(BOSTON) – Today, Boston Irish Tourism Association released its Annual Spring 2025 Travel & Culture magazine, highlighting New England’s robust St. Patrick’s Day season, plus travel ideas for visiting Ireland this year.
The 48 page magazine is available for free at visitor centers and cultural venues in greater Boston and throughout New England, and is also available in digital format online.
“New England becomes the Capital of Irish America each March with a dozen St. Patrick’s Day parades plus hundreds of cultural events and Irish festivities taking place,” says Michael Quinlin, co-founder of the Association. “These events are just an inkling of the year round Irish culture, heritage, sports and educational activities that flourish here.”
New England has the nation’s highest percentage of residents claiming Irish ancestry, according to the US Census.
In addition to the parades, which draw millions of spectators each year, other popular events on the calendar are the Irish Festival at Patriot’s Place on March 15-17 and the St. Patrick’s Day Weekend on March 14-17 at the Irish Cultural Centre, a 61-acre headquarters in Canton for year-round Irish music, dance, learning, language, culture and family entertainment.
South Boston activities listed include the Annual St. Patrick's Breakfast and Evacuation Day Ceremonies, along with a dozen public landmarks in Southie that have an Irish connection.
Top promoters such as Rockport Music, Spectacle Live and Blackstone River Theatre, along with The Wilbur, The Cabot and Boch Center, are bringing major Irish and Celtic shows to town in March and throughout spring. A number of Irish writers giving literary readings in March, including novelist Niall Williams of Co. Clare and short story writer Áine Greaney of Co. Mayo.
This issue profiles several visitor destinations in Massachusetts for tourists to explore, such as Boston, Plymouth, North of Boston and Central Massachusetts. Programs of interest to conventioneers and business travelers include Dine out Boston, Mass Convention Center's ferry service and Lawn on D programs opening this spring, and travel tips for visitors coming in and out of Boston's Logan International Airport.
It includes stories on JFK Museum in Hyannis, JFK Museum in Boston, Irish American Partnership, Omni Parker House and Lawrence Irish Heritage Month, along with a profile on fiddle champion and teacher Aoife Griffin from Co. Roscommon.
Featured gift shops in this issue include Bridget's - An Irish Tradition in Norton; Aisling Gallery & Framing in Hingham; Museum Store at JFK Library in Boston; JFK Hyannis Museum on Cape Cod; Omni Parker House in Boston and Welcome Center in Quincy.
The magazine’s section about Ireland has stories on St. Patrick’s Day and spring adventures that support Ireland’s sustainable travel movement to preserve the island for future generations. Stories on Lough Derg along the Shannon River, a border trip across four northwest counties and bicycling in Ireland are all featured in this issue.
A map of the Boston Irish Heritage Trail along with descriptions of 20 downtown landmarks for self-guided tours is included. A new initiative, Revolutionary Irish, charts the role of Irish and Scots-Irish in the American Revolution.
BITA, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2025 as a unique cultural tourism organization, was formed in 2000 to connect Massachusetts’ largest ethnic group with the state’s tourism industry, and to strengthen travel ties with the island of Ireland. The group publishes three annual issues of Travel & Culture each March, June and November and is launching a new website this spring. See Partners page for complete list of our partners.
For further details on festivals and concerts, as well as year-round Irish and cultural activities, hotel packages, gift shops and more, visit IrishBoston.org.
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