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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Discover Newport’s Gilded Age

The Breakers Great Hall Decked out at Christmas

A journey to Newport, RI is a magical experience any time of year: winter, spring, summer or fall.  This stunning coastal city overlooks Newport Harbor, Rhode Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean, with breathtakingly beautiful seascapes and landscapes that stop you in your tracks.  The downtown streets are lined with art galleries and museums, amazing…

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Castle Island

Kilkea Castle in the fall

For a relatively small island, Ireland boasts an amazing abundance of 30,000+ castles and ruins for visitors to explore and enjoy. They range from splendid medieval masterpieces with luxury accommodations to medium castles full of history and heritage, as well as smaller castles dotting the landscape. These castles are part of an illustrious heritage and…

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Brian O’Donovan, Champion of Celtic Music

People dancing on stage

On a string of Saturdays stretching back years and now decades, Brian O’Donovan’s soothing radio voice has been welcomed in households, cars and earphones around New England, and streaming across the globe. A native of Clonakilty, West Cork, Brian moved to Boston in 1980. He has since become an authority, ambassador and champion of Celtic…

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Visit Ireland This Winter and Spring

Rock of Cashel, Co. Tipperary

Of course, we all know that Ireland is magical in the summer and fall, but here’s a little secret: With its temperate climate, Ireland is equally enchanting, inviting and fun in winter and spring too! The off-peak season in Ireland – roughly November to February – is a perfect time to visit. For starters, the…

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Irish Connections to the USS Constitution in Boston’s Charlestown Navy Yard

Battle between USS Constitution and HMS Guerriere, 19 August 1812, by Michel Felice Corne Courtesy U.S. Navy – Naval History and Heritage Command, 80-G-K-26254 America’s oldest commissioned ship, the USS Constitution, was first launched on October 21, 1797, and is  berthed in the Charlestown Navy Yard.  The USS Constitution is operated by the US Navy, a partner of the National Historic…

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Louis Sullivan, Son of Irish Immigrant, Born in Boston on September 3, 1856

Photo Courtesy of New York Public Library Archives Louis Sullivan, regarded as the Father of American Architecture, was born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 3, 1856 to an Irish father and a French-Swiss mother.  The family lived at 22 South Bennett Street in Boston’s South End, and he attended local public schools, including English High…

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Cambridge Irish Famine Memorial Unveiled 25 Years Ago, July 23, 1997

Photo courtesy of Wally Gobetz Twenty-five years ago, on Wednesday, July 23, 1997, Ireland’s President Mary Robinson officially helped dedicate the Cambridge Irish Famine Memorial in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a tribute to the 150th anniversary of Ireland’s Great Hunger, known as An Gorta Mor. Nearly 4,000+ people attended the ceremony in the iconic Cambridge Common near Harvard Square, which also includes…

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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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