History & Heritage
John ‘Honey Fitz’ Fitzgerald (1863-1950), U.S. Congressman, mayor of Boston and newspaper publisher, was one of the local politicians who helped define the Boston Irish persona in the 20th century. Fitzgerald is best remembered in history as the grandfather of President John F. Kennedy. His daughter, Rose Fitzgerald, married Joseph P. Kennedy from East Boston, spawning…
Worcester Celtic Cross, photo courtesy of Devin Quinlin On Sunday, September 18, 1977, the Irish community of Worcester and Central Massachusetts unveiled a 15 foot Celtic Cross at City Hall, to mark the 150th anniversary of the Irish settlement in Worcester, which took place in 1826. A series of events took place the weekend of…
On September 17, 1877, Boston’s magnificent Army & Navy Monument was unveiled on the top of Flagstaff Hill on Boston Common to honor the Massachusetts men and women who gave their lives during the Civil War. More than 100,000 spectators lined the streets of Boston as 25,429 veterans marched along a 6 1/2-mile route through the city and up to Flagstaff Hill….
The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) “Art of the Americas 1700-1800” exhibit features the works of Irish-American artist John Singleton Copley. The exhibit opened this summer and is part of America 250 celebrations taking place in Boston and across the nation. Considered to be America’s first great portrait artist, John Singleton Copley (1738-1815) was born…
Since 1934, September 13 is offically Commodore John Barry Day in Massachusetts, in recognition of Barry’s distinct role as a naval hero during the Revolutionary War, and in honor of the day he died on September 13, 1803 at age 59. He is buried at Old Saint Mary’s Cemetery on S. Fourth Street in Philadelphia,…
Photo of William Butler Yeats, Courtesy of the Poetry Foundation W. B. Yeats, Ireland’s influential poet and writer, born in Dublin on June 13, 1865, had a longstanding connection to Boston dating back to his early days as a poet. The Boston Pilot, a weekly Irish Catholic newspaper, is said to have published his first…
The sudden death of Irish-born sculptor Martin Milmore at his home in Roxbury on July 21, 1883, at age 38, marked a premature ending to his brief but shining life as one of Boston’s most accomplished and ingenious sculptors. At his funeral mass at Holy Cross Cathedral in the South End, a banner splayed across…
Hugh O’Brien, Boston’s first Irish-born mayor, was born in County Cork, Ireland on July 13, 1827. He emigrated with his family to Boston in 1832 when he was five years old. O’Brien attended a public school in Boston’s Fort Hill neighborhood, and at age 12 joined the Boston Courier newspaper as an apprentice. By the age of…
By Irish Boston Tourism Newsroom Since it opened in 1992, the JFK Hyannis Museum has given visitors a magical depiction of olde Cape Cod and the Camelot years, when President John F. Kennedy and his family spent their summers basking in the ocean breeze. That magic continues year round at the JFK Hyannis Museum, where…
Bunker Hill Day is celebrated in Boston each June 17 to mark the famous Battle of Bunker Hill, which took place on June 17, 1775 between American colonists and British troops. The Bunker Hill Monument was built to recognize the sacrifice of the colonists fighting against British rule. The British may have won the Battle of Bunker Hill,…
By Irish Boston Tourism Newsroom In 1851, Martin Milmore (1844-1883) and his four brothers arrived in Boston from Co. Sligo, Ireland with their widowed mother Sarah Milmore, along with thousands of Irish famine refugees fleeing Ireland. It was a difficult time to be Irish Catholic in Boston during this KnowNothing Decade, but the Milmores prevailed….
By Irish Boston Tourism Newsroom As part of Ireland’s annual National Famine Commemoration taking place in Ireland and throughout the Irish Diaspora each May, the Boston Irish Tourism Association has compiled information on ten Irish Famine Memorials throughout New England. These memorials were erected between 1914 and 2019 and built by local Irish communities to commemorate the Irish Famine…
By Irish Boston Tourism Newsroom The 149th season of the Swan Boats in the Public Garden Lagoon opens on Saturday, April 18, Patriots Day weekend, and runs daily through September 7. The iconic boats were created by Irish immigrant couple, Robert Paget and his wife Julia (Coffey) Paget, who launched them in 1877 as a pleasant…
For a man whose life was filled with adventure and daring, who loved the great outdoors and sports, especially boxing and kayaking, John Boyle O’Reilly’s greatest joy in life was actually in the comfort of home with his wife and four daughters. He met his wife Mary Murphy of Charlestown at the Boston Pilot newspaper, shortly after…
On March 28, 1847, an American naval ship – the USS Jamestown – left the Charlestown Navy Yard on a humanitarian voyage that captured the world’s imagination. It was the height of the five year famine in Ireland (1845-49), and scores of Irish people were dying in the streets. The magnitude of the despair, disease and the…
Boston is abuzz in 2026 as the city and region prepares for one of its busiest tourist seasons in memory! Three major events are on the horizon: FIFA World Cup Soccer matches in June and July, the 250th events celebrating American Independence on July 4th, and Sail Boston’s Tall Ships promenade on July 11-16. Other…
The 21 cities and towns that comprise the Revolutionary Valley north of Boston are filled with natural beauty, tasty cuisine, vibrant culture and a proud history and multi-ethnic heritage. In 2026, the City of Lowell celebrates the 200th anniversary of its founding and ethnic traditions, which began when Irish immigrants came here in the 1820s…
The Boston Irish have always wanted a cultural home they could call their own, a place to gather with family and friends, where they could preserve their culture, strengthen their heritage and have a bit of fun in the process. In the 19th century, they gathered in community centers, parish halls or tenement kitchens, spread…
Here in New England, the Irish and Scots-Irish played pivotal roles during the Revolutionary War and American Revolution. They stood out as fierce warriors on battlefields and high seas, but also contributed in legal, political and artistic realms where their talent and devotion came to the fore. As part of America 250 celebrations, we’ve created…
On March 17, 2026, Bostonians celebrate the 250th anniversary of Dorchester Heights, a sacred anniversary in South Boston known as Evacuation Day. It was on March 17, 1776, when occupying British troops ended their 11-month Siege of Boston and evacuated the town, after being forced to leave by General George Washington and colonial forces who…
Boston’s Irish Heritage Trail was created in 1994 to chronicle the illustrious history of the city’s Irish community through public landmarks. We are excited to add these two landmarks to the Irish Heritage Trail in 2026. Swan Boats LagoonBoston Public Garden The iconic Swan Boats in the Public Garden Lagoon were first launched in 1877…
To pay homage to its distinctive Irish heritage, the Boston Irish Tourism Association is developing a South Boston Irish Heritage Trail of landmarks celebrating local leaders, institutions and memorials that underscore Southie’s indelible Irish spirit. This project is a work-in-progress, and we welcome your suggestions. John J. Moakley Federal Courthouse1 Court House Way, Northern Avenue…
THE IRISH came bearing gifts on March 17, 1961, John F. Kennedy’s first St. Patrick’s Day in the White House. Online digital archives at John F. Kennedy Presidential Library which have been recently made available to the public, contain a wealth of information on President Kennedy’s term at the White House, including his interactions with Ireland and…
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 Wikipedia The plan was to position the cannons…
Get the Latest Irish News & Events in Your Inbox
Join our mailing list
Editor's Picks
Irish Boston Partners
These organizations promote Irish Culture in New England.
