Massport Makes the Boston-Belfast Connection

The port cities of Boston and Belfast have long been intertwined by history, commerce, culture and maritime traditions dating back to the 18th century when immigrants from Ireland’s Ulster Province settled in New England. 

Today, the relationship between the two cities remains vibrant and is poised to grow even stronger, thanks to a recent visit to Belfast by Massport officials, whose mission was to converse with their counterparts in air travel, port operations and tourism and to explore mutual areas of interest.

The Boston group was led by Massport CEO Rich Davey, who was joined by Massport Board Member and General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Sean M. O’Brien, along with Massport staff. 

“I’m grateful to our hosts for their warm welcome and thoughtful exchange of ideas,” Davey said, after a series of conversations with officials at Belfast Harbour, Belfast City Hall, Belfast International Airport and Invest Northern Ireland, focusing on infrastructure, transportation and economic development. 

A highlight of the trip was a boat tour of Belfast harbor, showcasing the remarkable transformation of Ireland’s principal maritime gateway.  The tour was led by Belfast Harbour CEO Joe O’Neill, whose port authority is investing £1.3 billion to upgrade its port facilities over the next 25 years.

In April, Davey received an Irish American Maritime Award by the Irish Echo Newspaper in New York.

Davey and O’Brien also met with Northern Ireland’s Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins to learn about mutual opportunities for future engagement and collaboration. They visited Belfast Lord Mayor Róis-Máire Donnelly and Belfast City Council International officer Laura Leonard to discuss the coveted Boston-Belfast Sister City compact, which was initiated in 2014 by Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Belfast Lord Mayor Máirtín Ó Muilleoir.   

In early 2027, a delegation of Belfast officials is planning a visit to Boston to renew the Sister City compact and to continue these discussions about infrastructure, transportation, economic development and tourism.

The trip to Belfast was timely, for it allowed the Massport team to contrast Boston’s hosting of World Cup, Sail Boston and America 250 celebrations this summer with Belfast’s weeklong Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (Festival of Irish Music) which took place August 2-9. The annual Fleadh, as it is known, attracts upwards of 800,000 people from across the globe, who gather each year in Ireland to celebrate the world’s best Irish traditional music, song and dance. 

This was the first time Belfast has hosted the Fleadh in the event’s 75-year history, and the city is slated to host it again in August 2027.  Visit Belfast, the city’s tourism arm, is developing a three-year strategy for 2027-2030 that will build upon the success of the Fleadh and other special events that attract visitors.  

“The best ideas often come from stepping outside your own organization, listening, learning, and bringing new perspectives home,” Davey said.  “As we saw with the World Cup, Sail Boston, America 250^th and the Fleadh, large scale events bring visitors from around the world, supporting our local economies and the businesses and industries that depend on tourism. They also provide an opportunity to put cities like Belfast and Boston on the world stage and showcase all our regions have to offer.”

Davey was also guest speaker at the monthly West Belfast Small Business Roundtable where he met with local business owners to share his thoughts on business success, according to the Irish Echo newspaper.   It was a fitting way to round out the multi-faceted trip meant to strengthen the longstanding relationship between Boston and Belfast. 

“What struck me most was how much we have in common,” Davey said after the trip. “Whether in Belfast or Boston, airports and ports are about more than moving people and goods. They’re engines of opportunity, connecting communities, supporting jobs, and strengthening regional economies.”

Read more Irish Boston stories on Massport.

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Massport has a mission of connecting the New England region to the world to support Massachusetts’ economic, transportation and climate goals, while demonstrating a commitment to neighboring communities. The Authority generates nearly $46 billion in annual economic impact through its facilities and operations, including Boston Logan International Airport, Worcester Regional Airport, Hanscom Field, the public maritime facilities in the Port of Boston including Conley Container Terminal and Flynn Cruiseport Boston, as well as commercial real estate in East Boston, South Boston, and Charlestown. 

Under Davey’s leadership, Massport has implemented dozens of initiatives to improve the customer experience at Logan Airport, launched a $140M project to improve the Flynn Cruiseport, successfully advocated for the adoption of a state tax credit for sustainable aviation fuel, launched the first-in-the-nation remote airport terminal in Framingham and created “Blue Edge,” an initiative to establish Massport’s leadership in the blue economy.