Irish Massachusetts

During Irish-American Heritage Month , we honor our Irish ancestors, all those who carry on their legacies, and the values that have always bound Ireland and the United States together.   These values — including determination, decency, and dignity — have been passed down from generation to generation in families like my own and have been grafted into the American character. Last year, I had the honor of visiting the home of some of my Irish ancestors, including the Blewitts of County Mayo and the Finnegans of County Louth. As I traveled across Ireland, I learned the true meaning of the Gaelic expression, “a hundred thousand welcomes.” I was reminded that everything between Ireland and America runs deep — from our history and sorrow to our future and joy. But more than anything, hope is what beats in the hearts of all of our people.  For centuries — even during times of darkness and despair — hope has kept us marching forward toward a better future. It is what led ...

Trinity College Dublin has created a wonderful new immersive experience on The Book of Kells, one of the most famous printed documents in the world and one of Ireland's most important cultural treasures.  Set within a specially constructed pavilion in the historic grounds of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland’s oldest university, t he Book of Kells Experience   takes v isitors from a view the Book of Kells in the Old Library, before moving to the Long Room, considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful libraries.  There, visitors embark on a 360° immersive journey in the pavilion filled with stories, sights and sounds inspired by the ancient manuscript and the Old Library’s precious collections. This includes a spectacularly innovative digital reconstruction of the Long Room. The immersive experiences takes visitors on a  journey from Iona in Scotland over the Irish Sea to Kells, and onwards to Dublin in the present day, as 1,200 years of history and stories unfold...

  Read the Irish Echo story on New England's vibrant Irish-American community this St Patrick's Day season.  The story appears in the February 28, 2024 issue of the paper, which was founded in 1928. Read full details of year-round Irish cultural activities in New England at IrishMassachusetts.com . 

  Taoiseach of Ireland, Leo Varadkar TD Taoiseach of Ireland, Leo Varadkar TD is the keynote speaker at the Irish American Partnership ’s annual St. Patrick's Day Boston Breakfast Celebration, taking place at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at the Intercontinental Boston Hotel. Taoiseach Varadkar is being joined at the 90 minute event by other public officials and business leaders who will speak about the impact the Partnership has had on Ireland by supporting education, community development and peace initiatives across the island of Ireland.   Reserve your seats here . Taoiseach Varadkar was elected by Dáil Éireann to the role for the second time in December 2022, having previously served in the role from 2017 to 2020. He served as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from June 2020 to December 2022. He was appointed the Leader of Fine Gael having been elected to the position by the Party’s Electoral College system in 2017. Formed in 1986, the Iris...

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library + Museum in Boston holds its annual Presidents' Day Festival on Monday, February 19, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The festival offers a day of presidential storytelling, musical performances and exhibits that bring history to life for all ages.  It features performances of Kennedy campaign songs and Museum tours that highlight President Kennedy’s time in the White House, with additional elements focusing on democratic values and the importance of civic participation to complement this election year. Here is a schedule of the full program .  Onsite Visitors: Special Festival activities are free with paid admission, and children ages 17 and under are admitted free of charge on Festival Day. Additional student, military, senior and EBT discounts are available . Regular admission fees apply to all other visitors. The Festival is especially appropriate for ages 7 and up.  A quiet space is available on this day in case anyone is expe...

The Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade Committee invites the public to the  Irish flag raising ceremony  at the JFK Monument  near the corner of Appleton & Sycamore streets at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday, February 18, 2024.   The annual ceremony is part of a series of events leading up to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Holyoke on Sunday, March 17.  The parade was first held in 1952 and is considered one of the finest parades in the United States.     Here is a  calendar of Holyoke events  taking place in the next month. History of the JFK Memorial    The plan for a memorial to President John F. Kennedy in Holyoke was initiated in the weeks after the president’s assassination in 1963.  The Holyoke St Patrick’s Day committee immediately put up $1,000 to start the fundraising process.     The committee decided on locating the memorial at Appleton Suffolk and Sycamore Streets, since that was “the exact spo...

