Irish Boston History & Heritage

Brownstone's Restaurant in Boston is celebrating New Year's Eve on Saturday, December 31, 2011.  Tickets are $40, which includes two drink tickets, passed hors d'oeuvres and a champagne toast at midnight. The quaint little wine and martini bar is at 111 Dartmouth Street, on the border of Boston's Back Bay and South End.  For directions click here . To order tickets online and to find out about other New Year's Eve celebrations in Boston, click here .  For year round details on Irish cultural activities in greater Boston visit IrishBoston.org .

The Burren Pub in Davis Square, Somerville, Massachusetts is kicking off New Year's eve celebrations with the band Red Square , starting at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 31, 2011.   Admission is $20 and doors open at 8:00 p.m.  For a schedule of music at the Burren in January 2012, click here . For year round details on Irish cultural activities in greater Boston, visit IrishBoston.org . For tourist information visit MassVacation.com and BostonUSA.com .

The Clancy Traditio n, a family of accomplished traditional Irish musicians, perform at the Holy Redeemer Church at 57 Highland Avenue in Chatham, Cape Cod, on Saturday, December 31, 2011 at 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. The group includes Eugene Clancy on guitar and vocals, his daughter Rosemary on fiddle and mandolin, Patrick on piano and accordion, Pat’s daughter Liadain singing vocals, and Brendan Dolan on piano and flute. It's part of the First Night activities in the seaside town of Chatham on Cape Cod, one of seventy performances taking place to usher in the New Year.  For a full list of the performances, click here . For year round details on Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts and the New England states, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . For tourist information visit MassVacation.com or CapeCodChamber.org .

The Four Green Fields Pub in downtown Boston is powering up for the New Year with a night of great music and dining on Saturday, December 31, 2011. The pub is featuring the acclaimed Irish rockers, The Prodigals , with opening act Colm O'Brien .  The show starts at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 and includes a champagne toast at midnight. Four Green Fields is also offering a New Year's Eve special Prime Rib Dinner, including salad, shrimp cocktail, prime rib, baked or mashed potato and desert for $49.95. The price includes reserved seating for the show. For reservations, click here or call 617 367-4747. Opened in February 2011, Four Green Fields is Boston's newest Irish pub, located along the city's Irish Heritage Trail .  You can follow FourGreenFields on Facebook . For year round details on Irish activities in greater Boston, visit IrishBoston.org .

The famous Phillips Candy House on Morrissey Boulevard in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood has a great selection of hand-made candies for this holiday season, including the ever-popular turtle chocolates the company made famous. Founded in 1925, the Phillips Candy House is Boston's oldest chocolatier.  It is located next to the Ramada Inn and Comfort Inn , Freeport Tavern and Boston Bowl , a family entertainment venue that includes bowling alleys, pool tables and a game room. There's also a Phillips Candy House at the South Shore Mall in Braintree. For year round details on gift shops, hotels, pubs and restaurants and Irish cultural activities in the Boston area, visit IrishBoston.org .  For tourist information visit MassVacation.com or BostonUSA.com .

Irish harpist, singer and composer Aine Minogue is performing at Club Passim in Harvard Square, Cambridge, on Friday, December 23, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online . For upcoming Irish concerts in greater Boston, visit IrishBoston.org .

The Irish-owned Butcher Shop Market in Boston's Adams Village, Dorchester, is taking holiday orders for fresh turkeys, ham, roast and platters this week. The shop specializes in hand cut meats of all varieties from the traditional (beef and chicken) to the exotic (pheasant, wild boar) and everything in between (pork, lamb, turkey)! It also carries a full range of Irish products and hand-made sauces and spices.  For a profile of the Butcher Shop Market, click here . You can also follow Butcher Shop Market on Facebook . For more on Boston's Irish community and year round cultural activities, visit IrishBoston.org .

