Irish Boston History & Heritage

Irish poet, lyricist and musician Thomas Moore, who wrote compelling lyrics to many of Ireland's ancient melodies, died on this day on February 25, 1852.  His ten-volume collection of  Moore's Melodies , published between 1808 and 1834, helped revitalize interest in Irish music that was in danger of being marginalized and forgotten.   For a fuller story on Moore's life and achievements, read  Ireland's Minstrel Boy Gets His Encore  in the Irish Echo. In Boston, Moore's Melodies quickly found their way into the city's musical community; with several of his songs published as early as 1811.  His songs, especially  Last Rose of Summer , were performed as part of Boston's musical repertoire by famous visiting performers like singer  Jenny Lind  and violinist  Ole Bull .  Upon learning of his death in 1852, Patrick Donahoe and other Boston leaders formed a Thomas Moore Club to perpetuate his music.  In 1869,  Patrick S...

Shortly after the White House released an executive order on Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements , Boston Mayor MartyWalsh convened a press conference at City Hall to reinforce his support for the immigrant community.   He was surrounded by dozens of immigrant leaders from various communities in greater Boston . “Today's Executive Orders regarding immigrants are a direct attack on Boston 's people, Boston 's strength & our values,” Walsh said. “We will not stand for it. “We are a city and nation built on immigrants and we depend on newcomers to maintain the vitality of our country.  We will not be intimidated by a threat to federal funding.  we will not retreat one inch,” Walsh continued.” In June, 2014, the Boston City Council passed the Trust Act , which guarantees undocumented immigrants that the Boston Police Department would not report them to federal authorities.  Earlier in the day, Mayor Walsh issued this sta...

Here is the inaugural speech of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy , delivered on January 20, 1961. For more details on President Kennedy and his legacy, visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum . Learn more about the Kennedy Family's Irish heritage . Follow year round Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts at IrishMassachusetts.com . 

Boston Mayor John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald started a new tradition of ringing in the New Year by holding a reception at Boston City Hall on Tuesday, January 1, 1907. The Boston Globe wrote on January 2, “When the mayor announced the he would hold a reception among the lines of those held in the national capitol and other cities of the union, few regarded it seriously.  It had never been attempted before, and of course, to be attempted now in sedate old Boston was regarded as nothing short of a desperate plunge with no reward in sight to warrant it." Between the hours of noon and 2:00 p.m., over 4500 people attended, and it was deemed a success, noted the report. Among the Bostonians who turned out to greet Mayor Ftizgerald: President Toland of the Charitable Irish Society , Herbert Carruth, deputy commissioner of the Penal Institution, Colonel Roger F. Scannell, “late defeated candidate of the Board of Alderman,” Henri Flammond, the French consul, Jeremiah...

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX on November 22, 1963, putting an abrupt halt to one of the most promising presidencies in American history. His Administration, later referred to as the Camelot Era, bespoke the spirit of American pride, ambition and know-how in post World War II.  His Administration sent the first man to the moon, tackled the nation's thorny civil rights issue, and stood its ground against the Soviet Union and other threats to American sovereignty. In the half a century since President Kennedy's death, he continues to inspire and instruct people everywhere about the merits of democracy, the value of public service, and the positive spirit of the human condition. For more information on his legacy, visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum in Boston's Columbia Point throughout the year. Read stories about the Kennedy Family's Irish heritage here. For year round details on Boston's Irish comm...

The  Boston Massacre Memorial , located  on the Tremont Street Mall on Boston Common, commemorates the famous episode in which five men were shot by British soldiers in Boston on March 5, 1770.  The shooting and its aftermath helped launch the Revolutionary War. Putting up a monument to commemorate these men seemed like a good idea in the 19th century, and an number of citizens gathered together to do just that.   The memorial was unveiled on Wednesday, November 14, 1888.   Governor Oliver Ames attended, along with  Mayor Hugh O'Brien , the city's first Irish-born mayor of Boston.  The poem for the event was written by Irish-born poet  John Boyle O'Reilly .  E ntitled Crispus Attucks, the poem honored the African American who was one of the five martyrs killed that evening, along with Patrick Carr, an Irish immigrant, Samuel Gray, James Caldwell and Sam Maverick.   But surprisingly, there was opposition to the Memorial fro...

On the morning of Sunday, October 7, 1849, the Brig St. John sank off the coast of Cohasset, pushed to the brink by a severe nor-easter that rocked the boat for hours before it sank. On board were 127 passengers from Ireland, along with sixteen sailors. The majority of passengers were poor Irish immigrants fleeing the famine, Writer Henry David Thoreau heard about the wreck and traveled from Concord to witness the aftermath. He wrote about it in his book, Cape Cod . "We found many Irish in the cars going to identify bodies and to sympathize with the survivors, and also to attend the funeral which was to take place in the afternoon," Thoreau wrote. "When we arrived at Cohasset, it appeared that nearly all the passengers were bound for the beach, which was about a mile distant, and many other persons were flocking in from the neighboring country." Only 9 crew members and 11 passengers survived, according to reports . Most of the others drowned at sea,e...