The Boston Irish Tourism Association  is recommending these four amazing Irish Festivals taking place in Massachusetts  in March, 2024  as part of its St. Patrick's Day celebrations.  The festivals take place in Hyannis on Cape Cod, Foxborough, Quincy and Canton.  Enjoy! March 8-10 Cape Cod Irish Festival   Irish Village at Emerald Resort Hyannis, Cape Cod Starts at 8 p.m. Friday  Starts at Noon Saturday Enjoy continuous live music and dancing with the region’s top Irish bands, including Devri, Silver Spears, Slainte, Keohane & Kenneally, The Jake Ash Band, Danny Gill & The Old Brigade, Irish Whisper, The Fenian Sons, & DJ Sean O'Toole.  The Irish Village offers full Irish and American menus, and Emerald Resort has 232 hotel rooms, plus  swimming pools, a spa, health club and plenty of space to relax.

The St. Patrick’s Committee of Holyoke has named Mike Gorman, the Boston Celtics play-by-play commentator for the past 43 years, as its 64th recipient of the prestigious John F. Kennedy National Award . The award is presented annually to an American of Irish descent who has distinguished themselves in his or her chosen field. “It is an honor to be receiving the 2024 John F. Kennedy National Award from the St. Patrick’s Committee of Holyoke," Gorman said when notified of the award. "I am extremely proud of my Irish-American heritage. My grandmother came here from Skibbereen, where she met my grandfather who came from Dublin. They would be so proud to see me among the stellar list of previous award recipients. I look forward to a wonderful weekend.” Mike Gorman grew up in Dorchester, Massachusetts and attended Boston State, now known as UMass/ Boston. He was an aviator in the U.S. Navy for five years and began his broadcasting career at WNBH in New Bedford and WPRO radio in ...

  Síghle FitzGerald Meet Ireland's Consul General in Boston Síghle FitzGerald , who started in September 2023.  She replaced Dr. Laiose Moore , who returned to Dublin in summer 2023 for a new posting after being in Boston since May 2019.   A native of Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, FitzGerald graduated from University of Galway with an honours degree in English & Political Science and has a post graduate Diploma in Public Relations from Dublin City University.  She has 20+ years experience as a career diplomat with Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, having served as Cultural and Press Attaché in Ireland’s embassies in Madrid and Washington DC. She was assigned to Ireland’s Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels during Ireland’s Presidency of the EU in 2013. In 2021 she became Joint Director General of the International Fund for Ireland, having previously served in the North South Ministerial Council in Armagh.  “I am looking forward to taking o...

  Irishman James Joyce's novel, Ulysses was first published in Paris, France on February 2, 1922, which also happened to be Joyces 40th birthday.  Hailed as a masterpiece work of fiction by literary critics everywhere, Ulysses is set in Dublin and revolves around a single day, June 16, 1904. More than a century later, enthusiasm for Ulysses has only grown, and that is one reason why people from around the world come to Dublin each June to celebrate the literary masterpiece, at the annual  Bloomsday .   Literary walking tours, readings, costumed revelers and plenty of pub toasts take place in mid-June to celebrate the book's fictional character, Leopold Bloom.   This year's Bloomsday Festival takes place June 11-16, 2024. When in Dublin, visit these Joycean destinations: . The Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI), which has the very first copy of the novel printed. . The James Joyce Centre a stunning Georgian townhouse with many connections to Joyce and his w...

  (L-R) Martina Curtin,  Katherine Craven,  Liz Breadon,  Sighle FitzGerald,  Dr. Saranna Fanning, PhD and    Claire Connolly. The Irish Cultural Centre (ICC) of Greater Boston , in collaboration with the Consulate General of Ireland Boston , held its second annual St. Brigid’s Day celebration on Thursday, February 1 at the Westin Copley Place in Boston. ICC Board President Martina Curtin welcomed more than 100 guests to the event in Boston's Back Bay, part of a worldwide celebration taking place in Ireland and throughout the Irish Diaspora to honor St. Brigid, patron saint of Ireland. Irish Consul General Sighle FitzGerald, whose Consulate represents Boston and New England, introduced and moderated a panel discussion entitled Brigid: Legacy, Leadership and Dispora. Panelists included Boston College Professor and Burns Scholar Claire Connolly; Harvard Medical School Assistant Professor of Neurology Dr. Saranna Fanning; Babson College Chief Administrat...