Irish Boston History & Heritage

  Frontispiece  Thomas Mooney of Dublin, a writer, lecturer, historian self-published a 1,7000 page book,  A History of Ireland From its first Settlement to the Present Time.   The sweeping study included chapters on Literature, Music, Architecture and Natural Resources, 200 biographical sketches of famous men, and 88 Irish melodies that included both musical notations and lyrics. The book was self-published in Boston in 1845 in two volumes, and was available for purchase from Patrick Donoghue, publisher of The Boston Pilot and in similar outlets in Providence, New York, Troy, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC. and Savannah.   Mooney had come to Boston in 1841 and was a welcomed speaker at the Boston Repeal Association and other local organizations.  "The cause of Repeal is the cause of truth and justice in Ireland," he said on his lecture tour. The Boston Post wrote that he  “appeared to striking advantage in the repeal uniform, with home-manufactured frieze c

Courtesy of Eire Society of Boston The very first symphony composed by an American woman was called Gaelic Symphony, Opus 32, a beautiful piece of music that evoked centuries of Ireland's ancient music.  It was written by pianist Amy Marcy Cheney Beach, who was born in Henniker, New Hampshire on September 5, 1867. Gaelic Symphony premiered on October 30, 1896 at Boston Music Hall, and was performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The musical composition instantly received critical acclaim, and was quickly sought by premier orchestras around the country, in Pittsburgh, Washington, Kansas City and Chicago.   Though mainly of Yankee stock - a distant relative, John Marcy, emigrated from Limerick to New England in the 17th century - Beach said she was drawn to the simple beauty of Irish melodies, according to the late George E. Ryan of the Eire Society of Boston, who wrote about Beach in the 1992 Eire Society Bulletin. Courtesy of Fans of Amy Beach Amy herself wrote, "I can ascr

Photo Courtesy of Digital Commonwealth On September 1, 1920, more than 100 dock workers at Charlestown Navy Yard boycotted British Ships in sympathy with the Boston Irish who were protesting against Britain's treatment of Ireland. Bostonians were upset about the hunger strike of Terence MacSwiney , lord mayor of Cork, Ireland, who had been sentenced to two years in prison by British authorities. He went on a hunger strike on August 12 to protest his imprisonment and was rapidly declining in heath. He died on October 20, 1920. Photo from Boston Globe, September 1, 1920 As longshoremen were loading the British ship Nitonian, there was picketing on the docks by two women, Mrs P. H. Savage and Miss Amelia Rosser, niece of General Thomas Rosser, according to The Boston Globe. The women were joined by Irish leader John P. McCarthy, an Irish leader, who exhorted the crowd, asking if they were going to handle British goods and telling them they must tie up British shipping.  "A lar

New York Daily Herald Front Page, August 2, 1903 One of the most gifted 19th century Irish-American sculptors, according to art historians, was John Talbott Donoghue (1853-1903) , a Chicago native who lived in Boston in the 1880s and whose life and career ended tragically when he took his own life.  Donoghue was discovered as a struggling artist by Oscar Wilde during the famous Irish writer's trip across America in 1882. Wilde reported he met "a young sculptor whom we would love and be so proud of if he were in Europe. He reminded me of the old Italian stories of the struggles of genius." Wilde wrote that he found Donoghue "in a bare little room at the top of a great building, and in the center was a statuette of the young Sophocles, a piece of the highest artistic beauty and perfect workmanship…. It was by far the best piece of sculpture I have seen in America." Image courtesy of  Isabella Gardner Museum  in Boston Donoghue's most celebrated work is The

Holy Cross Cathedral in Boston, image courtesy of Elkus Manfredi Patrick C. Keely (1816-1896), regarded as one of the great neo-Gothic church architects of the 19th century, designed more than 600 churches and 16 cathedrals throughout the United States between 1846-1896.  Born in Thurles, County Tipperary on August 9, 1816, Keely was the son of an architect and skilled carpenter who built St. Patrick's College and the Fever Hospital in Thurles. The family, spelled Kiely in Ireland, originated from Kilkenny.  He emigrated to New York in 1842 at age 25 and settled in Brooklyn. Inspired by 13th century Gothic design and influenced by English architect Augustus Pugin, he used elements such as Marcello towers and pinnacles, and within a short time was the most sought after church architect in America. In addition to Catholic churches, Keely also created notable Protestant churches such as the Asylum Hill Congressional Church in Hartford, CT, which included parishioners Mark Twain and

