Irish Boston History & Heritage

  John Wiseman of Bantry Bay and James Scott Skinner of Aberdeen arriving in Boston in March, 1926 On March 21, 1926, two top traditional fiddlers from the British Isles, 82 year old James Scott Skinner of Aberdeen, Scotland and 76 year old John Wiseman of Bantry, County Cork, arrived in Boston Harbor aboard the Cunard liner Carolina.  They were here to compete in  the World's Old Fiddlers Contest, taking place April 5-10, 1926 in Lewiston, Maine.   Upon their arrival, they were met by a host of    fiddlers, pipers and dancers from the Irish and Scottish communities, who serenaded the two musicians and greeted them enthusiastically.  Sisters Nora and Violet Twomey, both pipers, posed with the fiddlers on the docks. Wiseman became ill on the journey over and had to be hospitalized in Boston after he arrived.  Despite medical advice, he journeyed to Maine in a car accompanied by two nurses, one of whom stood next to him on stage as he gamely played tunes.  Right after the contest, Wi

 Here are the final four parades taking place in Massachusetts in March 2022, as part of St. Patrick's Day celebrations and Irish American Heritage month:  Abington, MA/ Sunday, March 20 at 1 p.m.  Boston, MA/ Sunday, March 20 1 p.m.  Holyoke, MA/ Sunday, March 20 at Noon  Scituate, MA/ Sunday, March 20 1 p.m.  In addition to the parades, find a schedule of Irish concerts, dances, literary events and social activities by visiting  BITA's March calendar page.   For information on visiting Dublin, Ireland during St. Patrick's Day season, go to  Ireland.com . To learn about Boston's illustrious Irish history and heritage, visit  IrishHeritageTrail.com .