In 2025, Boston Irish Tourism Association (BITA) celebrates its 25th anniversary as a distinctive cultural tourism organization that promotes culture…
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A cool way to experience Ireland is to ‘settle yourself,’ a common Irish phrase that means to get your bearings…
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Boston’s most iconic public monument, the Shaw Memorial, was officially unveiled on May 31, 1897. The homage to the 54th Black Infantry Regiment of Boston is considered one of America’s most significant Civil War memorials. It was the first public monument to accurately depict black soldiers in military uniform. The memorial was created by immigrant Augustus…
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Visitors to Ireland have long savored the island’s incredible food and drink products, through culinary tours, restaurants, farmer’s markets, food festivals, farm visits, brewery tours and seafood festivals. And lately, tourists are enthusiastically adding Irish whiskey to their travel itineraries. Currently there are more than 30 distilleries in Ireland, and 17 of them have visitor…
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March 5, 2020 Ceremony at the Boston Massacre Grave Site March 5, 2020, Boston marks the 250th anniversary of the Boston Massacre, a transformative event in history that launched the road to revolution in the American colonies. The Massacre took place on a wintry Monday night on March 5, 1770, when British troops fired into a…
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The City of Tribes. Galway Oysters.Galway Girl. Macnas.Busker Heaven. Brilliantly Bohemian. Visitors love Galway City for a variety of reasons, and 2020 offers one more reason. Galway becomes Europe’s 2020 Cultural Capital, a special designation awarded to a city each year by the European Union (EU). Galway’s term runs from February 1, 2020 to January 31,…
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The literary output of writers from Dublin is extraordinary, spawning novelists, poets, songwriters, playwrights, journalists and scholars. It is one reason why Dublin became the fourth city recognized as a City of Literature by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), one of 39 UNESCO Cities of Literature in the world today. With four Nobel…
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Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy (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, with the Rose Kennedy Garden and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. The Rose Kennedy Garden is the first stop on Boston’s Irish Heritage Trail, a walking tour of twenty landmarks that tell three centuries of Boston Irish…
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One of Boston’s most interesting sculptures, Bacchante and Infant Faun, is displayed in the courtyard of the Boston Public Library in Copley Square, Back Bay. The masterpiece was created in 1893 by American-born sculptor Frederick MacMonnies, a disciple of Augustus Saint-Gaudens. MacMonnies gave the original casting to his friend, architect Charles Follen McKim, whose own masterpiece, the Boston Public Library, was being…
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Patriot, poet, orator and editor John Boyle O’Reilly was a leading figure in Boston between 1870 and 1890. Born on June 28, 1844 in Dowth Castle in County Meath, O’Reilly was conscripted into the British Army as a young man, later charged with sedition against the British Crown and sentenced to life imprisonment in an…
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An exhibit entitled The Irish and Boston: An Immigrant Saga is running at the Massachusetts State House from June 10-17, 2019. Developed by the City of Boston Archives under the leadership of Director Dr. John McColgan, the acclaimed exhibit was first unveiled at the annual St. Patrick’s Breakfast hosted by South Boston’s State Senator Nick Collins in March. The…
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Dave Burke of Lawrence, Massachusetts had a certain way about him. He was big-hearted, generous to a fault. He had big ideas and could quickly put them into motion. He was big on loyalty, tradition and kindness. In short, he was bigger than life. Dave’s devotion to Ireland, Northern Ireland and Irish-American heritage was truly…
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What does it take to attract over half a million musicians and music-lovers from around the world to descend upon a medieval town in Ireland in the middle of summer? Of course, it is the Fleadh Cheoil na h’Éireann, Ireland’s Festival of Music, which takes place from August 11-18 in the town of Drogheda, County…
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A memorial commemorating Irish immigrants who were buried on Deer Island in the 1840s was unveiled on Saturday, May 25, 2019 on the island. Guests included Boston Archbishop Cardinal Seán O’Malley and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. Master of Ceremonies was Eugene O’Flaherty, City of Boston’s Chief Archivist John McColgan gave the historical remarks, and Máirín…