Poster Courtesy of Boston Irish Tourism Association Irish patriot, poet, scholar and athlete John Boyle O'Reilly died suddenly at his summer home in Hull, Massachusetts on August 10, 1890, from an accidental overdose of medication taken for insomnia.  For the two decades he lived in Boston, since arriving in January 1870, O’Reilly had quickly become an influential writer, orator, advocate and sage, especially for the city’s large Irish population and the Black community. He was beloved by the literati, business and political establishments, church leaders, and by ordinary people everywhere, who recognized his authenticity, dignity and good-will.  St. Mary's Church, Charlestown His funeral was held at St. Mary's Church on Warren Street in Charlestown, right around the corner from his home at 34 Winthrop Street.  The church was full to the brim, and participants included his wife Mary and four daughters, Elizabeth, Mary, Agnes and Blanid, and hundreds of friends, collea

One of the most extraordinary travel books about France was written by Elizabeth Boyle O’Reilly (1874-1922) of Charlestown, Massachusetts, the daughter of celebrated Boston Irish poet and editor, John Boyle O'Reilly and writer Mary Murphy O'Reilly .  How France Built Her Cathedrals: A Study in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries  (1921) was published by Harper Publishing in July, 1921, in New York City, where O'Reilly was living in her final years. The 600 page book, with illustrated drawings by A. Paul De Leslie, was based on O'Reilly's extensive research and travels throughout France. Title Page:  How France Built Her Cathedrals "Of living interest to the erudite devotee of the arts and to the person who simply enjoys, in books or travels, the wonderful and beautiful things that have come from the hand of man," wrote the  Boston Herald .  Book Illustration: Notre Dame du port of Clermont-Ferrand Published a few years after World War I ended, O'Rei

  Boston Irish Stepdancers On Saturday, July 30, 1950, the Greater Boston Feis was held at Malden Municipal Stadium in  Malden ,  Massachusetts, the first feis ever held in New England.  More than 15,000 spectators attended. The feis, described as an ancient Irish tradition in music and dance, sports, language and knowledge, was part of a cultural rekindling of Irish traditions taking place in Ireland and Diaspora communities after World War II and since Ireland became a Republic in 1949. Greater Boston Feis, program booklet, July 30, 1950 The bilingual program book, printed in English and Irish, was organized by the Central Council of Irish County Clubs, Inc, with  Richard J. Cardinal Cushing , Archbishop of Boston, listed as the event’s patron. Schedule of competitions Over 1,500 contestants participated in 72 different events, ranging from competitions in accordion, violin, harp, piano and Irish war pipes.     In addition, there were matches in  Gaelic football and Irish hurling , s

  Portrait of Henry Knox by Charles Willson Peale, Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum Henry Knox, a  first-hand witness to American history and a hero in the American Revolution, was born in Boston on July 25, 1750, the seventh of ten children.  His parents, William Knox and Mary (née Campbell), were Ulster Scots immigrants who came to Boston from Derry in 1729, part of a large exodus of Ulster-Irish Presbyterians who were emigrating to New England beginning around 1717-1718. As a boy, Knox attended the Boston Latin School , then at age 12, he went to work as an apprentice and clerk at Wharton & Bowes Booksellers at the corner of State and Cornhill (now Washington Street). The bookstore was right next to where the Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770, and Knox came upon the impending massacre before it happened. According to witnesses, Knox implored British Captain Preston to withdraw his men, but the request was ignored, giving way to the fracas that left five Boston men

Martin Milmore (1844-1993), considered one of America's most talented and consequential sculptors in the late 19th century, died at his home in Boston on July 21, 1883, at age 39. Born in Kilmorgan, County Sligo on September 14, 1844, he was the youngest of five brothers born to Martin Milmoe and Sarah Hart.  When the father died, Sarah and her five sons emigrated to Boston in 1851, where Sara's sister Ann was living.  They lived on Warren Street in the South End before moving to Hammond Street in Roxbury.  Martin showed an early inclination for art at the Martin Brimmer School on Common Street, where he was encouraged by his teachers and by Headmaster Joshua Bates.  It was here that one of Martin's teachers seemingly encouraged the family to change its name from Milmoe to Milmore, to align more closely with a popular Boston musician and bandleader at the time, Patrick S. Gilmore . After grammar school Martin attended Boston Latin School , graduating in 1860.  He was then

