Irish Massachusetts

 Image courtesy of the Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins celebrated its 100th anniversary today by unveiling a statue in the shape of a bear, the long-time symbol of the storied hockey team, i n Portal Park outside TD Garden in Boston's North End. The team played its inaugural game on December 1, 1924 against the Montreal Maroons, beating them 2-1.  A century later, the Bruins play the Montreal Canadians on December 1, 2024 at 3 p.m. The puck drops at 4:15 p.m. Boston Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs said the statue represents "the  enduring spirit of this franchise and its fans.   This statue will greet generations of hockey fans, players and all who pass by, reminding them of the rich legacy we have built together and the exciting future that lies ahead. A very special thank you to Harry Weber as well, whose vision and artistic talent have brought this remarkable sculpture to life.” Standing 6-feet tall, 10-feet long and weighs 3,500 pounds, the statue is composed of 9...

Cathy and Ray Flynn at Flynn Cruiseport, Seaport Boston Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) officials, elected officials from South Boston and tourism, environmental and transportation advocates gathered in Boston’s Seaport District  on Friday, November 22 to celebrate the success of the 2024 Cruising season at the Raymond L. Flynn Cruiseport and to learn about new plans for upgrading the facility.   Former U.S. Ambassador and Boston Mayor Ray Flynn, for whom the cruiseport is named, and his wife Cathy attended.  The ceremony celebrated the record-breaking  2024 cruising season, which attracted 480,000 passengers, a 29% passenger increase over 2023.  In total,167 cruise ships came through Boston this season, with18 additional ships representing a 12% increase over 2023.   The Flynn Cruiseport has generated a $256 million in economic impact — a 90% increase since 2018, and supported more than 3,000 jobs, a 36% increase since 2018. In ...

Endicott College Women's Rugby Team The Irish Cultural Centre in Canton, MA is hosting the Women’s Division III Rugby qualifying matches for National Championship this weekend, November 16-17, as 16 teams vie to advance to the National Championships. Qualifying matches are also taking place this weekend in Culpeper, VA, Kansas City, MO and Obetz, OH. "Eight winners from Saturday’s Sweet Sixteen advance to Sunday’s quarterfinals, with the semifinalists punching their ticket to the final four in Houston, TX on December 7-8, 2024," according to National Collegiate Ruby.  Tickets are $20 per person for the weekend. Kids Under 12 and seniors over 60 are free. All-day parking is available. Concessions open at 10:30 a.m. Here is a  Hotel Booking Link  for visitors coming from outside Boston.  Here are the results thus far:  Round of 16 (Saturday) Endicott 83-0 Bentley Colby 66-61 Siena Geneseo 34-7 Christopher Newport East Stroudsburg 61-10 Lee Niagara 43-34 Gan...

(BOSTON) -- The Boston Irish Tourism Association (BITA) today released its 2025 winter issue of  Travel & Culture , a free tourism magazine highlighting cultural activities in New England and Ireland.  The magazine is  distributed  free at visitor kiosks and cultural venues throughout Massachusetts and New England. Read the  online digital magazine here .   The winter issue starts with a  Holiday Greeting , followed by a  Christmas round-up  of Celtic, classical, jazz and family venues around New England - from the Irish Tenors, Lúnasa and Chloë Agnew to jazz pianist David Benoit and the popular play,  How the Grinch Stole Christmas . Other local activities include Christmas tree lightings, holiday parades and Santa Claus visits.  A calendar of  holiday events  is included, plus details of  Spectacle Live shows  and Spectacle Live  venues  in three states. Massport offers holiday  travel t...

The 2024 All-Ireland Hurling Champions are coming to the Boston area on Tuesday, November 12.  The team is appearing, along with the covet4d Liam McCarthy Cup, at the Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston in Canton, and looks forward to greeting its many fans throughout New England.  Activities begin at 4:30 p.m. when team members offer a Skills Workshop, free for children under 18.   Then at 6 p.m, fans can have a Q&A with Clare manager Brian Lohan and hurling legends Tony Kelly and Shane O'Donnell, followed by a buffet dinner, live auction and live music from 7 to 11 p.m. Learn more about Boston's Gaelic Athletic Association teams , and about ICC's various sports programs . Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston 200 New Boston Drive, Canton 4:30 p.m. | $100 | 781-821-8291 irishculture.org  |   Buy Tix

This Veterans Day, as we honor the military service of our neighbors, friends and family, here are four landmarks worth visiting, in Quincy, Charlestown and Boston.  On August 9, 2024, 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. In addition to the Lone sailor statue, the Quincy Navy Park is encircled by a series of bas relief plaques honoring six Navy Admirals and five Quincy residents who served their community and the nation.  On July 27, 1993, the Korean War Veterans Memorial was unveiled at the Charlestown Navy Yard.  The 9-foot-high bronze soldier represents “The Forgotten War,” standing alone at night on sentry duty.  The memorial and statue were created by sculptor Robert Shure of Skylight Studios in Woburn.  The memorial is close to the U.S.S. Constitution at t...

