Irish Heritage Trail
In the early 18th century, Irish and Scottish settlers began infiltrating Boston’s solidly Puritan stock, coming by the boatload as congregations, or as stragglers wandering up from New York or down from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Long before basketball was invented, these were the original Boston Celtics! The wave of immigration from the island of Ireland…
The larger-than-life bronze statue of legendary quarterback Tom Brady is being added to the Irish Heritage Trail, a collection of public landmarks that celebrate the contributions of Irish and Irish-Americans in New England. The statue was unveiled on August 8 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, where Brady led the New England Patriots to six…
In August 1872, one of America’s most distinctive civil war monuments was being slowly and carefully put into place on a massive pedestal in front of the chapel at Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, MA. The Sphinx Monument was created by Irish immigrant sculptors Martin Milmore and his brother Joseph, who arrived in Boston in 1851 with their widowed…
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…
The larger-than-life bronze statue of legendary quarterback Tom Brady was unveiled on August 8 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, where Brady led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles and 17 division championships in his 20 years here. Brady attended the unveiling ceremony with his parents, Tom Brady, Sr. and Galynn, sisters…
When the American Revolution erupted in June, 1775, the Irish and Scots-Irish living in New England quickly joined the colonial side to fight for American independence. After all, they knew sometime about revolution, and about meeting the British in battle. Here are a few of their names. Major General John Sullivan was the son of…
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…
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…
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…
George M. Cohan, (1878-1942), famed Broadway song and dance man whose songs helped define the World War I generation, was born in Providence RI on July 3, 1878. A statue honoring Cohan at the corner of Wickendon and Governor Streets in Providence was created by noted sculptor Robert Shure, who also created the Irish Famine Memorial in Boston and in Providence. The…
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…
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…
Courtesy of National Park Service. Photo Credit: Procon Consulting (Ted Fiffy)
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,…
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…
Photo Credit: Lorianne DiSabato
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…
Situated along the Atlantic Ocean between Boston and Cape Cod, Plymouth is a treasure trove of history, culture, cuisine and natural beauty. Iconic landmarks such as Plymouth Rock, Mayflower II ship, Plimoth Patuxet Museums and Pilgrim Hall Museum immerse visitors in the 17th century story of the Wampanoag Native People who lived here for centuries…
Forbes House Museum in Milton
On April 11, 2001, the Parnell Society of Dublin placed a granite marker at the grave site of Ms. Fanny Parnell at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, honoring her role as a patriot and poet of Ireland. The ceremony was led by Ireland’s ambassador to the United States Sean O hUuiginn, Irish government official Frank Murray and members…
In celebration of National Library Week, April 6-12, 2025, here is an overview of public, academic and private libraries in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Massachusetts has 370+ public libraries and 1,400 academic and specialized libraries, including nine library networks that provide the library catalog, the ability to borrow from neighboring libraries, circulation, patron registration, public Internet access and…
John Barry, a naval hero in the American Revolution, was born on March 25, 1745 in County Wexford, Ireland. His parents were James Patrick john Barry and Mary Ellen Cullen. Barry was “born in the townland of Ballysampson and lived his boyhood in the townland of Rostoonstown, both in the parish of Tacumshane,” according to…
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum is one of Boston’s most popular destinations, and welcomes local residents, school classes, convention groups and visitors from around the world to come and be inspired. Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the JFK Library sits on a 10-acre site overlooking Boston…
The Boston Irish Heritage Trail, a three mile walk covering 20 public landmarks and depicting three centuries of Irish-American history, is expanding to include more sites in 2025. Stretching from the city’s waterfront through downtown and Back Bay and over to Fenway Park, the Irish Heritage Trail features some of Boston’s finest public art and…
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Irish Boston Partners
These organizations promote Irish Culture in New England.
