Irish Boston History & Heritage

Screaming Orphans   Top Irish performers are headlining the annual Newport Irish Festival , taking place September 3-5, 2011 at the Newport Yachting Center in downtown Newport over Labor Day Weekend. Among the performers are Irish fiddle champ Eileen Ivers and her band Immigrant Soul , the Screaming Orphans from Donegal, and Irish balladeers Makem & Spain Brothers . This year the festival is offering a special snug package which offers exclusive seating with cocktail service, whiskey tasting, a free Guinness tee-shirt and interaction with the performers.  You can order tickets to the festival online .  For a full schedule of entertainment, click here . For year round Irish, Scottish and Celtic events in Massachusetts and the entire New England region, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . 

Irish fiddle star Eileen Ivers and her band, Immigrant Soul perform at the Lowell Summer Music Series at Boarding House Park in downtown Lowell, on Saturday, August 20 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets to the show are $25 the day of the concert, available at the gate. For a full schedule of concerts at Lowell Summer Music Series, click here . For more information on Irish music in Massachusetts and throughout New England this summer, visit IrishMassachusetts.com

Parker's Restaurant, Omni Parker House Restaurant Week Boston - one of the most popular culinary occasions in New England - kicks off on August 14-19 and August 21-26 at dozens of great restaurants throughout greater Boston. The semi-annual event, held for two weeks each March and August, is brought to you by the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau (GBCVB) and American Express. Some of the participating restaurants from the Boston Irish Tourism Association include: 606 Congress @ Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel Aura Restaurant @ Seaport Boston Hotel Eastern Standard Restaurant @ Hotel Commonwealth Parker's Restaurant @ Omni Parker House Stanhope Grille @ Back Bay Hotel For a full list of participating restaurants, click here . Proceeds from Restaurant Week Boston go to the New England Center for Homeless Veterans on Court Street in downtown Boston, serving veterans who need jobs, housing, and health care. For year round cultural

The Black Rose , one of America's most famous Irish pubs, is hosting the first ever Irish Music Cruise on Boston Harbor, on Sunday, August 21, 2011. Festivities kick off at 11:00 a.m. at the Black Rose, located at 160 State Street next to Faneuil Hall. The boat leaves from nearby Rowes Wharf at exactly 2:00 p.m. for a three hour cruise around Boston Harbor, with live music by Irish ballad band Sunday's Well .  The boat returns to Rowes Wharf at 5:00 p.m, then it's back to the Black Rose, with more live music by The McTaggarts until 10:00 p.m.  Tickets to the Irish Music Cruise are $25 and can be ordered online . The Irish Music Cruise is part of the Black Rose's year-long celebration of its 35th anniversary as Boston's favorite Irish pub, and America's too.   You can follow the Black Rose on Facebook , and check out these other Irish pubs and restaurants owned and operated by the Glynn Hospitality Group .  For year round Irish activities in great

Joe Derrane The Gaelic Roots program at Boston College , led by Irish fiddle master Seamus Connolly , has announced its fall schedule of traditional music concerts and lectures from September through December 2011. The series features the world's best traditional musicians as well as noted writers and experts on Irish traditional music.  Connolly is the Sullivan Arist-in-Residence at Boston College.  The series of concerts is sponsored by the Center for Irish Programs at Boston College. September 22 The Genius and Growing Impact of Joe Derrane Gasson Hall, Irish Room, Boston College 400 Hammond Street, Chestnut Hill 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. | Free | 617 552-6396 |  Presentation by Earle Hitchner and John McGann, with accordionist Joe Derrane. October 20 Concert by Monsignor Charlie Coen 2101 Commonwealth Ave., Brighton Campus 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. | Free | 617 552-6396 | Irish Concertina and Flute. November 15 Concert by Gráinne Murphy and Kathleen Boyle 2101 Commonwealth

The Boston Irish Tourism Association is giving away a pair of tickets to see the Saw Doctors at the Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis on Thursday, August 11 and Friday, August 12, 2011, at 8:00 p.m. To enter the contest, click here and fill out the information.  You must enter the contest by Monday, August 8, to be eligible for the drawing; winners are announced on Tuesday, August 9, 2011. You can also order tickets directly to the Thursday, August 11 show online, or the Friday, August 12 show . The band originated in Tuam, County Galway and has been entertaining audiences ever since with its high energy performances. For a full schedule of concerts at the Cape Cod Melody Tent, click here . For year round Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . For tourist information, visit MassVacation.com .