The 16th annual Golden Bridges Conference  is taking place at Babson College in Wellesley, MA on November 15, 2024. The annual event connects business, community, tourism and education leaders from Ireland's NorthWest with their counterparts in Boston and Massachusetts. Purchase tickets to the conference here . The conference showcases the best of Ireland's Northwest to an audience of influential Irish American business and political leaders as a way of strengthening the connections between Ireland and New England. Several people from Massachusetts are being honored at this year's conference for their leadership, including State Representative John Lawn, Worcester State University President Barry Malone, Harvard Professor of Landscape Architecture Gareth Doherty, immigration lawyer John Foley and Plymouth County Register of Deeds John Buckley.   Ray O'Hanlon, editor of the Irish Echo in NYC, is the master of ceremonies. The breakout panels include: On Common Ground...

The Boston Public Library (BPL), founded in 1848 and acclaimed as the People’s Palace, has an incredible collection of books, videos, music, genealogy resources and educational materials available to the public. The BPL also has a celebrated collection of art and sculpture throughout the library that inspires library staff, visitors and residents every day.  The McKim Building itself is an architectural and artistic treasure. Constructed between 1888 and 1895, it was named after the architect who designed and planned the building, Charles Follen McKim of the McKim, Mead & White firm.  According to BPL archives, McKim developed partnerships with some of the greatest craftspeople, painters, and sculptors of the 19th century in order to adorn a building that would inspire and elevate its patrons. Irish-born sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907) had an influence on the building's exterior decorative features, including the three reliefs depicting the seals of the...

Kip Tiernan, Photo courtesy of Rosie's Place The next time you are exploring Boston's Irish Heritage Trail , stop by the memorial to Kip Tiernan (1926-2011), social activist, writer, teacher, visionary and provocateur. The Kip Tiernan Memorial is located in Boston's Back Bay on Dartmouth Street between Newbury and Boylston streets, next to Old South Church, and honors her relentless fight for economic and social justice, and her special attention to helping homeless women. She is best known for founding Rosie’s Place on Easter Sunday in 1974, the first shelter in America to specifically address the issues confronting homeless women. What began as a place to distribute clothing and give out coffee, flowers and comfort became a year-round emergency program. Today, Rosie’s Place provides health care, legal advice, job opportunities, education, daycare and affordable housing, depending on the needs of each woman who enters. Rosie’s also functions as a full time advocacy group...

Loughcrew in County Meath Around the world, December 21 is known as Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year and the beginning of the winter season.  While it often goes unnoticed in today's world of speed, sound and distraction, Winter Solstice was an important event in prehistoric Ireland, signifying a turning point in the year and the coming rebirth of the land.   That's why prehistoric monuments in Ireland are often aligned with the rising sun on the winter solstice, built by the original Celtics who arrived in Ireland about 500 BC. Newgrange in County Meath Winter solstice is a popular annual tradition in Ireland, and here are some ancient sites that are gathering places for marking the occasion. The best known of these monuments is Newgrange, part of the World Heritage Property of Bru na Boinne in  County Meath. The almost intact Neolithic tomb is more than 5,000 years old and on the winter solstice its inner chamber is illuminated by the rising sun. The ...

Regional tourism industry leader Michelle Cruz was confirmed on October 31, 2024 as the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development (DTTD) new State Tourism Director.  Michelle begins work on December 2, replacing longtime tourism chief Lori Harnois, who left earlier this year for a new job in Vermont, after serving as New Hampshire's tourism director in 2020-2024 and 2011-2014.  Read full press release here. The Executive Council unanimously confirmed Governor Sununu’s appointment of Cruz. As State Tourism Director, Cruz will provide strategic direction for the Department and be responsible for the state’s domestic and international marketing and communication strategies, talent/workforce, and business recruitment platforms; oversight of the functions of the DTTD office; as well as working with industry leaders to advance and maximize the New Hampshire brand to a broad set of audiences. “A thriving tourism industry is New Hampshire’s bread and butter,” said Gov...