A Christmas Celtic Sojourn finishes its successful two week tour around New England with four performances at Boston's Cutler Majestic Theater this weekend, December 17-18, 2011. Tickets range from 25-$75 and can be purchased online . Hosted by WGBH radio personality Brian O'Donovan , A Christmas Celtic Sojourn is a look back at traditional Christmas celebrations in rural Ireland, with a full evening of high caliber  music, songs, dancing, poetry and storytelling. This year's cast features Len Graham , legendary folk singer from Derry, Northern Ireland; Canadian singer Ruth Moody , fiddler Hanneke Casel and her group Halali , uileann piper Kieran O'Hare , the Harney Academy of Dancers and musical director Seamus Egan . Read the Irish Echo story about this concert and other musical events in New England in December. For year round information on the Irish community in Massachusetts and the New England states, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

US Senators Scott Brown (R-MA) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) have introduced the Irish Immigration Reform and Encouragement (IRE) Act of 2011 , which adds the Republic of Ireland to the E-3 visa program , providing 10,500 employment visas that have no limit on the number of renewals allowed. "This legislation rectifies the decades-long plight by including the Irish in a special visa program that encourages their skilled workers to come to our shores," said Senator Brown in a statement.  “Legal immigration is the foundation of America, and we must continue to find ways to improve our visa and green card programs, especially when it comes to the treatment of our strongest allies and closest friends.” For more about the Irish community in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .  To know more about Boston Irish history, visit IrishHeritageTrail.com . 

The Burren Pub in Davis Square, Somerville, is hosting its Saturday Local Artist Market on December 17, 2011 from noon to 4:00 p.m.  The open air market showcases the work of local artists working across a range of media.  For directions click here . Follow Burren Facebook page for news about Irish music and other holiday specials.  For year round details on Irish music and cultural activities, pubs and restaurants, gift shops, cultural groups and travel to Ireland, visit IrishBoston.org .

The Dunn Band is performing at the Four Green Fields Pub in Boston on Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.   Admission is free and open to the public. The classic pub band consists of Shane Dunn on vocals and guitar, Josh Oliver on bass, Damon Leibert   on fiddle and Rodrigo Bonelli on drums. Four Green Fields opened in February 2011 and is located at One Boston Place in downtown.   It has one of the largest television screens in Boston for sports, and a full-service menu . Follow Four Green Fields Facebook page. For details on Irish cultural activities, pubs and restaurants, gift shops and campus events in greater Boston, visit IrishBoston.org .

Irish traditional fiddle ace Helena Delaney is leading a session at the Skellig Irish Pub in Waltham on Friday, December 16, 2011 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.   Delaney, who is from Galway, is being joined by some of the area's leading traditional Irish musicians. The session is free and open to the public. For a schedule of upcoming performers at the Skellig, click here . For year round details on Irish events in greater Boston, visit IrishBoston.org  

Singer and guitarist Mick Carr is performing at the Four Green Fields Pub in Boston on Friday, December 16, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.   Born in Glasgow, Scotland to Irish parents, Carr is a versatile and engaging musician who has been entertaining in the New England region for 20 years, performing popular songs like Fields of Athenry, Spencil Hill and the Leaving of Liverpool to his large following of fans.  Located at One Boston Place in downtown Boston, Four Green Fields is the city's newest Irish pub, opening its doors in February 2011. It is located on the city's Freedom Trail and Irish Heritage Trai l. For more information on Four Green Fields, follow it on Facebook . For year round details on Irish cultural activities in greater Boston, visit IrishBoston.org .

Melissa McCarthy from the Harney Academy Dance A Christmas Celtic Sojourn is finishing its successful two week tour around New England with five performances at Boston's Cutler Majestic Theater on December 16-18, 2011. Tickets range from 25-$75 and can be purchased online . Hosted by WGBH radio personality Brian O'Donovan , A Christmas Celtic Sojourn is a look back at traditional Christmas celebrations in rural Ireland, with a full evening of high caliber  music, songs, dancing, poetry and storytelling. This year's cast features Len Graham , legendary folk singer from Derry, Northern Ireland; Canadian singer Ruth Moody , fiddler Hanneke Casel and her group Halali , uileann piper Kieran O'Hare , the Harney Academy of Dancers and musical director Seamus Egan . Read the Irish Echo story about this concert and other musical events in New England in December. For year round information on the Irish community in Massachusetts and the New England state

  The 4th annual Christmas Celebration at Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland, RI takes place on Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.  Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the door. The concert features a host of well-known musicians from New England, including Aubrey Atwater, Cathy Clasper-Torch, Erika Damiani, Elwood Donnelly, Bob Drouin, Russell Gusetti, Josh Kane, The Miller Family, Mary Lee Partington, Torrin Ryan, and the Swamp Meadow Victorian Carolers. For a schedule of concerts coming up in 2012 at Blackstone River Theatre, click here . For year round details on Irish and Celtic performance in New England, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . 

