Explore New England
The Rhode Island Irish Famine Memorial is a permanent memorial in the capital city of Providence that commemorates the victims and survivors of Ireland’s famine years in the mid-19th century. The memorial occupies a prominent location at Dyer’s Landing along the River Walk in Providence. Created by sculptor Robert Shure of Skylight Studios, the Memorial was dedicated…
The family of President John F. Kennedy has deep roots in Massachusetts, dating to 1848, when all eight of JFK’s eight great-grandparents arrived in Boston, escaping the Irish Famine that was devastating Ireland. From Boston, Cambridge and Brookline to beautiful Cape Cod and the cities of Springfield and Holyoke in western Massachusetts, the Kennedy legacy…
The Garden of Remembrance commemorating Ireland’s uprising of 1916 was officially unveiled at Forest Park in Springfield, MA on Sunday, May 15, 2016. It was the first memorial in the United States to recognize the 100th anniversary of Ireland’s Easter Rising of April, 1916, where Irish rebels attempted to overthrow British forces occupying Ireland. Congressman Richard…
Musician and singer Kevin McElroy of Maine is well regarded around New England for his skill as an instrumentalist and singer, his knowledge of Irish traditional music, and his work as a restorer of antique instruments, particularly the violin. His latest CD, Better Late than Never: Irish + Traditional Songs, will further cement his reputation and…
Worcester’s proud Irish community is front and center for Irish Heritage Month in March, as annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations bring out the marching bands, bagpipers and step dancers, along with live music and dance performances, community theater, dining specials and plenty of conviviality! Monique Joseph, the president of Discover Central Massachusetts, describes the region…
Savvy travelers know well the special pleasures of visiting an iconic destination in the off-season, between December and March. Here in New England, one of our favorite places to visit is Newport, Rhode Island, which is among the region’s most charming seaside cities, any time of year, but with a special seasonal magic to warm your…
To mark the 150th anniversary of the first permanent Irish Catholic settlement in Worcester, Massachusetts, the city’s Irish-American community erected a Celtic Cross on Worcester Common on September 18, 1977. The 15 foot high memorial, weighing over 13,000 pounds and made of Barre Vermont granite, was designed by Joseph Calcagni. It features patriotic, religious and family symbols pertinent to Worcester, America and Ireland. At the…
A graveside event honoring Gaelic poet Patrick F. Hagerty (1870-1936), was held at St. Michael’s Cemetery in Springfield MA on Sunday, June 20, 1953, by members of Clan Na Gael and IRA Veterans of America, according to a story in The Boston Globe. Hagerty, whose Irish name was Pádraig Ó hÉigeartaigh, played a pivotal role in the…
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…
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…
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,…
(photo by Keith Allison, courtesy of Wikipedia)
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…
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…
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…
The town of Milford Massachusetts has its own iconic Irish Round Tower, built in the 19th century by Irish immigrants who came to the Blackstone Valley Region to work in the rock quarries and on railroad construction. The Milford tower is about 65 feet high and 16 feet in circumference. Early media reports suggest that the…
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…
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…
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…
In 1977, a Celtic Cross was placed in O’Connell Park on Merrimack Street across from Lowell City Hall, as part of America’s Bicentennial Celebration. The granite monument was carved by local artisan Adian Luz. The text on the back of the monument reads: The Irish community of Lowell was the first ethnic group to inhabit…
Illustration by Leonard Everett Fisher A passenger ship called Brig St. John sank off the coast of Cohasset on the morning of Sunday, October 7, 1849, pushed to the brink by a severe nor’easter that rocked the boat for hours before it sank. On board the ship were 127 passengers from Ireland, along with sixteen…
On Sunday, September 20, 2020, the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) joined with Scituate Selectman John Sullivan and other local leaders in Scituate, Massachusetts to unveil a monument to Ireland’s Easter Rising of 1916. The monument, which is located at the band gazebo on Cole Parkway in Scituate, features the Proclamation of the Irish Republic,…
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…
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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These organizations promote Irish Culture in New England.
