Boston Irish in the American Revolution

During the American Revolution, Irish and Scots-Irish immigrants from New England played a pivotal role in helping to win the Revolutionary War. The Boston Irish Heritage Trail gives a glimpse of these Revolutionary Irish heroes through landmarks on Boston Common, the Massachusetts State House, Granary Burying Ground, Copley Square Park, Bunker Hill Monument and Dorchester…

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John Boyle O’Reilly, Boston’s Beloved Irish Immigrant

John Boyle O’Reilly, the famous Irish rebel who lived in Boston from 1870 until his death, died suddenly at his home in Hull, Massachusetts on August 10, 1890, from an accidental overdose of medication.  He left behind his wife Mary (Murphy), four daughters, Mary, Elizabeth, Agnes and Blainid, and legions of friends, colleagues and admirers around the world. He was 46. His…

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Immigrant Patrick Keely, Pioneering Architect of American Cathedrals

Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, Photo by Elkus Manfredi Patrick C. Keely (1816-1896), regarded as one of the great neo-Gothic church architects of the 19th century, designed more than 600 churches and 16 cathedrals throughout the United States between 1846-1896.  Born in Thurles, County Tipperary on August 9, 1816, Keely was the son…

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Barry and Lafayette – Irish and French Heroes of the American Revolution

Commodore John Barry and Marquis de Lafayette, Catholic military heroes of the American Revolution, are memorialized side by side on Boston Common, in homage to their enormous contributions during the Revolutionary War. Born in September 6, 1757, Lafayette was a French nobleman who volunteered to serve in the Continental Army and soon became a close…

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Who is Boston’s Logan Airport Named After?

Boston’s Edward L. Logan International Airport was named for General Edward L. Logan (1875-1939), a first generation Irish-American military leader, civic leader and municipal judge with family roots in Ballygar, Galway and South Boston. Edward was the oldest of nine children of Lawrence and Catherine (O’Connor), according to the late Michael Cummings of Milton, an expert on…

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Boston Irish Famine Memorial Unveiled on June 28, 1998

History is replete with stories about refugees from around the world coming to Boston, Massachusetts, seeking help from tragedies of historic proportions that were too massive for them to face. Very often they were poorly received, as locals feared the burden these immigrants would have on society.  One of the most compelling chapters in the…

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Shaw Memorial Unveiled in Boston on May 31, 1897

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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Girl Scout Troop Helped Restore Framingham’s Civil War Statue in 2001

A three-year effort by a local Girl Scout troop to restore a neglected Civil War statue was celebrated on April 28, 2001 at a rededication ceremony  in front of the Edgell Memorial Library in Framingham Center. More than 100 people attended the event.  The restoration effort was spearheaded by the Framingham Girl Scout Troop 2112,…

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Swan Boats – Operatic Grandeur

Swan boats and tulips

In 2025, The Swan Boats in the Public Garden Lagoon is being added to the Boston Irish Heritage Trail, in homage to the Irish immigrant couple, Robert Paget and his wife Julia (Coffey) Paget, who launched the iconic attraction in 1877. A boatbuilder by trade, Robert developed a catamaran propelled by foot pedals to sail around…

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Irish Rebel John Boyle O’Reilly Helped Establish the Boston Athletic Association in 1887

The famous Boston Athletic Association (BAA) was founded in the late19th century by an unlikely coalition of leading Boston Brahmins and a famous Irish rebel, John Boyle O’Reilly (1844-90).   The BAA was created at a time when amateur sports were increasingly popular across the United States.  There were many collegiate teams in greater Boston and numerous small associations, but the…

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Nine Irish Women Writers of Distinction in Boston

The post-Famine generation of Irish women in Boston and New England were typically relegated to jobs as domestic servants, nursemaids and mill workers, before eventually being accepted as shop clerks, nurses and teachers.  This work was often in addition to their primary role running households as wives and mothers.  The young Irish girls of the Famine…

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Boston’s Fenway Park –An Irish-American Landmark

Fenway Park – home of the Boston Red Sox – is the nation’s enduring symbol of baseball, America’s favorite pastime.  Officially opened on April 20, 1912, the park has outlasted all other major league baseball parks, becoming a shrine for baseball lovers everywhere. Writing in the New Yorker Magazine in 1960, John Updike described Fenway Park as…

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Boston Celtics – the Green Team

Boston Celtics logo

Many people wonder why the Celtics wear shamrocks on their green uniforms and have a giant leprechaun smoking a cigar as their team logo.  And why the team mascot is a guy named Lucky who looks like he stepped out of a box of Lucky Charms? According to the Boston Celtic’s official web site, the…

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On December 9, 1884, Boston Elected Corkman Hugh O’Brien as its First Irish-Born Mayor

Hugh O'Brien First Irish-Born Mayor

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…

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