Boston Common: 50 Acres of Irish History

Boston Common Central Burying Grounds 1756

Anywhere you travel in Boston, you’ll find evidence of deep-rooted Irish connections dating back to the 17th century. To appreciate the Irish and Irish-American contribution, we created the Irish Heritage Trail in 1994 to chronicle the illustrious history of the Boston Irish. It includes 20 downtown and Back Bay sites, and an additional 20 sites…

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The Common Irish- A Select Chronology of Irish Events on Boston Common

Boston Common sign in winter

Along the Boston Irish Heritage Trail, one of the most popular stops is Boston Common, the nation’s oldest public park, created by English Puritans in 1634 as a training ground and grazing field for cattle. The 50 acre park has been a staging ground for rallies, protests, marches, speeches, concerts, celebrations and commemorations for nearly 400 years. Here…

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Three Letters to Pine River

Three Letters to Pine River

Harold Griffin This fascinating novel, based on a true story, tells the story of 14 year old Francis Carroll, who overhears a violent confrontation between two farmers – Connors and Ferrigan – that ends in one of them being murdered with an ax.  The setting for the novel is a close-knit Canadian-Irish farming settlement north…

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Fly Delta Air Lines to Dublin in 2023

Delta Boeing 767-400

No matter when New Englanders want to travel to Ireland this year, Delta Air Lines has them covered, offering daily, nonstop service between Boston Logan International Airport and Dublin International Airport. First launched in May 2017 as a seasonal service, Delta has steadily built up a loyal following of travelers. The daily, nonstop flight on a Boeing…

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Niall Gibbons: Happy Trails

Niall Gibbons

Congratulations to Niall Gibbons, who is stepping down from his position as CEO of Tourism Ireland in March 2023, after a distinguished 21 year career that included fourteen years as chief executive officer. Under Gibbons’ leadership, Ireland has been deftly marketed and branded as a prime destination for visitors not just from the North America market…

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Spring Into Boston

Swan boats and tulips

Considered one of America’s great places to visit, Boston is steeped in riveting history and robust culture. Full of distinctive neighborhoods, college campuses and international cuisines, every step you take in Boston brings a new adventure and a thrilling discovery. The Walking City Boston’s natural beauty is enticing, especially in spring, when the city undergoes an environmental…

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The Sporting Life

Football/soccer

New England is fortunate to have a vibrant sporting scene, ranging from our professional sports teams and collegiate programs to plenty of grass roots and seasonal sports. Let’s start with the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), which formed in Ireland in the late 19th century to perpetuate the country’s ancient games such as hurling, camogie and…

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Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Claire D. Cronin

Hailed as one of the best Irish parades in America, the annual Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade offers an extraordinary display of pageantry and fun each year, as thousands of marchers and hundreds of thousands of spectators line the streets of the city to celebrate Irish heritage, the arrival of spring, and the community spirit that makes…

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Cape Cod St. Patrick’s Day Parade

2023 Grand Marshal Tim Whelan

From humble beginnings back in 2005, the annual Cape Cod St. Patrick’s Parade has steadily become a favorite activity for New Englanders celebrating Irish Heritage Month each March. It was initially organized by local Irish groups such as the Sons of Erin and Cape Cod Irish Village, and over time the parade has welcomed numerous local businesses,…

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A Warrior’s Heart: The True Story of Life Before and After the Fighter

A Warrior’s Heart: The True Story of Life Before and After the Fighter

Micky Ward In putting down on paper the story of his hardscrabble life, Lowell boxer Micky Ward tells a tale of glorious victories punctuated by heart-breaking defeats, both in and out of the ring. It’s a story that could have ended badly, but it did not, thanks to the tremendous courage and character that is…

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Newport Goes Green

Fort Adams, Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, RI, a magical year-round vacation destination, comes alive each March as the city celebrates St. Patrick’s Day and Irish Heritage Month. And no wonder: Rhode Island ranks 3rd in the nation in percentage of residents claiming Irish ancestry at 17.9%, according to the U.S. Census. Newport’s Irish connections date back to the 18th century,…

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Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero

Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero

Chris Matthews Political pundit and talk show host Chris Matthews has written an engaging biography of John F. Kennedy. Widely known as a gabber, Matthew is also a gifted writer and story-teller, perhaps inspired by his old boss, Tip O’Neill. Matthew traces JFK’s ability to judge character and to make tough decisions, even when it…

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P.S. Gillmore’s World Peace Jubilee of 1872

The temporary coliseum that housed the World Peace Jubilee

For 18 days in the summer of 1872, Boston was the musical center of the universe, the City on a Hill that inspired the world.  Boston was the setting for the World Peace Jubilee and International Music Festival, said to be the largest concert in the history of the world. It started on June 17,…

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Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy

Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy

Foreword by Caroline Kennedy Within months of President John F. Kennedy death, Robert F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy agreed to proceed with a scheduled oral history project to give future generations a glimpse of President Kennedy and his White House years. The seven interviews with Mrs. Kennedy, which began in March 1964, were conducted by…

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The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris

The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris

David McCullough American historian David McCullough has written a compelling story about Americans who moved to Paris, France in the 19th century, seeking inspiration and experience in one of the world’s great cities.  They included Oliver Wendell Holmes, Charles Sumner and Harriet Beecher Stowe. McCullourh profiles two artists with Boston Irish roots – painter George…

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Brady’s Civil War: A Collection of Memorable Civil War Images

Brady’s Civil War: A Collection of Memorable Civil War Images

Webb Garrison When the Civil War erupted in 1861, Matthew Brady, already an acclaimed New York photographer, wrote to President Abraham Lincoln and received permission to photograph the entire war. Along with his assistants Timothy O’Sullivan, Alexander Gardner, and others, Brady spent four years in the rough and ready camps and battlegrounds, documenting the fighting…

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Dublin’s TradFest Temple Bar: A Feast of Irish Music

Kila band at Temple Bar Tradfest 2023

The highly-acclaimed and ever-popular TradFest Temple Bar returns to Dublin from January 25-29, 2023 with more than 100 Irish artists and international performers at 85 events in cultural venues across the city. Now in its 18th season, 2023 TradFest offers a perfect balance between seasoned traditional legends and brilliant young artists at the start of…

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Park in South Boston Honors Galway Native who Helped Immigrants in Boston

Michael Joyce, an Irish immigrant from Galway who was a central figure at the Mass State House in helping immigrants secure visas, jobs and education, is having a park in his honor at Marine Park in South Boston. This week, a groundbreaking took place with state officials and family and friends. The $1.4 million playground…

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NEW ABIGAIL ADAMS STATUE IN QUINCY CELEBRATES AMERICAN HISTORY

(November 5, 2022) – ‘Remember the Ladies’ was the theme in the City of Quincy today as city, state and federal officials gathered alongside historians, educators and local residents to unveil the new statue of Abigail Adams at the Hancock Adams Common. Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch was joined onstage by US Congressman Steven Lynch…

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