In the News

Declan Crowley

Congratulations to Declan Crowley on his recent appointment as cultural programming director at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton.  Declan oversees a wide array of cultural and educational activities at the Centre, from live performances and seasonal celebrations to dance workshops and educational classes throughout the year.

Originally from Burnt Hills, NY, Declan is a graduate of Holy Cross College in Worcester and a world champion Irish dancer, winning numerous regional, national and All-Ireland titles, and later, touring the world as a principal dancer in Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance.”  His time on the road gave him great connections to the world’s finest dancers, singers, musicians and cultural leaders, and he is now inviting them to the Centre.

Declan credits his parents, grandparents and extended family for his success in the competitive dance world, and he plans to pay that forward to new generations of families who want their children to learn about their Irish heritage in all its variations.

“It’s an all-in commitment,” Crowley says about his role, and “a lifetime honor to collaborate with those who’ve protected the mission of the Irish Cultural Centre for so long..”

Beth Sweeney

After nearly 37 years of dedicated service to the Boston College Libraries, Elizabeth (Beth) Sweeney retired this fall from the John J. Burns Library. She curated the library’s Irish Music Archives for some 25 years, helping to make it one of the world’s finest collections of traditional Irish music.

The Irish music collections of Burns Library include materials donated by musicians such as Séamus Connolly, Mary O’Hara, and many others; organizational records such as those of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in North America; and recordings of BC festivals such as the Gaelic Roots Festival (1993-2003). A flagship of the archives is the Séamus Connolly Collection of Irish Music, a freely-available online collection of 330 audio recordings, with stories, transcriptions and essays.

As a curator, Beth also edited a blog about the library’s Irish music collections, and helped archive BC’s Gaelic Roots Music, Song, Dance, Workshop, and Lecture Series recordings.  A fine musician herself, she has played keyboard at Irish music events on campus and generously shared her knowledge with the Boston College community. Beth and her husband, Billy Hardy, are active in Celtic and American Roots music on Cape Cod, specializing in fiddle, piano, guitar, banjo, and songs.

Brenda O’Connor

Sincere thanks to Brenda O’Connor, whose vision, leadership and dedication created the South Shore Irish Heritage Trail in 2022.  In September, Brenda stepped down as the group’s first president and passed the baton to Greg Shanahan, who succeeds her in the post.

The Trail features 33 landmarks that depict Irish-American history and heritage spread across nine cities and towns south of Boston.

A teacher for nearly 40 years in the Cambridge Public Schools, Brenda says the trail came about when a group of friends, volunteers and local historians began brainstorming about how to represent their Irish-American heritage in a meaningful and educational way.  The SSIHT was modeled on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way and Boston’s Irish Heritage Trail.

Brenda sees the trail as a perfect visitor destination, and as a way to educate the next generation of children about their ethnic heritage.

“The South Shore Trail was a dream of mine and I will admit to great pride that its initial phase is complete.  Greg is exactly what the trail needs and his passion for the trail equals mine.  He loves it and will inspire others to join the work.”