Irish Massachusetts

Image of The Rock of Cashel, courtesy of Ireland.com The Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary has been included in Forbes Magazine 's Top Ten Coolest Places in the World in the Next Ten Years, along with other iconic destinations like the Galapagos in Ecuador,  Costa Rica and Thailand.   The Ten Coolest Places in the World story was published on December 14, 2021, and written by Ann Abel, who spoke with travel experts around the world to come up with the top ten list.  Here's the description of  Cashel, County Tipperary, Ireland:  “Next year marks the 100-year anniversary of the signing of the Irish Constitution, and along with it, “a new wave of elevated experiences and service are arriving,” notes Tom Marchant of the luxury travel company Black Tomato.  “The Rock of Cashel, one of the most spectacular and iconic landmarks in Ireland, is a sight to behold. While the locale has long held an appeal for tourists, it was rarely more than a day trip as part of a larger itinerary. But

(December 18, 2021) - Today, the U.S. Senate  by a voice vote approved Massachusetts State Representative  Claire D. Cronin  to become the next U.S. Ambassador to Ireland.   Cronin was nominated by The White House in June 2021 to hold the prestigious diplomatic position, and in October, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved her nomination after its hearing. But the approval process was held hostage by Senator Ted Cruz until now. “I am deeply honored to be nominated by President Biden for ambassador to Ireland, especially given the President’s and my own Irish roots,” Cronin said in a statement released by the White House in June 2021. “If confirmed, I look forward to serving as ambassador and working with our partners in Ireland on both the challenges and opportunities ahead of us.” Cronin, whose maiden name is McLaughlin, has represented the Eleventh Plymouth District since November, 2012. A graduate of Stonehill College and Suffolk University Law School, Cronin is admi

  Today, President Joe Biden announced his intention to nominate Caroline Kennedy  daughter of President John F. Kennedy , as the next Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Commonwealth of Australia.  The White House issued a statement, reading in part: Caroline Kennedy served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 2013-2017. She played a critical role in the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II culminating in the historic visits of President Obama to Hiroshima and Prime Minister Abe to Pearl Harbor. She advanced the realignment of U.S. Forces in Okinawa, promoted women’s empowerment in Japan, and increased student exchange between the U.S and Japan. In 2017, she founded the International Poetry Exchange Project to virtually connect students in Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and the Bronx through the power of the spoken word. In November 2021, she was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun, the highest honor for which foreigners are eligible, f

  (BOSTON) -- The  Boston Irish Tourism Association  (BITA) has released its winter 2021-2022 issue of  Travel & Culture,  a compendium of Irish concerts, culinary, cultural and literary activities taking place in Massachusetts and throughout New England, as well as travel tips to Ireland.  The magazine is distributed FREE at visitor kiosks and cultural venues throughout Massachusetts and is available in digital format online on BITA’s home page.   Read the digital magazine here .    This issue features stories about Christmas and holiday concerts including shows at the Irish Cultural Centre, Blackstone River Theatre, Boston Symphony Hall, Shalin Liu Performance Center and various New England cultural venues. And it includes winter and St. Patrick’s Day activities leading up to March 2022, from parades and concerts to cultural events and dining specials.  The “Ireland” section has focuses on Tourism Ireland’s new “ Press the Green Button ” campaign to bring New Englanders and other

  Chloë Agnew Celtic music is popular in New England during the Christmas holidays, and no wonder, since the region boasts the largest Irish-American population in the United States, with nearly one in five residents claiming Irish ancestry.  Christmas and Celtic music form a perfect harmony during the holiday season, a magical time when memories of our childhood and family traditions come to the fore, accompanied by a spiritual renewal and seasonal joy that lifts our spirits. Ireland and New England are closely aligned in how they celebrate Christmastime, with a perfect blend of holiday and Celtic flavors.  Here are some highlights this season: Since opening its doors in 1989, the  Irish Cultural Centre  in Canton has been a gathering place for Christmas celebrations that bring families and friends together. This year is no exception!  The season kicks off on December 3 with the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, with mulled wine and mince pies as treats. A Christmas Family Brunch takes

  (An Irish-American Reflection on President John F. Kennedy) President John F. Kennedy’s thousand days in office marked an epoch in the Boston Irish story:  one man stepping forth from a marginalized community that had struggled mightily for so many generations, facing hostility and surviving on the edge of society, driven to success by fear of hunger and anger at prejudice, determined to right the wrongs for the sake of the children and future generations.  JFK was the future generation that his parents, grandparents and great-grandparents had daydreamed about as they were toiling in America, saving their pennies, getting stronger, wiser, and more confident. He may have represented the hopes and dreams of the world, and of a nation, but JFK also represented the pinnacle of immigrant dreams for millions of Irish around the world.  Kennedy’s optimism and resolve was emblematic of the American mind of the twentieth century, but he also brought a new level of sophistication to public lif

As part of Native American Heritage Month across the United States, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Dorchester presents a virtual performance the Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers on Saturday, November 20, starting at 11:30 a.m.   The event is free but registration is required . A link to the virtual program will be provided to those who register.  The performers share stories of both their history and modern culture, culminating with a dance of honor of Heritage Month.  It is an ideal opportunity for families to join in learning new movements and words in this ancient tradition.  Learn about more activities at the JFK Library .

