Irish Massachusetts

  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 ...

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...

  Over 15,000 spectators attend the Greater Boston Feis at Malden Municipal Stadium in Malden, Massachusetts on Sunday, July 30, 1950.   It was part of a cultural rekindling of Irish traditions taking place in Ireland and Diaspora communities after World War II, and continued annually in greater Boston throughout the 1950s.   The bilingual program book, printed in English and Irish, was organized by the Central Council of Irish County Clubs, Inc, with Richard J. Cardinal Cushing , Archbishop of Boston, listed as the event’s patron.  Over 1,500 contestants participated in 72 different events, ranging from competitions in accordion, violin, harp, piano and Irish war pipes.   Among the winners were Joe Derrane of Roxbury, who won first for senior accordion solo, with Joseph Joyce of Jamaica Plain and Tom Senier of Dorchester tied for second place. Paul Derrane, Joe’s younger brother, took first place for junior accordion solo and John F. Conroy of...