Irish Massachusetts

  The Christa McAuliffe State House Memorial Commission has announced the unveiling of the Christa McAuliffe statue at 10 a.m. on Monday, September 2, 2024. Members of the public are encouraged to attend.  The dedication takes place on what would have been Christa's 76th birthday. Renowned artist,  Benjamin Victor, was selected by the committee  to design the memorial. At the age of 26, Victor is the youngest artist to ever have a sculpture placed in the National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol.  "To see a hero like Christa McAuliffe memorialized in this way will undoubtedly inspire the next generation of students each time they visit the New Hampshire State House," said Governor Chris Sununu. "The unveiling of this statue – the first woman to be memorialized on State House grounds – will be a historic moment for the State of New Hampshire. We hope the whole community will come out for this event!" The Christa McAuliffe State House Memorial Commission...

  Conor Mallon Acclaimed Irish uilleann piper Conor Mallon is performing with his band live at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton on Wednesday, September 4, from 8-10 p.m.  Tickets to the concert are $25 and can be purchased online or at the Centre the night of the show.   Conor Mallon Unearthed Band Mallon is performing from his award winning album, Unearthed, which has been nominated as Album of the Year in Germany and Ireland.  Joining Mallon in the concert is an all-star cast of musicians, including Paul Starrett on electric guitar, Jack Warnock on acoustic guitar and vocals and Fintan Mulholland on bodhran and whistles.  A native of Keady, County Armagh, Mallon began his musical career with the famous Armagh Pipers club before touring with his band Connla.  The website Folking.com has praised Mallon for “leading the next generation of Uilleann pipe players.” Conor was the first recipient of the ACNI/BBC Northern Ireland Young Traditional Musicia...

Photos Courtesy of Boston Irish Tourism Association This month, the City of Quincy dedicated the beautiful and inspiring new Quincy Navy Park along the waterfront in Marina Bay. The park honors Navy veterans while highlighting Quincy’s historical contributions to shipbuilding and the national defense. The ceremony took place on August 9, 2024. At the dedication, Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch praised “Quincy's steadfast commitment to answering the call of duty for our nation” and called the ceremony “a proud day for the history of our city.  "The site of this park holds historical significance,” Mayor Koch said. “The Victory Plant, which constructed destroyers during WWI, and the former Naval Air Station, where pilots were trained for WWII, stand testament to Quincy's vital contributions to our nation's defense. We are grateful to the men and women who worked in the shipyards, building vessels that supported the United States and its allies in defeating evil." Gra...

  Photo Courtesy of Friends of the Public Garden Henry Lee, Boston’s beloved civic leader, parks advocate, teacher and historian, died on Monday, August 12, 2024, from cardiac arrest. He was 99. Lee is best admired and renowned in Boston for spearheading a grass roots movement in the 1970s to prevent the development of high rise buildings encroaching on the perimeter of the Public Garden, which would have cast shadows across the Garden as well as Boston Common, the nation’s oldest park, formed in 1634. Henry Lee and Boston Parks Commissioner Larry Dwyer Plant a Tree on Boston Common on Arbor Day, 1989. Photo Courtesy of the Boston Common Management Plan The successful effort led Henry and others to create the Friends Of The Public Garden , one of the nation’s most effective open space advocacy groups, whose mission is to renew, care for and advocate for Boston Common, Public Garden and Commonwealth Avenue Mall. The group works with Boston Parks and Recreation Department to support...

  Inch Abbey, County Down Tourism Ireland has compiled a handy guide to historic abbeys on the island of Ireland that tell fascinating stories of the island’s religion, history and culture.   Jerpoint Abbey, County Kilkenny The King of Ossory founded Jerpoint Abbey in 1158 and the site offers a unique glimpse into the life of the Cistercian monks who once inhabited it. A guided tour will bring the site to life, delving into its history and explaining the meaning of the splendid carvings and sculptures. There is also a visitor centre with an exhibition. Inch Abbey, County Down The ruins of this small abbey on the bank of the Quoile River tell a tale or two. It was built by John de Courcy, an Anglo-Norman knight who arrived in Ireland in 1176 and conquered a considerable territory on the island. He built Inch in atonement for having destroyed the Erenagh Abbey nearby. The atmospheric ruins have appeared in Game of Thrones as the site of Robb Stark’s camp. Monasterboice, County ...

The town of Lexington, Massachusetts is gearing up for the semiquincentennial celebration of the Battles of Lexington and Concord.  A new organization named  Lex250  has been set up to promote and spearhead activities, projects and celebrations for the Town of Lexington.  In a statement issued on its website, Lex250 writes:  "The legacy of April 19, 1775, endures as a testament to resilience and defiance. So much of what it means to be an American today – including values such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – can be traced back to the actions of our Minutemen.Even when questions of national unity are raised, the Battle of Lexington is an important reminder of the great things that can happen when Americans come together." An early initiative of Lex250 is a Countdown Calendar , a collaborative effort among schools, businesses and civic organizations to remind residents, students and visitors of the impending 250th anniversary of the famous battle,...

