Irish Massachusetts

Dan Coll Congratulations to master oyster shucker Dan Coll of Boston’s famous Union Oyster House . Dan was named winner of the 17th Annual Oyster Shucking Competition that took place on March 17, 2025 at the Seafood Expo North America conference, held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. New Brunswick - Deliciously Canadian was sponsor of this year’s competition, which was held at the Marina Theater Stage inside the convention hall. Marina Theater Stage Described as “a fun, heated competition where contestants are pitted against each other and the clock to shuck oysters as fast as they can,” the shuckers were advised that “contestants had to bring their own blades, and no mechanically assisted knives were permitted. The Oyster Shucking Contestants “Both speed and quality shucks are the key factors to winning this competition,” according to officials. Contestants shucked “a combination of both Atlantic (Crassotrea virginica) and Pacific Oysters (Crassotrea gigas).” Bost...

General John Stark Statue at New Hampshire State Capital  Building in Concord By Michael Quinlin The Irish and Scots-Irish played key roles on the battlefields and high seas during the American Revolution. Historic figures such as Commodore John Barry, General John Sullivan, matross Margaret Cochrane Corbin, spy Hercules Mulligan, Governor George Clinton, Colonel Henry Knox and aide-de-camp Stephen Moylan helped to win the war with their valor and devotion to liberty. Additionally, nine Irish-Americans signed the Declaration of Independence, three born in Ireland and six more of Irish or Scots-Irish descent, among them Charles Carroll of Maryland. Countless Irish-America farmers, tradesmen, laborers, printers, writers, artists, wives, daughters and nurses also contributed to the war effort. Last summer we launched the Revolutionary Irish Trail, a national project to chronicle the various Irish and Scots-Irish contributions to the America Revolution. Our goal is to identify Revolu...

        Photo courtesy of Boston Irish Tourism Association   TOURISM GROUP IS EXPANDING BOSTON’S IRISH HERITAGE TRAIL More Artists, Women & Writers Being Added in 2025 (March 12, 2025) - The  Boston Irish Heritage Trail , a three mile walk covering 20 public landmarks and depicting three centuries of Irish-American history, is expanding to include more sites in 2025.  Stretching from the city’s waterfront through downtown and Back Bay and over to Fenway Park, the Irish Heritage Trail features some of Boston’s finest public art and open spaces, including statues and monuments, public buildings and historic graveyards and state and city parks, along with the nation’s first public library and its most historic baseball park.  Among the news sites being added this year:  Kip Tiernan  Memorial on Dartmouth Street, Back Bay, a homage to Boston’s leading homeless and hunger advocate for half a century; The Swan Boats  in the Public Gar...

"Self-Portrait, George P.A.Healy," Courtesy Chicago History Museum   One of Boston's most iconic paintings, "Webster Replying to Hayne," at historic Faneuil Hall, painted by George Peter Alexander Healy (1813-1894), is being added to Boston's Irish Heritage Trail, a series of public landmarks that celebrates the artistic, literary, political and military accomplishments of the city's Irish immigrants and Irish-Americans.   Regarded as one of America's greatest portrait painters of the 19th century, Healy was born in Boston on July 15, 1813, to William Healy and Mary Hicks, the oldest of five siblings.  His father William Healy was an Irish immigrant and captain of a merchant vessel "whose Celtic strain ran bright and lovable through the temperament of the son," wrote the  Catholic Encyclopedia . In his autobiography,  Reminiscences of A Portrait Painter,  Healey wrote, "My grandfather was an Irishman who was ruined by the rebellion of ...