Andy Cooney   The Boston Irish Tourism Association is giving away a pair of tickets each to two lucky winners to see A Classic Irish Christmas , starring Andy Cooney and a host of Irish performers. The concert takes place on Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts. To enter to win, go to the BITA Contest Page . You can also purchase tickets directly by clicking here . For a full schedule of upcoming events at Mechanics Hall, click here . For more holiday concerts and Irish music in Massachusetts and New England, visit IrishMassachusetts .

The Charitable Irish Society and Eire Society of Boston are holding their annual Christmas Celebration on Sunday, December 11, 2011 from 4:00 to 6:00 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston. Tickets to the event are $50.  For more information call 617 327-4876. The Charitable Irish Society, formed in 1737,  is the oldest Irish organization in the United States, and is celebrating its 275th anniversary in 2012.   The Eire Society of Boston was formed in 1937, and celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2012. The Copley Plaza Hotel has longstanding connections to the Boston Irish community dating back to the early 20th century.  Irish tenor John McCormack stayed there when performing at Boston Symphony Hall, and Ireland's prime minister Eamon deValera stayed at the hotel when he visited Boston. For year round details on Irish activities in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . To learn more about Irish history in Boston, visit IrishHeritageTrail.com . .

The acclaimed new singing group, The Canadian Tenors , perform at the Wilbur Theatre in Boston on Monday, December 5, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $40-$61 and can be purchased online or at the theatre. Hailed as one of the great new musical groups coming out of Canada, the Tenors consists of four extraordinary vocalists who have all had successful solo careers. They'll be performing songs from their new holiday CD, The Perfect Gift, . including their hit song Hallelujah . For a schedule of concerts coming up at the Wilbur Theatre, click here . Find more Irish cultural activities and concerts by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com .

The Butcher Shop Market in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood is now carrying Irish newspapers from around the 32 counties. Owner Alan Gibson says that he gets customers from all parts of Ireland into his shop, and many of them are looking for newspapers from home they can read each week. New issues of the papers will arrive each Saturday. The shop is located at 782 Adams Street in Adams Village, Dorchester, a popular destination for Irish emigrants and Americans who like authentic Irish meats and imported products.  For a list of products, click here . The Butcher Shop Market also has a dining area in the back, Mrs. Murphy's Kitchen , which serves Irish breakfast and other meals throughout the day. For more information call 617 288-5100. For directions click here . You can follow Butcher Shop Market on Facebook to find daily specials and other news about other Irish products. Submitted by Boston Irish Tourism Association .

Irish harpist and singer Aine Minogue is performing a concert of Winter Solstice and Christmas music at Boston College on Thursday, December 8, 2011, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public and takes place at 2101 Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton. For directions click here . The event is part of the Gaelic Roots series directed by Séamus Connolly , Sullivan Artist-in-Residence and sponsored by the Center for Irish Programs at Boston College. For a list of similar holiday concerts taking place this Christmas in Massachusetts and the New England states, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com and BostonUSA.com .

Congratulations to Glynn Hospitality Group in Boston, whose flagship The Black Rose Pub is celebrating its 35th anniversary as one of America's favorite Irish pubs. Located in the heart of Boston’s Quincy Market, The Black Rose set the standard early for what an Irish pub in Boston should be, offering live Irish music seven nights a week, tasty and affordable meals, a full bar of great beers and beverages, and a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Since then the Rose has served three million pints of hand-poured Guinness, 250,000 bowls of Irish stew and 300,000 plates of fish & chips. It has provided live Irish music every night for 35 years, with the exception of each Christmas Eve and the evening of 9/11/2001. “Celebrating 35 years in business is especially significant and worth noting to our staff, our patrons and our family and friends. Times are tough and we hope that The Black Rose has given many people a friendly and affordable place to go over the years. At Th