Rockport Music  is presenting acclaimed Celtic music duo  Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas   in concert at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport MA at 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 21, 2021.   Tickets to the show are $29 - $39 and can be  purchased online .  Haas , a California native, and  Fraser , from Scotland, have been performing around the world for over a decade, and have released several albums together.  They are each respected soloists in their own right.  Fraser, a two-time Scottish National Fiddle Champion, and esteemed long-time veteran of the traditional Celtic music scene, is regarded as 'one of the finest fiddle players Scotland ever produced.'  He fiddle playing has been featured on major movies such as Braveheart, the Titanic and Last of the Mohicans.  Hass was one of student of Fraser's, and has since become a sought-after concert and studio musician across a wide spectrum of musical genres because of her dynamic and innovative approach to the cello.

 Aer Lingus just announced Black Friday deals to Ireland, from Boston to Dublin and Shannon! Take up to $100 off roundtrip Economy fares or $200 off Business Class fares.  Book by November 30, 2021 at aerlingus.com . More good news: Aer Lingus will re-introduce flights between Boston Logan International Airport and Shannon International Airport in March 2022. 

Image courtesy of the John J. Burns Library Irish poet William Butler Yeats was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature on November 14, 1923, in recognition of his accomplished and influential poetry, as well as his efforts with others to amplify Ireland’s literary theater while cultivating a cultural nationalism that supported political goals of independence.  In his presentation of the prize to Yeats in Stockholm on December 15, 1923, Nobel Committee Chairman Per Hallstrom said that Yeats “has been able to follow the spirit that early appointed him the interpreter of his country, a country that had long waited for someone to bestow on it a voice. It is not too much to call such a life’s work great.”   The title of Yeats’ acceptance speech was The Irish Dramatist Movement, in which he gave the Swedish Academy a fascinating recap of the modern literature of Ireland, starting with Douglas Hyde’s founding of the Gaelic League, to Lady Gregory and her work with the Gaelic Revival

Irish-born and Irish-American veterans have a distinguished tradition of military service in Massachusetts, going back to the Revolutionary War in the 18th century.  Here is a selection of monuments in Boston that you can visit: Commodore John Barry Plaque on Boston Common Colonel Thomas Cass , 9th Irish Regiment in the Public Garden Lt. General Edward Logan at Boston Logan International Airport World War II Memorial in South Boston For more details on Irish heritage in Massachusetts, visit IrishHeritageTrail.com . 

  On Sunday, November 14, Rockport Music presents the Hanneke Cassel Band at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, Massachusetts starting at 5 p.m.. This cutting-edge Celtic band consists of two fiddlers - Hanneke Cassel and Jenna Moynihan - along with guitarist Keith Murphy. Together they perform an amazing spectrum of music from the Celtic traditions representing Scotland, Ireland, the Isle of Skye, Nova Scotia and Cape Breton. All virtuoso musicians in their own right, the trio blends traditional tunes and ancient melodies in an innovative and inventive way. Here is a calendar of upcoming events at Shalin Liu Performance Center .

  James Brendan Connolly , Olympic champion, writer and adventurer, was born in South Boston on October 28, 1868, one of twelve children of Irish immigrants John Connolly and Anne O’Donnell, from Inis Mor on the Aran Islands off the coast of Galway.   According to family records, the parents immigrated to the US in 1860, with their two children, John and Martin, settling first in the seaside village of Rockport, north of Boston, before moving to South Boston in 1862 and raising their family at 50 G Street.  Fishing was the family trade, and as and a boy, Connolly learned to sail, fish, survive storms, repair rigs, and to understand and appreciate the ways of fishermen everywhere. Later in his life, Connolly became a noted writer on the sea, publishing 25+ novels and short story collections.  Growing up in South Boston, sports were a central part of Connolly's life.  In his writings, he fondly recalled the days of his youth running across open fields, jumping off the pier into the

In one of his final acts as Mayor of Boston, James Michael Curley dedicated a bronze memorial on Boston Common to Revolutionary War hero Commodore John Barry, on October 16, 1949.     A few weeks later, Curley lost his final bid for re-election to a fifth term as mayor, losing to John B. Hynes.     Barry, a naval hero of the Revolutionary War, was born in Tacumshane, County Wexford in 1745, and is a long-standing favorite historical figure of Irish-Americans across the United States.  They claim Barry as the Father of the American Navy, while others say that title belongs to John Paul Jones.   The idea for the Barry memorial in Boston was first announced by the Central Council of Irish County Clubs on September 23, 1945, at the city’s annual Barry Day banquet at the Copley Plaza Hotel commemorating the 200 th anniversary of Barry’s birth in Wexford.      Four years later, at the  Charitable Irish Society  annual dinner on March 17, 1949, Mayor James Michael Curley vowed to build a memo