As we celebrate Irish Heritage Month and Women’s History Month in March 2025, and mark International Women's Day on March 8, Boston Irish Tourism Association pays homage to these seven Irish-American women whose accomplishments in their respective fields have positively influenced society and continue to inspire people around the world. Margaret Foley (1827-1877) Born in Dorset, VT, Margaret Foley worked in the textile mills in Lowell while pursuing her interest in poetry and art, specializing in carving cameos. In Boston she created cameos of opera star Jenny Lind, poet Henry Longfellow, Senator Charles Sumner and abolitionist Julia Ward Howe. In 1861 Foley moved to Rome, Italy and mastered the intricate art of medallions. Her work, including an acclaimed portrait of Cleopatra, were featured at the Philadelphia Centennial Expo in 1876. Her work is on display at the Smithsonian and Harvard art museums. Mary Kenney O'Sullivan (1864-1943) Nationally acclaimed union organizer Mary...

    Mairead Nesbitt  at Firehouse Arts Center in Newburyport, March 17 In March, visitors get an emerald welcome in Essex County just  North of Boston as St. Patrick’s Day festivities get underway, featuring Irish music, culture and heritage across Essex County.   These annual Irish celebrations are the perfect way to escape the winter doldrums and welcome in spring! In addition to the festivities,  North of Boston, is a magical destination with miles of pristine beaches and fishing villages, two national parks and a national wildlife refuge, plus a stunning New England landscape stretching across 34 distinctive cities and towns.  It’s a place of cultural richness, storied history, warm hospitality and some of the best seafood on the planet! This month, let’s start with Irish music, a centerpiece of Ireland’s culture.  The Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport presents three acclaimed bands from Ireland:  the Iri...

Dervish   This article appeared in the Irish Echo Newspaper, March 5, 2025 (Boston Irish Tourism Association)    Massachusetts is rolling out the emerald carpet for St. Patrick’s Day this March, as one of America’s most Irish-American states celebrates its distinct culture and ethnic heritage. The Boston Irish Tourism Association (BITA) has issued its annual recommendations for enjoying the region’s St. Patrick’s Day season in a fun and meaningful way.     1. ATTEND A LIVE IRISH CONCERT March is an Irish music bonanza in Massachusetts, with dozens of touring bands from Ireland, Canada and across the United States coming through town.  Performers direct from Ireland this month include Danú, Dervish, The High Kings & Mary Black, Derek Warfield & the Young Wolftones and Odyssey, plus singers Paul Byrom and Seán Keane.  Cape Breton stars include Natalie MacMaster, Donnell Leahy and Four on the Floor, while top American groups include Gael...

Irish Dancing Exhibits Throughout the Weekend Patriot Place is expanding its popular Irish Festival into a three day event this year, as the 14th Annual event takes place from March. 15-17, 2025 at the shopping, dining and entertainment destination in Foxborough, MA.  The family-friendly event is free and open to the public.    Saturday’s lineup includes Irish step dancing, live performances by popular Irish musicians Devri, Jenny’s Chickens and the Fenian Sons, as well as themed activities, face painting, caricature artists and more. The day will also feature the return of the Irish Vendor Village, offering a wide variety of apparel and items. On Sunday, guests will enjoy a pint glass engraving activity accompanied by live music from Pour Man Band at Six String Grill & Stage, as well as bands at Wormtown Brewery and The Harp. Fittingly, St. Patrick’s Day will also have a lineup of Irish-themed events, as Wormtown Brewery and The Harp will host live music and Irish s...

Swan Boat photo courtesy of Swanboats.com  The majestic Swan Boats in the Public Garden lagoon, created in 1877 by Irish immigrants Robert Paget and his wife Julia (Coffey), will soon have a spot on the Boston Irish Heritage Trail  this summer, according to the Boston Irish Tourism Association (BITA), which oversees the historical walking trail and is  expanding the Trail  in Boston and across Massachusetts in the coming months.   Robert Paget was born in Ireland in 1837, coincidentally around the same time that Boston opened its Public Garden, the country's first public botanical garden.  A boatbuilder by trade, Paget worked at the Charlestown Navy Yard when he emigrated to Boston.  He and his wife Julia F. Coffey, also from Ireland, married in 1872.  In the 1870s, Paget obtained permission from the city of Boston to operate row boats in the Public Garden pond, according to a fascinating history of the Swan Boats compiled by the Paget family, wh...