The Boston Irish Tourism Association is raffling off three pairs of tickets to see Four Celtic Voices , an exciting new ensemble of virtuoso musicians, in concert at the Rogers Center for the Arts at Merrimack College in North Andover on Friday, December 2, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. To enter to win, go to BITA's Contest Page and follow the instructions.  If you don't want to take the chance, since the show might be sold out, you can purchase tickets online for $30 each. An all-women group, consisting of Celeste Ray, Erin Hill, Carol Crittenden and Maria Johnson, Four Celtic Voices released its debut CD on March 17, 2009 on QVC television and has since performed in concert halls around the country. For a schedule of upcoming events at the Rogers Center for the Arts, click here . For more Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

  Brendan Bulger and Larry Reynolds (Photos by Mary Hegarty Neschke) Congratulations to Irish fiddle champion Brendan Bulger of Boston, who was one of five musicians and cultural leaders recently inducted into the Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann Northeast Region Hall of Fame.  The ceremony took place on November 4-6, 2011 at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. Larry Reynolds , president of the Boston chapter of Comhaltas , was on hand to present the award to Brendan, who was joined by his brother Chris and Chris' wife Margaret, both musicians. Bulger is one of just few American-born musicians to win the prestigious All-Ireland fiddle competition, which he won in the 18-Under Category in 1991 in County Sligo.  Brendan's music teacher was Seamus Connolly , Sullivan Artist in Residence at Boston College and head of the Gaelic Roots program there.  He has recorded on numerous CDs, including the award-winning Music in the House in 2004, with Chicago musicians

The Boston Celtics are back!  After a 149 day lock-out, the team owners and the players have come to an agreement and the National Basketball Association has salvaged part of this year's season.  The Celtics open against the New York Knicks on Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  Many people wonder why the Boston Celtics basketball team sports shamrocks on the players' green uniforms, and why the team logo features an Irish leprechaun.   According to the team’s official history, the name Celtics was chosen in 1946 when owner Walter Brown sat down with his public relations guy, Howie McHugh, to figure out what to name the new team. Some of the ideas included the Whirlwinds, Unicorns, Olympics and the Yankees! Then Brown had an epiphany, saying, “Wait, I’ve got it – the Celtics. The name has a great basketball tradition from the old Original Celtics in New York (1920s). And Boston is full of Irishman. We’ll put them in green uniforms an

Ninth Regiment Flag, in the Flag Display at the Massachusetts State House Author and historian Christian Samito is giving a lecture entitled The Fighting Ninth Massachusetts Regiment at the Boston Public Library on Wednesday, November 16, 2011 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. The lecture is free and open to the public. Mr. Samito is author of Commanding Boston's Irish Ninth: The Civil War Letters of  Patrick R. Guiney . and Becoming American Under Fire . The 9th Regiment was organized in June 1861 shortly after the war broke out and was composed mainly of Irish immigrants and Irish-Americans.   Colonel Thomas Cass was the leader of the regiment. The lecture is part of the Boston Public Library's ongoing series of exhibits and lectures to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War . For more information on Boston Irish history and heritage, visit IrishHeritageTrail.com For cultural activities of the Irish community in greater Boston, visit IrishBoston.org For

On Wednesday, November 14, 1888, the citizens of Boston unveiled the Boston Massacre Memorial on the Tremont Street Mall on Boston Common.  The Memorial commemorated the death of five Bostonians who were gunned down by British soldiers in Boston on March 5, 1770, an episode that helped launch the Revolutionary War. Governor Oliver Ames attended, along with Mayor Hugh O'Brien , the city's first Irish-born mayor of Boston.  Irish-born poet John Boyle O'Reilly  penned a poem for the occasion,  He entitled  it, Crispus Attucks, in honor of the African American who was one of the five martyrs killed that evening, along with Patrick Carr, an Irish sailor, Samuel Gray, James Caldwell and Sam Maverick.   Surprisingly, there was opposition to the Memorial from old-line Bostonians.   Jeffrey Roche noted in his biography of O'Reilly : "A vigorous attempt was made by certain gentlemen of Tory proclivities to prevent the (memorial), by showing that Attucks and his co

