018.  The event is free, but registration is required .  Goodwin's book explores the leadership of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson.   Robin Young , co-host of WBUR's  Here and Now,  moderates the conversation.  Read about Goodwin here. Turbulent Times is published by Simon & Schuster . Here is a schedule of upcoming events and activities at the JFK Library .  Find year round cultural activities in greater Boston by visiting IrishBoston.org . 

The Irish Cultural Centre in Canton, MA is presenting the Irish violin duo, Sephira , on Saturday, November 3.  Tickets are $25 general admission and $20 for ICC members. For further details or to reserve tickets call the ICC office at 781 821-8291. Comprised of sisters Joyce and Helen O'Leary, Sephira  has appeared  with Andrea Bocellli, Kanye West, Michael Buble and Enya. They toured for two years with the singing sensations, Celtic Thunder, and appeared extensively on PBS television in the US. Here is a schedule of upcoming events at the Irish Cultural Centre this season. For year round details on Irish activities in New England, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

The Hanneke Cassel Band is performing at Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland, RI at 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 3, 2018.  Tickets are $18 in advance, or $22 at the venue the day of the concert.  Featuring National Scottish Fiddle Champion Hanneke Cassel , the band also includes  Mike Block  on cello and guitarist/vocalist  Keith Murphy . They are part of the thriving acoustic music scene in greater Boston and throughout New England.  Here is a calendar of upcoming events at Blackstone River Theatre.  Find year round details on Irish and cultural activities in New England by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com . 

The Irish Cultural Centre of New England is presenting the film, Mother & Baby at 8 p.m. on Friday, October 26, 2019. The 19 minute documentary focuses on the Tuam Mother & Baby Home in Galway.  The film is produced by Ishka Films and funded by the Irish Film Board. Written and directed by Mia Mullarkey, Mother & Baby has won several awards, including: Best Short Documentary - Cork International Film Festival Best Irish Short Film - Dublin International Film Festival Discovery Award - Dublin International Film Festival Here is a calendar of upcoming events at the Irish Cultural Centre , located on Route 138 in Canton, Massachusetts. For year round information on Irish activities in New England, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

Minister Brenda Griffin and Alan Fine Brendan Griffin , Ireland's Minister of Transport, Tourism & Sports , describes Ireland as a hot travel destination going into the 2019 tourism season, thanks to the island's many historical, cultural, sports and hospitality amenities. "We're heading this year to over two million visitors from North America to Ireland; a couple of years ago we dreamt of one million," Griffin told journalist Alan Fine of Inside Travel Report . "We feel like we have an excellent product," he said, "but also, it's never been easier to get there. We have 21 gateway cities from the U.S. and Canada directly to Ireland, and I think that is a huge part of the success story." Minister Griffin also touches upon Ireland's UNESCO sites , the Titanic Museum and hotels in Belfast, distilleries and micro-breweries throughout Ireland, golf tourism. See the video here : See Part Two of the interview ...

ArtsEmerson in Boston is presenting Shakespeare's famous play, Measure for Measure , at Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre on October 24-28, 2018.  Directed by legendary Declan Donnellan , this is a unique collaboration between Moscow's Pushkin DramaTheatre and London's Cheek by Jowl Theatre . The son of Irish parents living in England, Donnellan is co-founder of Cheek by Jowl Theatre. Boston Irish Tourism Association is giving away a pair of tickets to the show.  Enter the contest here .  You can also reserve your tickets online to make sure you see one of the highlights of Boston's fall theater season. Here is a schedule of upcoming ArtsEmerson performances . For year round information on cultural events in greater Boston, visit IrishBoston.org .

Tony McManus & Julia Toaspern are performing at the BlackstoneRiver Theatre in Cumberland , RI on Saturday, October 20, 2019.   Tickets to the show are $16 in advance and $20 at the venue, and can be reserved by calling 401-725-9272. Recognized throughout the world as the leading guitarist in Celtic music, McManus has been named among Guitar Player Magazine’s 50 Best Acoustic Guitarists of all time.  Joining him is Julia Toaspern, a multi-talented musician from Berlin who combines classical training on violin and voice with a wide interest in genres such as jazz, baroque and traditional music. Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at Blackstone River Theatre.   Find year round details on Irish cultural activities in New England by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com .

The annual grand meeting  Boston's Reynolds-Hanafin-Cooley chapter of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann takes place at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 14, 2018 at the Canadian-American Club in Watertown, MA. Officers for the branch officers of will be selected at the event, followed by Irish music and Irish step dancing.  Read the Boston Comhaltas' October newsletter .  Here is a calendar of upcoming activities .  Find year round information on Irish activities in New England at IrishMassachusetts.com .

The Irish Cultural Centre of New England has an exciting academy of educational courses this fall and winter at its 46 acre campus in Canton, Massachusetts. Among the  courses being offered: . Irish language classes for beginner, intermediate and advanced, every Wednesday through November 16 . Irish history class on Sinn Fein and the Irish War of Independence every Thursday through November 1 . Bodhran (drum) instruction Friday evenings, beginning February 23, 2019 . Set dancing for adults, every Monday night throughout the year . Fiddle, Accordion and Tin Whistle classes beginning October 21. Find out more about the Irish Cultural Centre here. For year round details on Irish activities throughout New England, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

Blackstone River Theatre is presenting the acclaimed Rhode Island-based  Bohemian Quartet at 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 13, 2018.  Tickets to the show are $16 in advance and $18 at the door.  Featuring violin, viola, cello, and bass, the Quartet specializes in music of the "Romani" or "Gypsy" tradition, along with related Eastern European folk styles. The group was formed in 2005.   The name was borrowed from the original Bohemian Quartet (also known as the Czech Quartet after 1918), a string quartet of international repute that was founded in 1891 and disbanded in 1934. Both groups share a passion for the deep-rooted authenticity of the Romani tradition, as well as the ability to play that historic repertoire with extraordinary joie de vivre.  The Quartet's third CD project "For You" was released at Blackstone River Theatre last year.  Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at Blackstone River Theatre this fall an...

The  John F. Kennedy President Library  presents Academy Award nominated filmmaker Rory Kennedy to discuss her new film,  Above & Beyond: NASA's Journey to Tomorrow . The event, part of the JFK Forum series, takes place on Tuesday, October 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. and is open to the public.   Register here . The discussion moderator is Meghna Chakrabarti, host of NPR and WBUR's  On Point.  The event is presented in conjunction with the 2018  GlobeDocs Film Festival  and  HUBweek . Here is a schedule of  upcoming Forum events  this fall at JFK Library. Find year round information on cultural, literary and educational activities in greater Boston by visiting  IrishBoston.org .