Irish Massachusetts

  The Long Room at Trinity College Dublin Ireland’s reputation as a wellspring of literary genius is well-known across the world. This nation of storytellers, poets, novelists and writers from every genre gather regularly to celebrate the written word, to meet other writers and to interact directly with book lovers. Check out one of the island’s storied literary festivals in 2024 to be inspired yourself. Alice McDermott The  Listowel Writers' Week  in Co. Kerry, from May 29-June 2 is Ireland’s oldest literary and arts festival. Since 1971, writers have been flocking to the festival to read their work to discerning audiences, take part in creative writing workshops, and soak up the incredible beauty of Listowel and the Kerry countryside. This year’s featured writer is New York novelist Alice McDermott, whose work brilliantly captures the Irish Diaspora’s deep connections to Ireland. Bloomsday Celebration Since 1994, Dublin’s James Joyce Centre has organized the annual...

FLEADH CHEOIL NA hÉHIREANN Ireland's traditional music is one of the world's most vibrant and enduring folk traditions, and retains its vitality and relevance year after year, producing new generations of musicians, singers, dancers and storytellers. Start your musical journal this summer by visiting these traditional music gatherings,  and also check out  live Irish music, readily found in pubs and cafes, street corners and town squares and concert halls across the island of Ireland.  GAIRLOCH The 52nd Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare, from July 6-14, honors Ireland’s great uilleann piping tradition, exemplified by Clare’s own Willie Clancy himself.  This year the event welcomes the Canadian group Gairloch, to teach at the summer school and perform recitals and concerts throughout the week. MARY DILLON, DÓNAL O'CONNOR & NEIL MARTIN The 6th Annual Belfast Trad Fest and Summer School in Northern Ireland’s capital city, fro...

Conor Pass, County Kerry   (April 22, 2024) Ireland announced today that it is creating Ireland’s first Marine National Park - Páírc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí -  in County Kerry, as part of the country's 2024 Earth Day celebrations. The Pairc includes the Conor Pass, as well as new sites at Inch Peninsula, Mount Brandon and the Owenmore River in Co. Kerry, and is enriched by the inclusion of nature and heritage places managed by OPW, Commissioner for Irish Lights and BirdWatch Ireland. It will be dedicated to the protection and restoration of its internationally significant biodiversity and archaeological heritage.  See the video here.   According to a press release issued today: The new Páirc, which is centred around Corca Dhuibhne in Co. Kerry, will unite some of Europe’s most ecologically valuable places in celebration of nature across 70,000 acres of lands and seas. It brings together new acquisitions by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, su...

Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins and his colleagues in the Senate issued a Resolution commending the Boston Irish Tourism Association and its partners on celebrating St. Patrick's Day and Irish Heritage Month throughout the Commonwealth in March 2024.  The Resolution praised the Boston Irish Tourism Association for its work "with state and regional tourism councils, cities, towns and cultural venues to promote the Commonwealth as a visitor destination," and for its work "with Tourism Ireland and Massport to strengthen travel ties between the Commonwealth and Ireland throughout the year." The Resolution also recognized the  Boston Irish Heritage Trail  on its 30th anniversary this summer 2024 as "a premier history trail depicting more than 300 years of illustrious contributions made by Irish-Americans" in Boston and Massachusetts.  The Resolution was submitted by Senator Collins and co-sponsored by the following state senators:  Senator Micha...

Photos Clockwise: JFK Statue at the State Hous e in Boston; Kennedy Park in Holyoke; Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate in Boston; John F. Kennedy Birthplace in Brookline; Kennedy Museum in Hyannis; Rose F. Kennedy Garden in Boston; and JFK Library + Museum in Boston. The family of President John F. Kennedy has deep roots in Massachusetts, dating to 1848, when all eight of JFK's eight great-grandparents arrived in Boston, escaping the Irish Famine that was devastating Ireland. From Boston, Cambridge and Brookline to beautiful Cape Cod and the cities of Springfield and Holyoke in western Massachusetts, the Kennedy legacy is an integral part of Massachusetts. The Boston Irish Tourism Association has included these landmarks in its Irish Heritage Trail , which celebrates its 30th anniversary in summer 2024 as way to discover the rich Irish history of Boston and Massachusetts.  John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum Dorchester, Boston The John F. Kennedy Presidentia...

Malin Heal, Donegal Launched in 2014 by Irish tourism officials, Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way has been a stellar success over the past decade, attracting nearly 2 million more visitors to Ireland, increasing tourism spending by 59% and creating an additional 35,000 jobs, according to a new report launched today at Meitheal, an annual trade event for the Irish tourism industry. The Wild Atlantic Way stretches f rom counties Cork to Donegal,  across 1,500 miles and nine counties.  The nine counties include Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal. Ireland's Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin joined Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, in hailing the positive impact the Wild Atlantic Way has had on Ireland. Read full press release . “Ten years ago, a vision for the future of tourism in Ireland was launched, a route that stretched for 2,500 kilometres along our rugged Atlantic Coast," said Minister Martin. "This is now a household name and ...