Irish traditional music duo Grainne Murphy and Kathleen Boyle perform a free concert as part of the Gaelic Roots program at Boston College on Tuesday, November 15, 2011. The concert takes place at 2101 Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Gaelic Roots series is organized by Seamus Connolly , Sullivan Artist in Residence at Boston College, and sponsored by the Center for Irish Programs at Boston College. Murphy is a champion fiddle player from the Boston area and is part of a musical family.  She studied the fiddle with Seamus Connolly.  Boyle is based in Glasgow, Scotland and is a champion accordion player. For year round details on Irish music and dance in Massachusetts and the New England states, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

Virtuoso Celtic guitarist Tony McManus is performing at the Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland, RI on Saturday, November 12, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be reserved by calling 401 725-9272.  McManus is a self-taught traditional musician from Scotland whose records have won numerous awards over the past fifteen years. In addition to releasing six CDs, McManus has appeared on numerous other albums with top Celtic musicians. For a full schedule of upcoming concerts at Blackstone River Theatre, click here . For year round Irish and other cultural activities in Massachusetts and the Neew England region, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

Carrie Preston , Assistant Professor at Boston University's College of Arts & Sciences, is holding  live demonstration and discussion of Japanese Noh and its adaptions around the world at a luncheon on Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 12:30 p.m. at the Castle at 225 Bay State Road in Boston. Admission is $10 and registration is required by 9:00 a.m. on Thursday.  For online registration, click here . A classical Japanese musical drama started in the 14th century, Noh Theatre was adapted by Irish poet and playwright William B. Yeats for Ireland's National Theatre movement at the turn of the 20th century. Preston, who studied Noh in Japan, will discuss how Noh performance technique led her to  reconsider her own assumptions about teaching, learning and national identity. The event is part of BU's Arts, Culture, and Ideas series, which gives alumni a chance to dicuss topics with faculty members.  It is sponsored by the BU Alumni Association and the BU Human

Long Time Courting , a female Irish traditional and folk music ensemble, is performing at B lackstone River Theatre in Cumberland, RI on Saturday, November 8, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.  Tickets are $13 in advance and $15 day of of show. The band includes Sarah Blair on fiddle/vocals, Liz Simmons on guitar/vocals, Shannon Heaton on flute/vocals, and Ariel Friedman on cello/vocals.  Based in Boston, the women came together over their shared love of traditional Irish, Scottish and American folk music as well as contemporary material. They bring elements of these various genres to their repertoire in a way that is seamlessly innovative, inventively arranged, and skillfully rendered. For a full schedule of upcoming concerts at Blackstone River Theatre, click here . For year round details on Irish-American culture, music, dance and other activities, visit IrishBoston.org .

The Bards of Boston, one of the most popular Irish bands in the New England region, perform at the Four Green Fields Irish Pub in downtown Boston on Saturday, October 29, 2011, starting at 9:00 p.m. For a full schedule of upcoming concerts and events at Four Green Fields, click here . For year round details on Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts and the New England states, visit IrishBoston.org .

The Burren Pub in Davis Square, Somerville, is having its regular Local Artist Market on Saturday, October 29, 2011 from Noon to 4:00 p.m. Check it out on Facebook to get more details.  The Burren is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year as one of America's best Irish pubs, with traditional Irish music seven days a week.  It was started by musicians Tommy McCarthy and Louise Costello . For year round information on Boston's Irish community, visit IrishBoston.org . For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com and BostonUSA.com .