On July 21, 1971, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a resolution honoring Captain Timothy Deasy for his contributions to Irish freedom, his military service with the Massachusetts Irish 9th Regiment during the Civil War, and for his political career in Lawrence, where he was elected to the City Council and also represented the city in the House of Representatives. The resolution was submitted by Representatives William H. Ryan of Haverhill and Thomas W. McGee of Lynn. Read the full resolution from the State House Library.   Born in Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland between 1839-41, Timothy Deasy emigrated to Lawrence, Massachusetts in 1847 with his family. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Deasy enlisted in the Ninth Massachusetts Regiment , composed of Irish immigrants and Irish-Americans from several towns in the Bay State. "He was promoted from the ranks for conspicuous gallantry and bravery to the rank of First Lieutenant, fighting through 32 engagement

Eunice Kennedy, a leader in the field of intellectual disability, was born at the Kennedy family home on Abbotsford Road in Brookline, MA on July 10, 1921.  She was the fifth child of Rose and Joseph Kennedy’s nine children and their third daughter.   Read full  biography of Eunice Kennedy Shriver  and watch the video, Eunice Kennedy Shriver 100: A Legacy of Inclusion , produced on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of her birth by the National Park Service and Brookline Interactive Group. Eunice began her career as a social worker for women prisoners and juvenile offenders. In 1957 she headed up the Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation, dedicated to improving the way society deals with mental retardation. Her camp for children and adults with intellectual disabilities inspired her to create the Special Olympics, which spread to 150+ countries. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan presented Eunice with the Medal of Honor for her life's work. Read about the Special Olympics .  John, Jean a

Top Row: Site of Copley Home,42 Beacon Street, Beacon Hill, and Copley Square, Back Bay.  Bottom Row: Copley's Portraits of Paul Revere, John Hancock and Henry Pelham. America's first great portrait artist, John Singleton Copley (1737-1815) was born in Boston on July 3, 1738. He was the son of Irish immigrants who emigrated to Boston in the 1730s. John's parents, Richard Copley and Mary Singleton from County Clare, were married in County Limerick before emigrating to Boston. Right after their son John was born, Richard Copley traveled to the West Indies and died shortly thereafter, leaving John’s mother to raise him as a widow. She worked at a shop in Boston that sold tobacco close to Boston Harbor. In 1747 Mary S. Copley married Peter Pelham, a colonial artist and an original member of the Charitable Irish Society formed in 1737. It was Pelham who helped to nurture his stepson John's talent, and by age twenty Copley had gained a reputation as a promising artist. His fi

GAA Games at Dilboy Field in 1964, photo from Irish Citizen Newspape r Before moving to its permanent home at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton, the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) New England division played its games at Dilboy Field in Somerville. These photos were taken from the July 4, 1964 edition of the Irish Citizen, a weekly newspaper published in the Boston area. They depict some of the scenes that summer including a match between Erin's Hope and Kerry. GAA Games at Dilboy Field in 1964, photo from Irish Citizen Newspaper   GAA Games at Dilboy Field in 1964, Irish Citizen Newspaper The GAA had been playing at Dilboy Field since at least 1932, when matches were reported in the Boston Globe and other local press. The league played in various other fields during that decade, including Smith Field in North Brighton, Russell Field in Cambridge, and Town Field in Brookline. Dilboy Field became the field of choice around summer 1947, and the GAA played there on Sunday afte

  Born 180 years ago on June 28, 1844, John Boyle O’Reilly helped shape the history or Ireland and America in the late 19th century in powerful ways. Today, O'Reilly’s stature as a seminal figure in Irish and Irish-American history is particularly evident in his beloved birthplace of Dowth, County Meath; in Freemantle, Australia where he was imprisoned; and indeed, throughout the Irish Diaspora.  O'REILLY LANDMARKS IN MASSACHUSETTS O’Reilly remains popular in Boston, New Bedford, Hull and Springfield where there is a selection of memorials and plaques, parks and city squares, library collections and Irish organizations honoring O’Reilly’s memory. In Boston, the John Boyle O’Reilly Memorial at the corner of Boylston Street and The Fens, not far from Fenway Park, was unveiled in 1896 by famed Concord sculptor Daniel French. The Memorial is part of Boston’s Irish Heritage Trail. In Charlestown, O’Reilly lived at 34 Winthrop Street, where there is a plaque in his honor. In 1988 th