IRISH TRAVEL & CULTURE GUIDE
SPRING 2013
March 2013
GREETINGS FROM BITA - SPRING 2013
The Gathering is an apt phrase for how the Irish come together throughout the year and over history.
Each March, the Irish, along with its 70 million strong Diaspora, gather to honor St. Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint, and to celebrate Irish heritage by hosting parades.
Massachusetts has six outstanding parades each March - in Abington, Boston, Cape Cod, Holyoke, Scituate and Worcester - and upwards of two million people turn out to enjoy the revelry and pageantry. These family events allow communities to come together, and hopefully they usher in the start of spring.
If you’re traveling out of Massachusetts, you’ll find fun parades in Manchester, NH, and Quebec City, Canada, where Irish enclaves up north continue the tradition of marching and celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.
Later in March, thousands of exceptional step dancers from around the globe are gathering in Boston to compete in the World Irish Dancing Championships taking place from March 24-31 at the Hynes Convention Center. We welcome the dancers and their families and wish them the very best in the competitions. All of you are winners for getting this far.
If you’re here for the Worlds, don’t forget to check out greater Boston’s many cultural and historical amenities, and the area’s vibrant Irish-American heritage, found in places like the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and the Gaelic Roots program at Boston College.
Gathering around music, dance and culture is an ancient Irish tradition that continues today. Read the article Music Makers on page four to find out about the terrific performers coming to town this season and into the late spring. From large concert halls to cozy pubs and friendly cultural venues, there’s always an excuse to gather around the sounds of music.
Ireland has initiated The Gathering 2013, a call to the massive Irish Diaspora to return to the island of their origin this year. Promoted in North America by Tourism Ireland, The Gathering is a chance to connect with family and friends, to discover aspects of Ireland that are meaningful, from the beautiful landscape and the intricate history to the outdoor festivities and the warmth and friendliness of the Irish people.
Local tour guide Una McMahon, profiled on page 22, is leading a tour to Northern Ireland this September, as part of The Gathering activities.
And finally, Hibernian Hall in Dudley Square, Roxbury, celebrates its centenary in 2013 as a significant gathering place for the Boston Irish for nearly half a century. From 1913 to the early 1960s, the Hibernian and nearby dance halls became the center of the universe for thousands of new Irish immigrants and for Irish-Americans returning home after World War II.
Marriages were arranged and memories were made in this august hall. Still standing after a century, the Hibernian is now the Roxbury Center for the Arts, a wonderful place where new waves of immigrants and local residents gather and shape their community, just as the Irish did many decades ago.
Boston Irish Tourism Association
IrishMassachusetts.com