Irish Massachusetts

  Ireland continues to be a magnet for international film production, as evidenced by the hit television series The Tourist, which started off in Australia for season one before heading over to Ireland for season two.  The show features Jamie Dornan as Elliott and Danielle Macdonald as Helen, who travel to Ireland to find answers about Elliot’s identity, but instead are forced to face the dangerous consequences of his past actions.  Season two filming is taking place in various locations around Ireland, including Dublin the capitol city and various locations in Wicklow, such as the seaside town of Bray, the rural village of Kilpedder and the stunning Wicklow Mountains, just south of Dublin. Irish actor Jamie Dornan , who plays the lead role of Elliot and is the executive producer of season two, talks about his experience in this video, available on Tourism Ireland's You Tube channel .   Here are some excerpts from the interview: What do you think about seri...

The Roscommon Association of Boston holds its Annual Celebration at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, at the Irish Social Club in West Roxbury. Admission is $10 at the door.  The Association is honoring Aoife Griffin as Woman of the Year and Pat Kelly as Man of the Year. Light refreshments, tea and coffee are being served. Erin's Melody with Margaret Dalton provides the musical entertainment.  Roscommon immigrants and their descendants have been gathering in Boston since the beginning of the 20th century, when the County Roscommon Benevolent Association was formed between 1900-1902, and incorporated in May 1913.  The formation of a Roscommon Ladies Auxiliary took place in September 1910. A number of prominent Bostonians have been associated with the association, including Mayor John F. Collins, who was listed as a member of the Roscommon Club as early as 1948.  Read about the history of the Irish Social Club .  Research + Text, Michael Quinlin

Ireland's Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is making an official visit to the United States from March 11 to 17 to participate in St.Patrick's Day celebrations. The Irish prime minister's first stop is Boston, where he has scheduled a series of political, economic and Irish community engagements, including a keynote address at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library , where he will reflect on the life and legacy of President Kennedy and how his legacy continues to have lessons for the global challenges of today. “The Government’s theme for St. Patrick’s Day 2024 is ‘Ireland’s future in the world’ so this year I wish to celebrate the achievements of our young Diaspora leaders in the US across the fields of innovation, creativity, community development, business, and academia," said the Taoiseach. "Many of the events in Boston and Washington DC will enable me to recognize their invaluable contribution to sustaining and deepening the close bonds between Ireland and the US, n...

The National Parks of Boston and South Boston Citizens' Association are hosting the 248th annual Evacuation Day Commemoration on Friday, March 15 at 10 a.m. The event is free and open to the public. Due to current restoration work on the Dorchester Heights Monument, this year's ceremony will take place not at the monument, but at the Edgerley Family South Boston Boys & Girls Club at 230 West Sixth Street in South Boston. Confirmed speakers include Congressman Stephen F. Lynch,  National Parks of Boston Superintendent Michael Creasey, and state and city elected officials, including State Senator Nick Collins, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn. Superintendent Creasey will share a brief overview of the current restoration project. The National Parks of Boston began the more than $30 million restoration of Dorchester Heights Monument on September 15. Funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), rehabilitation work will be complete by March 17, ...

Musician and singer Kevin McElroy of Maine is well regarded around New England for his skill as an instrumentalist and singer, his knowledge of Irish traditional music, and his work as a restorer of antique instruments, particularly the violin.   His latest CD, Better Late than Never: Irish + Traditional Songs , will further cement his reputation and popularity in the Irish traditional music community. The CD includes 10 tracks with some gorgeous songs and tunes, a few of them rare, and others well-known. We asked Kevin about the song selections.   “The ages of the songs vary greatly, from "Polly Vaughan" which comes from an old 17th century ballad, to "The Moving on Song" which is a composition of the famous Ewan McColl. "Paddy, the Cockney and the Ass” I learned from the late, great Tom Lenihan from West Clare when I was in my late teens and on my first visit to Ireland. It was the song that Irish fiddler Larry Reynolds regularly requested of me,” Mc...

  The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce unveiled its new tourism brand to local and regional hospitality leaders and partners on February 28, 2024 at the Pelham House Resort in Dennis Port. The Chamber is the official destination marketing organization for Cape Cod. Chamber CEO  Paul Niedzwiecki said the new initiative marks the first substantial branding update in more than two decades. With the post-pandemic resurgence in travel and tourism, officials say this is an ideal time for the Cape Cod brand to undergo a destination makeover. The branding update was made possible through federal ARPA funds that were awarded to the Cape Cod Chamber for COVID-19 recovery of the Commonwealth’s tourism industry. “People from all over the world are drawn to Cape Cod,” said Niedzwiecki. “There are the obvious reasons for that – our iconic natural environment, our rich culture. But the magic of Cape Cod lies in something even deeper: It’s personal. We wanted to update our destination market...