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HBO’s wildly popular Game of Thrones has thrilled audiences around the world, and even though the last episode was aired on May 18, 2019, the spirit of the show lives on in Northern Ireland. That’s because many of the show’s 72 episodes were filmed there over the past decade, and Northern Ireland’s historic and dramatic scenery is…
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Grand Union Flag used by George Washington at his Cambridge Headquarters in 1776 Here is an interesting summary of the variety of flags in the colonies at the start of the American Revolution, as reprinted in Irish American Almanac in 1876. The original source, according to the Almanac, was Appleton’s American Cyclopaedia. “In the beginning…
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Newport anchors the Classic Coast – a place, a way of life and always in season. A destination for those captivated by abounding culture, rich history, unspoiled beaches, miles of scenic trails, distinctive shops, critically-acclaimed restaurants, one-of-a-kind accommodations and world-class events, Newport offers a vibrant calendar and extraordinary experiences the whole year through. Springtime welcomes the…
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It began as a friendly $10 bet between Jack Bailey and one of his employees about whether Jack could organize a St. Patrick’s Day parade in Abington, Massachusetts, a town of 16,000 people located 20 miles southeast of Boston. Jack, who with his father Eddie ran Bailey’s Garage at the corner of Orange and Washington…
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One hundred and thirty years ago, on November 14, 1888, state and city officials unveiled the Boston Massacre Memorial on Tremont Street on Boston Common. Among the guest speakers were Governor Oliver Ames, Mayor Hugh O’Brien and State Representative Julius Caesar Chappelle, an African-American leader who advocated for civil rights, voter registration and political participation.The sculptor was Robert Kraus, a German…
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Maurice Tobin and his wife Helen Photo Courtesy of Harry S. Truman Presidential Library This Labor Day, the Boston Irish Tourism Association pays tribute to Boston native Maurice Tobin (1901-53), who served as mayor of Boston and governor of Massachusetts before being named US Secretary of Labor by President Harry S. Truman. Born in Roxbury’s…
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Seamus Heaney was welcome everywhere he went. He was the quintessential modern bard, whittling words that moved the spirit, comfortable in the halls of academia, the local pub, or in literary salons from Boston to Belfast. Seamus died in 2013 and chose to be buried in the village of Bellaghy in County Derry, where he…
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Massport recently joined local elected officials, and friends and family of Tom Butler to officially unveil the Thomas J. Butler Memorial Park in South Boston. The park is named to honor the South Boston resident, who was beloved for his many decades of community service and charitable deeds. As Director of External Relations for Massport,…
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Massport recently joined local elected officials, friends and family of Tom Butler to officially unveil the Thomas J. Butler Memorial Park in South Boston. Joining Massport CEO Tom Glynn at the event were Governor Charlie Baker, Congressman Stephen Lynch, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, state Senator Linda Dorcena Forry, state Representative Nick Collins, City Councilors Michael Flaherty…
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This essay appeared in The Boston Globe, October 25, 2002By Michael Quinlin Robert Frost would appreciate knowing that the road less traveled leads to Lawrence, which is where Ireland’s esteemed poet Seamus Heaney plans to read tomorrow evening. Frost, New England’s favorite poet, spent his formative years in this industrial city, where he got his education, worked in a…
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The Wild Atlantic Way Fresh ocean air and sea breezes, stunning seascapes and rugged coastlines, lush green fields and gently rolling hills, rural back-roads and picturesque villages, hidden lakes and flowing rivers. When you visit Ireland for your trip of a lifetime, why not align your journey with Ireland’s Great Outdoors! It is a perfect way to acclimate yourself…
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Ireland’s lighthouses date back to the 5th century, when Irish monks established burning beacons on the Wexford coast. Today there are hundreds of lighthouses dotting the Irish landscape; many of them are still active and used for maritime purposes, while others signify a rich historical past of interest to visitors and residents alike. The Commissioner…
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