T he Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston (ICC) is hosting the  Boston Northeast Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) Finals Weekend on Saturday, August 10 and Sunday, August 11, 2024. The competitions include six finals. On Saturday, games begin at 4 p.m  with the Junior B Final pitting Donegal vs the Shannon Blues, followed by the Junior A Final at 5:30 p.m. with Aidan McAnespies vs. Wolf Tones. On Sunday, the competition begins at Noon, with the Ladies B Final showdown between Connacht Ladies vs. Trinity Milton.  At 1:30 p.m., Ladies A Final features St Brendan’s vs Boston Shamrocks.  At 3 p.m., the Intermediate Final features Cork vs Kerry, followed by the Senior Final at 5 p.m. with Donegal vs. the Connemara Gaels.  Saturday, August 10 4 p.m. - Junior B Final: Donegal vs Shannon Blues 5:30 p.m. - Junior A Final: Aidan McAnespies vs Wolfe Tones Sunday, August 11 Noon - Ladies B Final: Connacht Ladies vs Trinity Milton 1:30 p.m. - Ladies A Final: St Brenda...

Gracehill , a distinctive Moravian Settlement on the island of Ireland, has just been designated by UNESCO’s World Heritage  an official part of the transnational Moravian Church Settlements .  The only complete Moravian Settlement on the island of Ireland, Gracehill joins other Moravian Settlements worldwide, including Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the United States, Herrnhut, Germany and Christiansfeld, Denmark. One of the oldest Protestant denominations of Christianity, the Moravian Church arrived in Britain and Ireland from central Europe in the early 18th century.  Located on the outskirts of Ballymena in County Antrim, Gracehill Village was established in 1759. As Northern Ireland's first Conservation Area, the village stands out as the only complete Moravian settlement in Ireland.  The layout of the village is significant as it reflects the Moravian values of education, equality, industry, tolerance and spirituality. It has several historic listed buildings inclu...

  The New England Free Jacks , based in Quincy, MA, made history on Sunday, August 4 by winning its second consecutive Major League Rugby (MLR) Championship with a hard-fought, 20-11, victory over the Seattle Seawolves in the MLR title game at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.  Read full press release .  With the win, the Free Jacks join Seattle as the only clubs to win two MLR Shields and back-to-back championships. Jed Melvin, Player of the Match, said, “From the start, I’ve learned that the Free Jacks are more than just a rugby team. We’re a community, we’re a family, and we look out for each other. The brotherhood of this team is incredible, and now we did it back to back, so it is all pretty special." The Free Jacks represent all six New England states on and off the field in Major League Rugby (MLR), the premier North American professional league. Quincy has been the home of the Free Jacks since June 2021, when the partnership with  City of Quincy  and Heri...

  Last year's Fleadh Cheoil The world's largest Irish traditional music gathering,  Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann,  kicks off August 4-11 in the Town of Wexford, Ireland.  The weeklong festival includes music, dance and singing competitions, concerts, workshops, and hundreds of tradition sessions that play out in pubs, restaurants, hotel lobbies and on the streets of Wexford. The most anticipated events for many music lovers will be the competitions, which showcase musicians from Ireland and around the world.   According to Ireland.com,  a number of exciting activities are scheduled for the week, including a Gig Rig on Wexford's Quayfront, providing free live music throughout the week, with pop up music events dotted throughout the winding streets in addition to scheduled concerts.  There's art exhibits and book launches, history walks and a workshop about Wexford's connections to the Vikings.   On Thursday, August 8, tin whistle plays will gather to...

The Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston  (ICC) is hosting the Northeast Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). Semi-Final competitions this weekend on Saturday, August 3 and Sunday, August 4, 2024.   Games begin at 3 p.m on Saturday and 11 a.m. on Sunday. See full schedule below. The ICC also has live music on the patio all weekend and 50/50 raffle drawings each evening.  The ICC Pub and Concessions open at Noon each day.  Saturday August 3 Field A - Canton 3 p.m.  MJCHCP (F) Providence v Worcester 6:30 p.m. MJAFCP (S/F) Wolfe Tones v Connemara Gaels Field B - Canton 7:30  p.m MJCFCP (F) Trinity v Worcester Sunday, August 4 Field A - Canton Noon MIFCP (S/F) Cork v Christophers 1:30 p.m. MIFCP (S/F) Donegal v Kerry 3 p.m. MJBHCP (F) New Hampshire Wolves v Worcester 4:30 p.m. MSFCP (S/F) Galway v Connemara Gaels 6 p.m. MJAHC Galway vs Fr Tom Burkes Field B - Canton 11 a.m. MJBFCP (S/F) Connemara Gaels v Donegal 1 p.m.  LJFCP (S/F) Boston Shamrocks v Hart...

Audley Castle, County Down Tourism Ireland has compiled a handy guide of lesser-known castles on the island of Ireland that tell fascinating stories of the island’s history and culture and are generally crowd free. Tullynally Castle, County Westmeath The family home of the Pakenhams, later Earls of Longford, for over 370 years, Tullynally Castle was first built as a plantation house and then remodeled as a castle in the early 1800s. Still a family home, the impressive castle is open to the public for guided tours of the historic great hall, dining room, drawing room and library as well as the Victorian servants’ quarters. The beautiful gardens complete the first-class experience. Ross Castle, Killarney, County Kerry Sitting on the edge of Lough Leane, one of the famous lakes of Killarney, Ross Castle is a dramatic site that conjures up tales of medieval battles. It was a stronghold of the Irish chieftain O’Donoghue Mór in the fifteenth century, and legend has it tha...