Tom Brady Statue at Gillette Stadium Is Being Added to Boston’s Irish Heritage Trail

The larger-than-life bronze statue of legendary quarterback Tom Brady is being added to the Irish Heritage Trail, a collection of public landmarks that celebrate the contributions of Irish and Irish-Americans in New England.

The statue was unveiled on August 8 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, where Brady led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles and 17 division championships in his 20 years here.

Michael Quinlin, who created Boston’s Irish Heritage Trail, said that “the addition of Brady’s statue to the Irish Heritage Trail is a fitting tribute to one of the region’s most beloved sports figures and Irish-Americans. The Brady family emigrated from Ireland to Boston in the 1850s and lived here for several years before heading out to California, so Tom’s family history comes full circle in Boston.” Read more about Tom Brady’s Irish family history.

In March, 2025, Boston Irish Tourism Association announced it planned to add new landmarks to the Trail, which currently includes 20 landmarks in downtown Boston and 20 additional sites throughout Boston neighborhoods.

In the months ahead, the Brady statue will be added alongside other iconic landmarks in Boston, including the famous Swan Boats in the Public Garden, launched in 1877 by an Irish immigrants Robert and Julia Paget, the Kip Tiernan memorial in Back Bay, the Deer Island Irish Famine Memorial in Boston Harbor and the John F. Kennedy Museum in Hyannis, Cape Cod.

According to patriots.com, “Brady’s career with the Patriots was nothing short of legendary. Drafted 199th overall in 2000, he rose from sixth-round obscurity to become the face of an NFL dynasty, leading the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles and 17 division championships in 18 seasons as a starter. 

“Renowned for his clutch performances, relentless drive, and exceptional leadership, Brady transformed the Patriots into perennial contenders. His tenure in Foxborough remains one of the most dominant and decorated runs in NFL history. The statue preserves his placement as a “Patriot for life” and enshrines his legacy as the greatest of all time.”

Other Boston Irish sports figures honored on the trail include James Brendan Connolly of South Boston, who became the first winner of the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens in the triple jump; Harold Connolly of Brighton, the gold medalist in the 1956 Olympic Games in the hammer throw; running legend Johnny Kelley, who finish a record 58 Boston Marathons in his career and outdoorsman John Boyle O’Reilly, who helped form the Boston Athletic Association in 1887.

Also featured on the Irish Heritage Trail: Fenway Park, built in 1912 by Irish immigrant Charles E. Logue, and the Boston Celtics, a name team owner Walter Brown chose when the team was formed in 1946, to reflect the vast number of Irish sports fans in Boston.