Irish Massachusetts

Adam Agee and Jon Sousa , two traditional musicians from Colorado, perform at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton, MA at 2 p.m. on Sunday, January 27, 2019. Tickets are $20 general admission or $15 for ICC members. "This fiddler and guitarist from Colorado play the music with sensitivity and soul... and their own brand of modernism to the Irish tradition," wrote Irish Music Magazine . Here is a schedule of upcoming events at the Irish Cultural Centre , a year round facility for promoting Irish culture, sports, language and heritage in New England. For year round details on Irish and Scottish culture in New England visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns (January 25, 1759 – July 21, 1796), is revered and celebrated in his native country and around the world. Burns Night began in 1801, five years after Burns’ death, and has continued enthusiastically ever since. This devotion to Burns’ memory is especially evident in New England, where generations of Scots and Scots-Iris h have settled over the past 400 years. To honor his birthday each year, New Englanders celebrate with traditional Scottish music and song, poetry and toasts and cuisine and congeniality. Here is a selection of Robert Burns celebrations that take place in 2019, compiled by the Boston Irish Tourism Association. January 25 Robert Burns Scottish Night Irish Cultural Centre 200 New Boston Road, Canton The weekly music session at the ICC on January 25 is devoted to Scottish music and particularly the works of Robert Burns, Scotland's great poet and writer. The session is free and open to the public....

Jerry O'Sullivan , considered to be one of America's foremost uilleann pipers, performs at the Chatham Fiddle Company in Chatham, Cape Cod, at 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 26, 2019.  Suggested donation is $20. A native of New York, Jerry has appeared on 90+ albums and has performed or recorded with artists such as The Boston Pops, Don Henley, Paul Winter, James Galway, Dolly Parton, The Colorado Symphony Orchestra, The Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Eileen Ivers, and many others. Located at 875 Main Street in one of the Cape's most picturesque towns, the Chatham Fiddle Company is owned and operated by Rose Clancy, master fiddler and instrument maker.  Find year round information on Irish activities in New England by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com. 

Mayor Walsh State of the City Address in 2019 (Image Courtesy of BNN News) Mayor Marty Walsh  gave his annual State of the City address to at Boston Symphony Hall on Tuesday, January 15, 2019.  The Mayor reviewed the City Of Boston’s progress and presented his 2019 agenda before an auditorium of Boston residents, business leaders, elected officials and community activists.  Watch the live stream of the speech here: http://ow.ly/tv1F30nk1t6 Here is an annotated transcript of Walsh's speech from The Boston Globe.  The 50 year old son of Irish immigrants from Connemara, County Galway, was  first elected  in November 2013.  Since then he has become one of the state's most popular politicians who has built a solid record in affordable housing, economic development, arts & culture, immigrant rights and opportunities for all Boston residents.  Here is a list of  Irish-American mayors of Boston  dating back to 1885, when H...

Fellswater , a dynamic Celtic 8-piece ensemble based out of Boston, performs at the Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland, RI at 8 p.m. on Saturday, January 12, 2019.   Tickets are $16 in advance by calling 401 725-9272  or $18 at the door.   Fellswater is known for playing a wide range of music from traditional to modern compositions, drawing from the music of Scotland, Ireland, Brittany and Canada.  Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at Blackstone River Theatre this winter.   Find out more about Irish activities in New England by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com . 

Cape Cod St Patrick's Parade (BOSTON) -- The Boston Irish Tourism Association (BITA) today released its 2019 schedule of St. Patrick’s Day parades taking place in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in March.  See parade details here . The marching season kicks off on Saturday, March 9 with the Cape Cod St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and ends on Sunday, March 24 with the newly announced St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Weymouth.  Among the highlights this year: Abington is celebrating its 40th anniversary as one of the premier parades in New England. Since one in five residents of both Massachusetts and Rhode Island claim Irish ancestry, the St. Patrick’s Day season is a chance for visitors to explore the state’s rich ethnic culture, history and heritage.  In addition, Ireland's St. Patrick's Day festivities in Dublin run from March 14-18. Here is information on other New England Irish activities in March 2019 .   BITA publishes three issues...

On January 9, 1961, newly elected U.S. President John F. Kennedy gave his farewell speech to the Massachusetts Legislature as he departed for Washington D.C. to be sworn in as the nation's 35th president. He vowed to carry the characteristics that shaped him in Massachusetts, where "leaders shaped our destiny long before the great Republic was born.  Its principles have guided our footsteps in times of crisis as well as in times of calm.  Its democratic institutions including this historic body have served as beacon lights for other nations as well as our sister states..... "For what Pericles said to the Athenians has long been true of this commonwealth - 'We do not imitate, for we are a model to others....' "The enduring qualities of Massachusetts - the common threads woven by the pilgrim and the puritan, the fisherman and the farmer, the Yankee and the immigrant, and will not be and could not be forgotten in this nation's executi...