On Monday, October 16, 1989, Boston citizens came together to officially dedicate the Richard Cardinal Cushing Memorial Park in Bowdoin Square, in tribute to one of the city’s most distinguished leaders.  The park first opened in 1981 with a bust of the Cardinal by sculptor James Rosati, and the newly designed $450,000 upgrade in 1989 was overseen by Architect Graham Gund, who added benches and greenery, making it a more welcoming space.  Public officials at the dedication included Senator Ted Kennedy and Boston Mayor Ray Flynn, along with family and friends of Cardinal Cushing and parishioners from St. Joseph's Church in the West End.   Born in South Boston to Irish immigrant parents from County Cork, Richard James Cushing (1895-1970) was a proud Bostonian. He once told reporters, "I was born in Boston. I was bred in Boston. I'm for everything that promotes Boston's welfare."  Ordained a priest in 1921, Cushing rose through the ranks, ultimately serving as A

Johnny Kelley in front of his Memorial at Heartbreak Hill  Photo courtesy of Bill Brett For the 125 rd  annual  Boston Marathon  taking place on Monday, October 11, 2021, we pay tribute to the legendary marathon runner John Adelbert  Kelley, who holds the record for running more Boston Marathons than any other athlete.  Kelley was born in 1907 in West Medford, outside of Boston, and traces his ancestry to County Wexford.  "My father's people left to go to Australia," he told  The Boston Globe  in 1981, when he was preparing for his 50 th  race.  "The boat stopped in Boston and they never left."  Kelley ran his first marathons in 1928 and 1932 but did not finish either race.  He ran again in 1933 and then competed in every single race through 1992!  He finished in the top 10 eighteen times, taking first place in 1935 and again in 1945.  He owns the record for the most races started (61) and the most finished (58).  His best time was two hours and thirty minutes,

  Tourism Ireland has launched a major promotional campaign to boost travel to the island of Ireland, urging US travelers to press the ‘Green Button’ and book a vacation to Ireland in the coming months. Visitors are being invited to feel the power of nature along Ireland’s majestic Wild Atlantic Way, reach back in time and connect with the past in Ireland’s Ancient East, and enjoy epic landscapes and the warm spirit of the locals in Northern Ireland. The ‘Green Button’ campaign carries a very clear ‘book now’ message, creating a commitment to travel by pressing a green button – green being the color of ‘go’ and the color universally connected with the island of Ireland. Iconic attractions and spectacular scenery are front and center in the campaign, including Dublin’s Trinity College and Guinness Storehouse, Belfast’s Titanic museum, and stunning sights such as the Giant’s Causeway in County Antrim and the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare – all driving to  www.Ireland.com  where you wi

Cape Cod is turning green in September!   The St. Patrick's Parade of Cape Cod , postponed in March due to the pandemic, is taking place this Saturday, September 18, 2021, starting at 11 a.m.  Now in its 16th year, the parade was delayed by six months to fully comply with the Massachusetts Reopening guidelines for large, outdoor events.  Rather than selecting a single Grand Marshall, as in years past, this year's St. Patrick's Parade of Cape Cod honors the essential workers, first responders and front line workers who helped Massachusetts survive the COVID-19 pandemic.  "This amazing group of people went to work tirelessly, day after day, month after month, masked, gloved and at times in full body suits, not knowing what new challenges the day would bring," wrote Committee Chairman Desmond Keogh.  "The list of essential workers includes (but not restricted to) the following: grocery store workers, USPS, delivery truck drivers, tradesmen and women, restaurant

 

  The  Dingle Way i n County Kerry, a remote 100 mile hike around the breathtaking Dingle Peninsula, has been ranked among some of the world’s best hiking trails. Located along the southwest coast of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, Dingle Way is the 34th most-photographed trail in the world, with 96 photos per mile according to Instagram data, according to r esearch by Zalando, which analyzed nearly five million Instagram hashtags from the world’s most famous hikes and trails.   From awe-inspiring mountains to glistening Atlantic waves and a glut of archaeological sites, Ireland's most photogenic hiking trail offers a huge diversity of landscapes.   A circular route, it begins and ends in the town of Tralee and is typically broken down into eight stages each taking a reasonably fit adult from six to eight hours to walk. Each stop is marked by a village or town with facilities and refreshments.   Earlier this year the Dingle Way was included in Lonely Planet’s list of ‘Epic Hikes in Eu

John Boyle O'Reilly , the famous Irish rebel who lived in Boston from 1870 until his death, died suddenly at his home in Hull, Massachusetts on August 10, 1890,  from an accidental overdose of medication. He was taken back to St. Mary's Church in Charlestown for the funeral, one of the largest in Boston's history. "The greatest of Irish-Americans" is dead, proclaimed  The Boston Pilot .  Born on June 28, 1844 at Dowth Castle in County Meath along the River Boyne, O'Reilly was conscripted into the British Army as a young man.  He was later charged with sedition against the British Crown and sentenced to life imprisonment in an Australian penal colony.  O’Reilly made a daring escape aboard a New Bedford whaler,  Catalpa , in 1868, a feat that helped shape his legend by the time he landed in America.   Arriving in Boston in 1870, he spent the next 20 years reconciling the city's racial and ethnic factions who struggled against one another.  He became editor a