  Traditional Irish music quartet  Reverie Road  ends its national tour with a concert at the Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland, RI at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 13.  The band features  Solas members fiddler  Winifred Horan  and accordionist  John Williams , alongside former Gaelic Storm fiddler  Katie Grennan , and Steinway artist Jazz and Raga pianist  Utsav Lal .  Tickets are $25 in advance and $28 the day of the show.   Offering a powerful mix of ancient Irish  airs and upbeat reels and jigs, as well as original soundscapes that weave the roots of the Irish musical traditions with fresh new departures,  Reverie Road was recently awarded the “Best Debut Album of 2023” by the Ireland Tonight Radio Music Awards.   Winifred Horan played with Cherish the Ladies before co-founding the award winning and renowned American Irish band Solas.  Accordionist John Williams, also a co-founder ...

Brack Tours has announced the Rose Clancy Music Tour of Northern Ireland  taking place on October 3-12, 2024. Led by noted traditional fiddle player Rose Clancy, the tour lets you take a magical exploration of the rich history and ancient beauty of Northern Ireland by day and then relax in the evenings with wonderful music provided by Clancy, Max Cohen and special local guests.  Among the places along the way: Armagh, Donegal, Ballycastle, Belfast and Newry, with stops at the St. Patrick's Visitor Center,  Navan Fort, McKeever's Orchard Farm, the Ulster American Folk Park, Slieve League Cliffs, Derry City, and the Giants Causeway. A highly respected, high-energy traditional musician playing fiddle, mandolin, and banjo, Rose Clancy is a popular presence  at concerts and festivals throughout the Northeast, sharing the stage with some of the greatest traditional performers. Clancy’s unique fiddle style embraces Northern Irish, Scottish and some French Canadian influen...

WASHINGTON ,  April 3, 2024  /PRNewswire/ -- Brand  USA , the destination marketing organization for  the United States , today announced that, as part of a planned succession process, its Board of Directors has appointed  Fred Dixon  as the company's new President & Chief Executive Officer, effective  July 15 , 2024. Dixon will succeed  Christopher L. Thompson , who announced his retirement in  July 2023  and held the role of Brand  USA's  President & CEO from 2012 to 2024. Thompson will continue to work with the Company through  September 30, 2024 , as an advisor to facilitate a seamless leadership transition for Brand  USA  and its partners.  Dixon joins the company with significant experience and a proven leadership track record in the travel industry as the current President and CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions,  New York City's  official destination marketing organization. With m...

Cliffs of Moher, County Clare Ireland plans to increase its film tax credit from €70 million to €125 million, and to extend the tax credit program to the end of 2028, following European Commission approval of both amendments.   The film tax credit program, which offers film makers a tax break on up to 32% of production costs, has helped Ireland become a global leader in the area of high quality audio-visual production over the past quarter century.  By offering a corporate tax credit relating to the cost of production of films, the program acts as a "stimulus to the creation of an indigenous film industry, creating quality employment opportunities and supporting the expression of Irish and European culture," according to government information. Read the press release . Minister for Finance Michael McGrath TD said the amendments "signal the Government’s intention to support the industry in capitalizing on its success in recent years and to make Ireland a global leader in ...

 Boston Public Library Get ready for National Library Week , taking place April 7-13, organized through the American Library Association (ALA). The 2024 theme is “Ready, Set, Library,” a shout-out for the central role that libraries "connect our communities and enrich our lives in ways we may not realize," says award-winning author Meg Medina, honorary chair of this year's National Library Week. "National Library Week is the perfect time to visit your library." notes the American Library Association. "Many libraries have special events planned for the week. Bring the kids or invite your friends. Meet the librarians. Check out books or other great items in your library's collection or attend a program. Take time to learn all your library has to offer." Boston Athenaeum Massachusetts has 370+ public libraries and 1,400 academic and specialized libraries, including nine library networks that provide the library catalog, the ability to borrow from n...

The renowned Gate Theatre is set to stage Emma Donoghu e’s adaptation of her best-selling book, The Pull of the Stars , which will transport audiences back a century to Dublin, Ireland.  The Pull of the Stars runs from April 10 to May 12, and tickets are available from gatetheatre.ie  Set in a crowded maternity ward in Dublin during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, the play follows young midwife Julia Power over the course of three eventful days as she battles to comfort and take care of her patients.  Amidst the chaos of the under-resourced hospital, Julia meets Bridie, a young woman who lives in the Magdalene laundry across the street. With a quick mind and sharp wit, Bridie makes herself indispensable to Julia and romance blossoms between the two. The play also features Dr Kathleen Lynn, a real-life revolutionary, Sinn Féin politician and medical pioneer who was the first female doctor at Dublin’s Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital. Lynn was also a member of the Iris...