Ten Ways to Go Irish in Massachusetts During St. Patrick’s Day Season in March 2022
Ten Ways to Go Irish in Massachusetts in March 2022
St. Patrick’s Day Season + Irish Heritage Month
(February 17, 2022) - With St. Patrick’s Day exactly one month away on Thursday, March 17, now is the perfect time to plan how you’d like to celebrate the season, also known as Irish Heritage Month in Massachusetts.
According to the U.S. Census, nearly 20 % of all Massachusetts residents claim Irish ancestry, making it the largest ethnic group in the Commonwealth. With so much local Irish pride, there is no shortage of ways to enjoy Irish culture, history, heritage, cuisine, learning and what the Irish call the craic, or simply put, fun and enjoyment.
Here are 10 ways for making the most of the St. Patrick’s Day season in Massachusetts.
There are seven terrific Irish parades in Massachusetts, but here’s some advice: don’t wait until March 17 to find one! The marching season actually kicks off on Saturday, March 5 with the Cape Cod St. Patrick’s Parade and runs throughout of the month. You’ll also find fun family parades right over the border in Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
The Irish Heritage Trail is a fascinating walk across three centuries of Boston Irish history covering 20 landmarks, plus 20 more sites in Boston’s neighborhoods, and dozens of sites around the state. Pick up a free copy of the map in BITA’s Travel + Culture magazine at the visitor center on Boston Common and at various cultural venues in the Commonwealth.
3. Have a Pint + a Bite
Greater Boston has some famous Irish pubs to quench your thirst and have a hearty meal. Our favorites include The Black Rose Pub near Faneuil Hall, Burren Pub in Somerville, Druid Pub and Plough & Stars in Cambridge and Brendan Behan’s Pub in Jamaica Plain. Also Dine Out Boston, March 13-26, offers great meals at great prix fixe prices around Boston. Sláinte!
4. Have a Laugh
The Irish love a good laugh and so should you! Check out the Greater Boston Stage Company’s new production of An Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, which runs from March 3-20 in Stoneham. It’s a light-hearted, funny tale of an Irish Catholic family in the 1970s.
5. Enjoy Traditional Irish Music
Irish Traditional music is huge in Boston, and home to many great musicians over the years. Check out the Comhaltas music session at the Canadian Club in Watertown on March 6, or all day Irish music at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton on March 17. The John J. Burns Library at Boston College has an extensive Irish Music Archives also worth exploring.
6. Read a Book
The Boston Public Library in Copley Square has an amazing treasure trove of Irish holdings, including collections on Northern Ireland, the Abbey Theatre, poet Seamus Heaney and the 1916 Uprising, plus rare pamphlets by Irish patriots like Daniel O’Connell, Henry Grattan and John Mitchell. The BPL celebrates Irish Heritage Month by posting events and a selection of local books about the Irish in Boston.
7. Buy Authentic Irish
Yearning for a hand-made Irish sweater or cap made by artisans in Galway, Kerry or Donegal? Take a trip to Bridget’s - An Irish Tradition gift shop in Norton, MA, where you can browse for Irish-made clothing, Celtic jewelry, various Irish chocolates and teas. Bridget herself may greet you at the door with a Cead míle fáilte.
8. Run an Irish Road Race
Before the big parade and festivities kick in, why not try a fun Irish-themed road race! Here’s a few popular ones: the Claddagh Pub 4 Mile Classic Road Race, March 6, in Lawrence; the St. Patrick’s Road Race and two-mile walk in Holyoke on March 19; the Marshfield St. Patrick’s Day 5K on March 19; and the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Road Race on March 20. Here’s a selection of Irish road races from BITA.
9. Remember the Women
Since March is also Women’s History Month in Massachusetts, take a moment to pay tribute to the accomplished Irish women who have excelled in a variety of fields. From educators Annie Sullivan and Christa Corrigan McAuliffe, and from political matriarch Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy and her daughter Special Olympics Founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver, be inspired by these Boston Irish women.
10. Join an Irish Organization
There are dozens of wonderful Irish-American organizations in Massachusetts and New England that keep culture and heritage alive year-round while welcoming new members all the time. Check out the Irish Cultural Centre of New England, Ancient Order of Hibernians, Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, the Cape Cod St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee and the Irish Pastoral Centre of Boston.
About the Boston Irish Tourism Association
The Boston Irish Tourism Association (BITA) formed in 2000 to market the Irish-American cultural community in Massachusetts + New England. By connecting Irish-American cultural venues with the state's tourism + hospitality industries, BITA makes it easy for visitors, conventioneers, business travelers and tour groups to tap into the state’s rich Irish culture. BITA’s free magazine, Travel + Culture, is published three times a year. In addition, BITA also promotes travel between New England and the island of Ireland throughout the year.
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