Hanneke Cassel The wildly popular Christmas Celtic Sojourn concert, hosted by WGBH radio personality Brian O'Donovan , is back for its 9th season, and tickets are now on sale. The concert evokes an old-fashioned Christmas in rural Ireland in days gone by, with plenty of music, dancing, singing, storytelling and poetry throughout the evening. Among the performers this year:  Northern Irish singer Len Graham, uilleann piper Kieran O'Hare, Hanneke Cassell and Halali, and music director Seamus Egan. This year the concert has expanded to ten performances at five venues around New England, including: Hanover Theatre, Worcester, MA Friday, Dec. 9, 7:30pm Get tickets >> The Music Hall, Portsmouth, NH Saturday, Dec. 10, 3pm and 8pm Discounted tickets are only available via phone or in person: 603-436-2400; 28 Chestnut Street, Portsmouth, NH Zeiterion Theatre, New Bedford, MA Sunday, Dec. 11, 7pm Discounted tickets are only available via phone or in pers

Father Charlie Coe n, a master on the traditional Irish concertina and flute, is performing in concert at Boston College on Thursday, October 20, 2011 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.  The performance is part of the Gaelic Roots program at BC created by fiddle master Seamus Connolly , the Director of Irish Studies Music and Dance, and Sullivan in Residence Artist at the college. The concert takes place at 2101 Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton and is free to the public. Known as the musical priest, Father Coen was born into a musical family near Woodford, County Galway and emigrated to the United States as a young man and became a priest.  He has won numerous awards for his playing and is highly regarded as a true advocate and genuine exemplar of Irish traditional music.  For more information about the concert or about the Gaelic Roots program, contact Seamus Connolly at 617 552-0490 or connolsb@bc.edu . For year round information on Irish music, dance and culture in Massachusetts

Accordionist Mick McAuley and fiddler Winnie Horan are kicking off the new Burren Backroom Music Series at the Burren Pub in Davis Square, Somerville, Massachusetts on Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets to the show are $18 in advance ($20 at the door) and can be purchased online . The new series is being hosted by Brian O'Donovan , radio host of the popular show, Celtic Sojourn , heard on Saturday afternoons on WGBH . The duo - who perform with the Irish traditional ensemble Solas - has just released an album, Serenade , on Compass Records. The Burren Pub is one of the great places to hear traditional Irish music nightly in the greater Boston area.  It was started in 1996 by two musicians, Tommy McCarthy and Louise Costello . You can follow the Burren Facebook page for updated information. For year round details on Irish activities in Massachusetts and the New England region, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

James M. Curley    Professor Charles Duffy, an expert on Boston Irish literature, is speaking at the Milton Public Library on Sunday, October 16, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.  The event is sponsored by the Eire Society of Boston . Duffy will talk about writer Edwin O'Connor , whose novel The Last Hurrah was a story about Boston Irish leader James Michael Curley, who dominated the city's political history for the first half of the 20th century.  Duffy's biography of O'Connor is called A Family of His Own , published by Catholic University Press. For reservations, call Barbara Fitzgerald at 617 698-8758.  In addition to the lecture, expect live Irish music and Irish bread and tea.  For more about the Erie Society, click here . For year round details on Irish cultural activities throughout Massachusetts and the New England states, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com .

Devri with Pauline Wells Boston's 3rd annual Irish Heritage Festival in Adams Village, Dorchester is taking place on Sunday, October 9, 2011 from noon to 8:00 p.m.  The festival is free to the public and features all-day musical entertainment on three stages, as well as dancing exhibitions, cultural activities and vendors with Irish products.  For directions to the festival click here . Among the bands performing: Devri featuring Pauline Wells , Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann , Tin Can Hooley , the Mike Reynolds Band , and many more.  To see a complete schedule, click here . For year round Irish cultural activities in greater Boston, visit IrishBoston.org .

by Michael P. Quinlin Irish poet and playwright William Butler Yeats addressed an audience at the Plymouth Theatre in Boston on Thursday, September 28, 1911 on the subject, History of the Irish National Theatre and its Purposes. As managing director of Dublin's Abbey Theatre , Yeats was in the United States to introduce a new literary movement taking place in Ireland that he hoped would be "the awakening of the mind of Ireland." The Plymouth Theatre , located at Eliot Street (now Stuart) and Tremont Street, was a brand new playhouse, described as "a cozy, compact and home like-arrangement, with the seats in all parts of the house as near the stage as possible."  The Abbey players christened the new theatre with their productions. The Irish plays on opening night included The Shadow of the Glenn by John M. Synge, Birthright by T.C. Murray, and Hyacinth Halvey by Lady Gregory Yeats was introduced to the audience by George Pierce Baker , professo

