Irish Massachusetts

  She may be gone but she is certainly not forgotten.   Rose Kennedy Fitzgerald  (1890-1995), who held the  Kennedy family  together through tragedy and triumph for much of the 20 th  century, is permanently enshrined along  Boston ’s waterfront. Born in Boston's North End, Rose was the daughter of Boston's gregarious Mayor John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald and Mary Josephine Hannon.  The mother of  President John F. Kennedy , Rose was the wife of businessman  Joseph P. Kennedy , the mother of nine children - including an American president, two more senators, an ambassador and a war hero - and the grandmother of 30 children.  A highly educated woman of zest and curiosity, she led a rich and eventful life, becoming a public figure on the world stage for much of the 20 th  century, and relying upon her faith to get her through her later heartache.     In  Boston , two public parks are named in her honor, and bear witness to the love and affection Bostonians had for her in h

 

Riverdance , the Irish dance revue that became a world-wide sensation since its debut in 1995, is coming to the Boch Center's Wang Theatre in Boston for eight shows on May 10-15, 2022.  Composer Bill Whelan brings this mesmerizing, Grammy Award-winning soundtrack to life, with an amazing production by Producer Moya Doherty and Director John McColgan that includes innovative lighting, projection, staging and costume design and an all-new finale that is inspiring. A musical highlight to the show is the appearance of fiddle star Haley Richardson performing alongside a stellar cast of musicians, singers and dancers.  Haley is featured on the current issue of BITA's Travel + Culture magazine. Check out other Irish events coming up this spring and summer, as well as travel tips to visit Ireland, at IrishMassachusetts.com.    

As we await the famous Boston Marathon coming up on Monday, April 18, 2022, we pay tribute to the race's legendary runner, John Adelbert Kelley, who holds the record for running more Boston Marathons than any other athlete.   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, posted in 1943.  He was 84 when he ran his last race in 1992, posting a time of Five hours and fifty-eight minutes. Born in 1907 in West Medford, outside of Boston, Kelley 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 ne

  (April 6, 2022) --  Two literary conferences on distinctive authors born a century apart are being held in Boston, Massachusetts this week that highlight the work of two literary giants: writers Flann O'Brien and Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849).   O'Brien, who also wrote under his real name, Brian O'Nolan (1911-1966) as well as the pen name Myles na gCopaleen, was born in Strabane, County Tyrone and spent most of his career in Dublin.   Poe was born in Boston, while his father  David Poe emigrated here from Dring in the Parish of  Kildallon   in County Cavan.  The two places in the Ulster Province are about 70 miles apart.  Flann O'Brien 6th International Conference, April 6-9, 2022  Boston College is hosting the Flann O’Brien 6th International Conference , an eclectic gathering of specialists, academics, writers and pundits devoted to the work of Dublin writer Brian O’Nolan, whose pen names included Flann O’Brien and Myles na gCopaleen.   The conference, titled Flannagai

The utterly delicious Newport Restaurant Week is now underway, from April 1-10, 2022, with an amazing line-up of top restaurants opening their doors to diners looking to sample the best culinary experience of this iconic seaport city in Rhode Island.  This annual event brings together local chefs and mixologists who are keen to bring vibrant seasonal flavors into farm-to-table and dock-to-plate dishes while offering a variety of deals and discounts throughout the program’s 10 days. Cuisines include everything from seafood and contemporary American to west coast Mexican.  Here is a list of participating restaurants in 2022 . Worth noting: seats at some of our area's top restaurants fill out quickly, so it’s good to book your reservation quickl y!  Also, restaurant deals are being added to the Restaurant Week roster on a rolling basis, so make sure to check back often for the most up-to-date deals and opportunities. Follow the up-to-date list of special offers here . Here is a