Irish Massachusetts

Ireland’s  Dublin Book Festival  returns for its 20th season on November 4-8, 2026 at dozens of venues throughout the city, showcasing the best in Irish writing and publishing for both adult and children readers. Featured authors and speakers this year include Mary Robinson, Roddy Doyle, Marian Keyes, Anne Enright, Sebastian Barry, Louise Kennedy, Kevin Barry, Mario Rosenstock, Djamel White, Colm O’Regan, Katriona O’Sullivan, Naoise Dolan, Patrick Freyne, Doireann Ní Ghríofa and Hector Ó hEochagáin. The Dublin Book Festival provides a great opportunity to hear both established and emerging authors in conversation about their new books, to enjoy stimulating panel discussions, poetry readings, walking tours, creative workshops and special celebrations and launches.  Plus, there is a full weekend of  Family Events  that are free and open to the public. Here is the  complete program . This year’s Festival Hub is the iconic Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM), l...

Garden of Remembrance,  Springfield, MA. Courtesy of Springfield.gov Public officials and local Irish leaders are holding a special Irish Remembrance ceremony at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 18, 2026 at the Rose Garden in Forest Park. The event honors Ireland’s history and history and celebrates Irish heritage and traditions that have enriched Springfield for generations. It also marks the 45th anniversary of the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike, in which ten young Irishmen lost their lives. The ceremony remembers the families and communities affected by the conflict, while reflecting on the importance of remembrance, reconciliation and the ongoing pursuit of peace, according to the office of Mayor Domenic J. Sarno. Irish Proclamation in the Garden of Remembrance, Springfield, MA. Courtesy of Springfield.gov Congressman Richard Neal is attending the ceremony, along with officials from the Irish Cultural Centre of Western New England, the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the John Boyle O'Rei...

One of Boston's most accomplished Irish leaders for over 60 years was Michael Cummings (1924-2011), a stand-out in Gaelic football, Irish set dancing, Irish scholarship, cultural heritage and immigration reform.   In 1947,  Mike arrived in Boston  from Ballygar, County Galway as a heralded young football star who helped lead the Galway Football Club in Boston to five consecutive championships from 1948-1952.    He was elected the youngest president of the  Gaelic Athletic Association in New England , a group he continued to support through his life.    1955 Boston GAA Team, Mike Cummings, back row, third from left Off the playing field, Mike was active in Boston’s Irish cultural community, teaching set dancing classes at the Intercolonial Hall in Dudley Square, Roxbury and at Harvard University.   He was active in Irish cultural groups like the Eire Society of Boston , Charitable Irish Society , Galway County Club and similar groups. ...