The friends of the Michael Joyce Memorial Playground in South Boston are holding a special raffle to raise funds to improve and maintain the park.  The group is raffling off a pair of tickets -- eight rows from center ice - to the season opening game at TD Garden between the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, October 6, 2011. The winning raffle ticket will be drawn on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. at Gerard's Restaurant in Adams Village, located at 722 Adams Street in Dorchester. Tickets are $20 or three for $50.  To order tickets, call (617) 265-7718 or (617) 439-0860. Michael Joyce was born in Connemara, County Galway and lived in Boston from 1949 until his death in 1989.  He worked at the Massachusetts State House for twenty years, and was recognized as a great leader in the Irish community who helped many immigrants make the transition to American life by offering wisdom and wise council. For more details

Famed Irish tenor Ronan Tynan is performing at the Rogers Center at Merrimack College in North Andover on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.   Tickets to the concert are $35 ($32 for seniors) and can be reserved online . Also, the Boston Irish Tourism Association is raffling off three pairs of tickets to lucky contestants who enter the contest .   The winners will be announced on the site on Thursday, September 29. Tynan is an inspirational figure and rare talent who has gained a loyal following of music lovers that crosses generations and musical genres. He has performed before presidents and prime ministers, and in opera houses and ballparks, including Fenway Park and  Yankee Stadium. The Rogers Center for the Arts is a magnificent, 600 seat concert venue with wonderful acoustics and a welcoming ambiance.  For a complete schedule of upcoming events, click here . For year round information on Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts and the New England region

Mayor John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald , addressed the audience at the Plymouth Theatre on the opening night of the Abbey Theatre 's first performance in Boston on Saturday, September 23, 1911.  The theatre company was embarking on a six-month North American tour to promote the new Irish National Theatre of William B. Yeats , Lady Gregory and others.  The Irish plays on opening night included The Shadow of the Glenn by John M. Synge, Birthright by T.C. Murray, and Hyacinth Halvey by Lady Gregory Mayor Fitzgerald, who was the grandfather of President John F. Kennedy , said to the audience: "Ladies and Gentlemen — Like most of you I came here tonight as a learner and would prefer to listen rather than to speak. It has been my privilege to read some of the works of the remarkable group of Irish writers who have so recently won the enchanted ear of the English-speaking world. And I know from general report the claims and distinction of their writings. "

Photo Courtesy of Boston Public Library   The official groundbreaking for the construction of Boston's new baseball stadium at Fenway Park took place on Monday, September 25, 1911. The park was built by Charles E. Logue , (1858-1919)  an Irish immigrant from Derry, Northern Ireland, who arrived in Boston in 1881 and headed up numerous construction projects, including a number of churches and campus buildings for the Boston Archdiocese. The chief architect was James E. McLaughlin, who also designed the South Boston District Courthouse . Boston Latin School and the Endicott School near Franklin Park. The notion of having the park finished by April 1912, in time for the start of the Boston Red Sox season, seems ambitious, looking back, since a lot of the construction work had to be completed during the New England winter. A progress report in The Boston Globe , dated January 28, 1912, states, "Work has been rushed all winter, and not until the recent cold spell wa

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum is holding two panels on the famous missile gap controversy that President John F. Kennedy faced 50 years ago.  The events take place on Monday, September 26, 2011 at the JFK Library in Boston.  The CIA Overview of the Missile Gap takes place at 1:00 - 4:45 p.m. , followed by the Missile Gap Controversy, taking place from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.   Among the participants: historians Timothy Naftali, Fred Kaplan and John Prados.  Mary Elise Sarotte, Professor of International Relations at USC, is  moderator. For more details click here .  Kennedy Library Forums are a series of public affairs programs offered by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum to foster public discussion on a diverse range of historical, political and cultural topics reflecting the legacy of President and Mrs. Kennedy's White House years. For a schedule of upcoming events, click here . For other cultural activities taking place in greate

