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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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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