New Sailing Museum in Newport

The Sailing Museum, Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island, the sailing capital of the United States, opened its first one-of-a-kind, interactive museum designed to share its beloved sport with the  world this spring. The Sailing Museum opened its doors May 2022 to the delight of sailors and non-sailors alike. The museum’s 8,000 + square feet of exhibits chronicle the  history of…

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Shaw Memorial – National Rededication

The Shaw Memorial

A National Rededication Ceremony for the Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial took place on June 1, 2022 on Boston Common. The restoration of the bronze memorial, started in summer 2020, was led by sculptor Robert Shure at Skylight Studios in Woburn, MA. The restoration initiative was spearheaded by a unique partnership that included the National Park…

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On May 30, 1913, Irish leaders and local officials laid the cornerstone for Hibernian Hall on Dudley Street in Roxbury

On Sunday, May 30, 1913, Massachusetts Congressman James Michael Curley laid the corner stone for the new Hibernian Building on Dudley Street in Roxbury, before a crowd of over 5,000 people.  Curley was joined by numerous Irish leaders from the city, state and nation, including members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, which organized the project in 1906 to create…

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Ireland’s Ancient East

Newgrange

Visitors to Ireland talk of making a pilgrimage home, of finding their roots, of reconnecting to an integral part of their nature.  Part of the appeal has to do with Ireland’s ancient, spiritual dimension stretching back in time. Druids in love with nature, Monks transcribing scripture during the Dark Ages, medieval clans and colonial invasions…

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Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands

The Lookout, Lough Derg Blueway, Portroe, County Tipperary

Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands represents a beautifully unspoiled part of Ireland knitted together by the majestic Shannon River and its scenic tributaries and waterways. The 224 mile Shannon, the island’s largest river, has countless recreational opportunities, from swimming and fishing to kayaking, canoeing and river cruising, where you get to see the natural wonders of Ireland’s…

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Ireland in Autumn

Kilbroney Forest Park, Rostrevor, County Down

From mid-September, autumn is a special time in Ireland, when the crowds thin out and the island reverts back to the locals. It is a perfect time for intrepid travelers to experience Ireland in its autumnal glory, with plenty of outdoor activities and cultural events to enjoy. Walking Walking festivals are popular in Ireland year…

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Congressman Lynch Honored On The Waterfront

Steve Lynch accepting Maritime Award

In May, Congressman Stephen F. Lynch of the MA 8th Congressional District was honored by Massport Authority with the 2022 Maritime Champion award for his lifelong advocacy of maritime activities in the Port of Boston and Boston Harbor, and for his support for small businesses along the waterfront and the men and women who work…

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Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Landmarks in Massachusetts

She may be gone but she is certainly not forgotten.  Rose Kennedy Fitzgerald (1890-1995), who held the Kennedy family together through tragedy and triumph for much of the 20th century, is permanently enshrined along Boston’s waterfront. Born in Boston’s North End, Rose was the daughter of Boston’s gregarious Mayor John “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald and Mary Josephine Hannon. The mother of President John F. Kennedy,…

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Cambridge Famine Memorial @ 25

Irish Famine Memorial

July 23, 2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the Cambridge Irish Famine Memorial, unveiled on Cambridge Common in front of 4,000 people. Ireland’s President Mary Robinson spoke at the ceremony, equating the process of “looking back and remembering” the Irish famine with an equally passionate resolve to solve “modern famine and hunger and inequalities in…

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Sustainable Ireland

Visitors to Ireland quickly learn that the Irish people love sharing their beloved island with travelers from across the globe and are delighted to make everyone feel welcome. But now more than ever, the Irish are mindful of the importance of preserving, protecting and respecting these precious natural wonders. Sustainable travel is a concept that…

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Hear For Yourself: Belfast The City Of Music

Altan at the MAC Belfast

Belfast, a city of undeniable musical chops and outrageously gifted musicians, has been officially named as a UNESCO City of Music in November 2021. The prestigious honor puts Belfast in the company of musical bastions like Glasgow, Liverpool, Kingston, Havana and Kansas City, and confirms what many of us already know: this city rocks!  World-renowned…

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Discover Your Family History In Ireland

EPIC Museum Dublin

Did you know that 70 million people around the world claim Irish ancestry, including 30 million in the U.S. alone? The Irish Diaspora is a testament to the intrepid Irish who by necessity or adventure bravely explored new frontiers. There are countless joys to visiting Ireland but researching your family tree is clearly one of…

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Irish Historical Landmarks in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Mural painted on a brick building illustrating Tip O'Neill's interactions with the community

  The City of Cambridge has a long and illustrious history of Irish settlers, dating back to the 19th century when Irish immigrants settled in East Cambridge, Cambridgeport and in North Cambridge. Here are some significant landmarks and institutions that reflect the strong Irish presence over generations. Irish Famine Memorial   On Wednesday, July 23,…

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Exhibit: First Children: Caroline and John Jr. in the Kennedy White House

JFK, his children, and a horse

The public fascination with the  Kennedy children during the  John F. Kennedy administration was a world-wide phenomenon that tapped into pop culture and the advent of television during the 1960s. This special exhibit at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum in Boston examines this phenomenon in detail. First Children: Caroline and John Jr. in…

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Dublin Celebrates Ulysses And Native Son James Joyce

Trinity College, Dublin City

Dublin, Ireland is gearing up for massive literary festivities this year, as the city celebrates the centenary of James Joyce’s novel, Ulysses, first published on February 2, 1922. Hailed as a masterpiece work of fiction by literary critics everywhere, Ulysses is set in Dublin and revolves around a single day in the life of Leopold Bloom…

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Kennedy Magic on Old Cape Cod

The Kennedys on Cape Cod

The A terrific new exhibit at the John F. Kennedy Museum in Hyannis this summer reveals that Old Cape Cod magic during the height of President John F. Kennedy’s Camelot Era. Presidential Summers: The Kennedys on Cape Cod offers a curated selection of archival video, family photographs, artifacts and memorabilia that takes visitors back to a…

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Henry Knox Delivers Ticonderoga Cannons to George Washington in Cambridge in January 1776

Portrait of Henry Knox by Charles Willson Peale, Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum

On January 24, 1776,  25 year old Boston bookseller and American revolutionary war hero Henry Knox reported to General George Washington in Cambridge that he and his volunteers had just transported 59 cannons and artillery 300 miles, from Fort Ticonderoga in  New York to eastern Massachusetts, in the dead of winter. Image Courtesy of Marching the Knox Trail The plan was to position…

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Irish Patriot Timothy Deasy Died in Lawrence, MA on December 10, 1880

Timothy Deasy (1839-1880), Civil War soldier, Irish rebel and elected official, died on December 10, 1880 in Lawrence, MA. Deasy emigrated with his family from Clonakilty, County Cork to Massachusetts in 1847 to escape the Irish Famine. The family settled in Lawrence 35 miles north of Boston, the nation’s first planned industrial city where immigrants and…

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Cardinal O’Connell Parkway Dedicated in Lowell on November 17, 1918

On November 17, 1918, more than 30,000 people gathered in Lowell to honor a favorite native son, William Henry Cardinal O’Connell, who was at that time the Cardinal of the Boston Archdiocese. Officials unveiled and dedicated a fountain of granite and bust of O’Connell along a parkway in front of City Hall. The fountain and…

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