On Sunday, October 9, 2011, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Plymouth Div. 9 , is holding its annual commemoration of the Brig St. John, which sank off the coast of Cohasset, Massachusetts on October 6, 1849, drowning 99 people. The event starts at 1:00 p.m. with a Mass at St. Anthony’s Church , 129 South Main Street in Cohasset, followed by a reception at the church hall.  Then participants will walk over to the Cohasset Central Cemetery for a brief wreath-laying ceremony at the foot of the large Celtic Cross, which was placed there by the AOH in 1914. The Brig St. John was traveling with 104 passengers and 16 sailors from Galway to Boston Harbor on October 6, 1849, when it encountered a nor'easter that was wrecking havoc along the coast.  The storm pushed the boat south as the Brig tried unsuccessfully to anchor near Minot Light.  Local residents made valiant attempts to save lives and spent days trying to recover bodies of the drowned victims.  Most of the pas

2010 AOH Ceremony Marking Easter Uprising To mark the 150th anniversary of the Irish settlement in Worcester, Massachusetts, the local Irish-American community erected a Celtic Cross on Worcester Common .    The 15 foot high memorial, weighing over 13,000 pounds made of Barre Vermont granite, was designed by Joseph Calcagni .  It features patriotic, religious and family symbols pertinent to Worcester, America and Ireland.  The Celtic Cross was formally unveiled on Sunday, September 18, 1977.   Thomas J. Early, Mayor of Worcester presided, along with Daniel F. Herlighy, chairman of the Irish Memorial Committee, and members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians , especially from Division 36 in Worcester .  On May 25, 2009, Ireland President Mary McAleese laid a wreath at the Celtic Cross commemorating the arrival of the Irish in Worcester.   For more details on Irish heritage in Massachusetts, visit IrishHeritageTrail.com .   For year round cultural activities, visit Irish

The City of Boston laid the cornerstone for the Sailors and Soldiers Monument at Flagstaff Hill on Boston Common on Monday, September 18,1871. According to the official documents, "the event was celebrated by an imposing public display.  Business was generally suspended, the streets were thronged with people drawn together from all parts of the State to honor the occasion." Among the attendees were Martin Milmore, the Irish-born sculptor who had won the commission to create the monument; Patrick A. Collins , state senator from South Boston; General P.R. Guiney of the Massachusetts 9th Irish Regiment, and Gilmore's Band, led by Patrick S. Gilmore . The following year Milmore went to Rome, Italy, where he spent the next five years working on the monument.  It was shipped back to Boston and officially unveiled on September 17, 1877. For more information, see Irish Boston: A Lively Look at Boston's Colorful Irish Past . For more on Boston's Irish hi

Boston accordion legend Joe Derrane is the subject of a lecture by Earl Hitchner of the Irish Echo newspaper this Thursday, September 22, 2011 at Boston College .  The event takes place at Gasson Hall on BC campus from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Along with the lecture by Mr. Hitchner is a performance by Derrane, mandonist John McGann, professor of strings at Berklee College of Music, and Seamus Connolly , All-Ireland fiddle player and head of the Gaelic Roots Irish Music program at Boston College. Derrane was born in the Mission Hill section of Roxbury, a neighborhood of Boston, in 1930, to Irish immigrant parents.  He studied the accordion with noted accordion player Gerry O'Brien, and by the time he was a teenager was a recording artist and noted musician in Boston's vibrant Irish community.  This was also during the heyday of the Dudley Street Irish Dance Hall era in Roxbury, where hundreds of Irish immigrants, Irish-Americans and Canadians convened each night to dance to

Boston's most famous Irish pub, the Black Rose Pub ,  is celebrating halfway to St. Patrick's Day on Saturday, September 17, 2011.  Festivities feature Joshua Tree , the premier tribute band to U2, who perform starting at 9:30 p.m. The event is one of the many Black Rose 35th anniversary celebrations taking place in 2011. The Rose opened at 160 State Street in Boston in 1976, when Richard Ford was US President and a few months before Faneuil Hall first opened.  Since then it has gained a world-wide following, and offers live Irish music seven nights a week, a great menu and drinks selection , and a special ambiance that keeps people coming back. Today the Black Rose Pub is owned by Glynn Hospitality Group , a family-run business with roots in County Galway, which has eight dining and entertainment locations in Boston.  You can follow Black Rose Pub on Facebook , or visit the BlackRose web site . For a full schedule of Irish activities in greater Boston and thr