History & Heritage
Portrait of Louis St. Gaudens, photo courtesy of Saint Gaudens National Historical Park Louis St. Gaudens (1854-1913), whose iconic sculptures grace the American landscape today, was born in New York City on January 8, 1854. He was the son of Bernard Saint-Gaudens from France and Mary McGuinness from Ireland, and the brother and protégé of his…
A new era in city government took hold on Monday, January 5, 1885, when Hugh O’Brien became Boston’s first Irish-born mayor. O’Brien’s victory at the polls in December finally broke the hegemony of old-line Yankees who had run local government since Boston was incorporated as a city in 1822. O’Brien defeated incumbent mayor Augustus Pearl Martin by 3, 124…
On November 14, 1888, state and city officials and citizens from greater Boston officially unveiled the Boston Massacre Memorial on the Tremont Street Mall on Boston Common. The memorial commemorates the infamous episode in which five men were shot and killed by British soldiers in Boston on March 5, 1770, an event that helped launch the…
The Boston Public Library (BPL), founded in 1848 and acclaimed as the People’s Palace, has an incredible collection of books, videos, music, genealogy resources and educational materials available to the public. The BPL also has a celebrated collection of art and sculpture throughout the library that inspires library staff, visitors and residents every day. The McKim Building itself is…
Kip Tiernan, Photo courtesy of Rosie’s Place The next time you are exploring Boston’s Irish Heritage Trail, stop by the memorial to Kip Tiernan (1926-2011), social activist, writer, teacher, visionary and provocateur. The Kip Tiernan Memorial is located in Boston’s Back Bay on Dartmouth Street between Newbury and Boylston streets, next to Old South Church, and…
Irish rebel John Boyle O’Reilly arrived in Boston in January 1870, and almost immediately he became a powerful voice for the oppressed, including his own people of Ireland who were trying to break free of Britain, but also in the United States, Blacks, Chinese immigrants and Native Americans. O’Reilly saw the British conquest of the…
The next time you are exploring Irish heritage sites in Massachusetts, visit these landmarks in the City of Lowell, a mill city built in the 19th century in large part by Irish immigrants. The idea to create an experimental new town of mills and factories came from Yankee industrialists and bankers, but they quickly realized…
Irish-born Launt Thompson (1833-1894) was a consequential American sculptor of the 19th century whose monuments of the Civil War and classical themes were hailed during his lifetime. Born in Abbeyleix, County Laois, Ireland in 1833, he emigrated in 1847 with his widowed mother and settled near Albany, New York. Like the other Irish sculptors such…
The next time you’re exploring the Irish Heritage Trail or Boston’s Freedom Trail, be sure to stop by the USS Constitution ship and the Irish Heritage Trail in the Charlestown Navy Yard.The USS Constitution is America’s oldest commissioned ship, first launched on October 21, 1797. It is berthed in the Charlestown Navy Yard, and operated by the US Navy, in partnership with the National Historic Parks of…
Margaret F. Foley (1827-1877) was a highly-praised 19th century cameo artist and sculptor, who lived in Vermont, Lowell and Boston, Massachusetts before moving to Rome, Italy where she spent the final 17 years of her life. She was widely known for her exquisite and intricate cameos of leading personages from singer Jenny Lind and poet Henry…
Dublin-born sculptor Stephen J. O’Kelly (1850-98) was a successful artist in late 19th century United States, creating several important memorials that still stand today. Born in Dublin, he studied art in Paris and opened a studio in London before immigrating to Boston, where he lived for much of his adult life. He had Roscommon roots, and his brother,…
Located along the Seaport District on Fan Pier and situated along Boston Harborwalk, the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse is a tribute to South Boston native Joe Moakley, who represented his neighborhood and district as a state representative, state senator, Boston City Councilor and U.S. Congressman for 48 years. The Moakley Courthouse is part of Boston’s Irish Heritage Trail, an…
American naval hero of the Revolutionary War, Commodore John Barry died on September 13, 1803. He is buried at Old Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Philadelphia, PA. Considered one of the true military heroes of the American Revolution, Barry was born in Tacumshane, County Wexford on March 25, 1745. At age 15, he emigrated to Philadelphia in 1760, and…
This month, the City of Quincy dedicated the beautiful and inspiring new Quincy Navy Park along the waterfront in Marina Bay. The park honors Navy veterans while highlighting Quincy’s historical contributions to shipbuilding and the national defense. The ceremony took place on August 9, 2024. At the dedication, Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch praised “Quincy’s steadfast commitment to answering…
One of the most gifted 19th century Irish-American sculptors, according to art historians, was John Talbott Donoghue (1853-1903) , a Chicago native who lived in Boston in the 1880s and whose life and career ended tragically when he took his own life. Donoghue was discovered as a struggling artist by Oscar Wilde during the famous…
Henry Lee, Boston’s beloved civic leader, parks advocate, teacher and historian, died on Monday, August 12, 2024, from cardiac arrest. He was 99. Lee is best admired and renowned in Boston for spearheading a grass roots movement in the 1970s to prevent the development of high rise buildings encroaching on the perimeter of the Public…
The town of Lexington, Massachusetts is gearing up for the semiquincentennial celebration of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. A new organization named Lex250 has been set up to promote and spearhead activities, projects and celebrations for the Town of Lexington. In a statement issued on its website, Lex250 writes: “The legacy of April 19, 1775, endures as…
Boston’s vibrant neighborhood of Charlestown has a rich Irish history that goes back to the American Revolution and continues today. There are several landmarks in Charlestown that visitors can explore along the Boston Irish Heritage Trail. Here are a few or our favorites. A Boston National Historic Park overseen by the National Park Service, the Bunker Hill Monument is…
Henry Knox, a first-hand witness to American history and a hero in the American Revolution, was born in Boston on July 25, 1750, the seventh of ten children. His parents, William Knox and Mary (née Campbell), were Ulster Scots immigrants who came to Boston from Derry in 1729, part of a large exodus of Ulster-Irish Presbyterians who…
America’s first great portrait artist, John Singleton Copley (1737-1815) was born in Boston on July 3, 1738. He was the son of Irish immigrants who emigrated to Boston in the 1730s. John’s parents, Richard Copley and Mary Singleton from County Clare, were married in County Limerick before emigrating to Boston. Right after their son John…
The American Revolution is taking center stage across the United States this year, as preparations get underway to officially celebrate the 250 th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of our nation in 2026. The effort is being led nationally by America 250, “a nonpartisan initiative working to engage…
Born on June 28, 1844, John Boyle O’Reilly helped shape the history or Ireland and America in the late 19th century in powerful ways. Today, O’Reilly’s stature as a seminal figure in Irish and Irish-American history is particularly evident in his beloved birthplace of Dowth, County Meath; in Freemantle, Australia where he was imprisoned; and…
President John F. Kennedy’s visit to Ireland on June 26-29, 1963 was later described by his siblings as one of the most memorable and cherished parts of his presidency. Kennedy visited his ancestral family in Wexford and Limerick, and also stopped in Dublin, Cork and Galway. The trip was widely covered by the international media…
On June 12, 1937 a plaque dedicated to Captain Jeremiah O’Brien was unveiled at the Massachusetts State House commemorating O’Brien’s “distinguished services for winning the first navel engagement in the War of the Revolution and of his subsequent exploits in said war as the first regularly commissioned naval officer and commander of the Revolutionary Navy of…
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