Irish Massachusetts

Worcester Parade  January 22, 2026 — Boston Irish Tourism Association (BITA) today released its schedule of thirteen   2026 St. Patrick’s Day Parades   taking place in New England this March to celebrate Irish-American Heritage Month. The 2026 parade season kicks off on Saturday, March 7 with parades on Cape Cod, Hartford and Pawtucket and finishes up on Sunday, March 22 with the iconic parade in Holyoke. The pinnacle of parades takes place the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday, March 15, when parades are held simultaneously in Abington, Boston, New Haven, Portland, Scituate and Worcester. The popular parade in  Manchester, NH  has been cancelled in 2026 due to logistical issues. These parades honor Saint Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint, while also showcasing the region’s vibrant Irish-American community. The  US Census reports that the New England region  has the highest percentile of residents claiming Irish ancestry in the United States. “T...

A new "Dublin Heritage Marker" was unveiled on Monday, December 8 at 25 Water Street in the historical town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, best known as the place settled by English Pilgrims in 1620.  The marker was created by the Father John Murphy Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, who helped fund the project along with the Government of Ireland Emigrant Support Programme. Attending the ceremony were Ireland's Consul General Sighlé Fitzgerald,  South Shore Irish Heritage Trail President Greg Shanahan, AOH Plymouth President Mike Schilling, plus various local officials, AOH members and representatives of other Irish organizations. Congressman Bill Keating's District Director Michael Jackson also attended. "This marker commemorates the historic Irish Dublin neighborhood and the families who helped shape the fabric of our community, "wrote officials officials. The Dublin Heritage Marker is being added to the South Shore Irish Heritage Trail , a trail o...

Today,  FIFA World Cup 2026™  revealed the schedule of which national teams are playing in which stadiums this June and July, when 48 national soccer teams take the field in 16 North American cities.  Boston is hosting a total of seven soccer matches, including five group stage matches, a Round of 32 match, and a Quarter-Final.  Among the teams set to play at Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium) in Foxborough, MA are Haiti, Scotland, Norway, Morocco, Ghana, England, France and one other team yet to be determined. These matches take place between June 13 and June 26.  The Round of 32 match takes place on June 29, and the Quarter Final Match on July 9, 2026.  The final match of World Cup Soccer takes place on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium.  A record 48 teams from around the world are participating in the upcoming games. For the first time,  FIFA World Cup 2026™ is being divided among three countries - Canada, Mexico and the USA - with 16 citie...

    The City of Quincy unveiled a new park on Saturday, November 15, 2025, paying homage to  American President and native son John Quincy Adams , a leading statesman of his time and part of a storied political family.  The bronze statue of Adams was created by sculptor Sergey Eylanbekov . Located at the corner of Chestnut & Maple Streets in downtown Quincy, the park has paved concrete walkways and landscaping around the edges.  Four bronze plaques in bas relief encircle the park, depicting Adams’ illustrious career as a  diplomat, Secretary of State, President and Congressman.    Officials at the unveiling included Quincy Mayor Tom Koch , Congressman Stephen F. Lynch, Adams Presidential Center President Dr. Kurt Graham, the sculptor, and Dr. Edward Fitzgerald, retired executive director of the Quincy Historical Society, who  was the keynote speaker. About 100 Quincy residents attended the unveiling.  In his welcoming...

  The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood has reopened to the public on Saturday, November 15, 2025, after the federal government shutdown.  The Museum Gift Shop is also opening. In celebration of its reopening, the Museum is offering free admission to all visitors through November 30. Advanced tickets are not required. The JFK Café reopens on Monday, November 17, and the Research Room opens on Tuesday, November 18 (by appointment only). Caroline Kennedy on her pony, Macaroni, at the White House Read about Boston's Inspiring JFK Library in the current issue of Travel & Culture magazine, and its current exhibit, Presidential Pets: From the White House to the Dog House .   Plan your trip to JFK Library here.

  This Veterans Day, as we honor the military service of our neighbors, friends and family, here are four landmarks worth visiting, in Quincy, Charlestown and Boston.  On August 9, 2024, 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. In addition to the Lone sailor statue, the Quincy Navy Park is encircled by a series of bas relief plaques honoring six Navy Admirals and five Quincy residents who served their community and the nation.  On July 27, 1993, the  Korean War Veterans Memorial  was unveiled at the Charlestown Navy Yard.  The 9-foot-high bronze soldier represents “The Forgotten War,” standing alone at night on sentry duty.  The memorial and statue were created by sculptor Robert Shure of Skylight Studios in Woburn.  The memorial is close to...

Irish Film Festival Boston is hosting a screening of the new film,  From That Small Island – The Story of the Irish  on Monday, November 10 at 7 p.m.- 9:30 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre in Arlington, MA. The ground-breaking documentary tells the story of the Irish from first inhabitants to the present day, tracing the ebb and flow of people into and out of the island. Shot on location in 17 countries worldwide, the film provides a compelling narrative of Ireland and the Irish.  The film crew spent four days in Boston in October 2023 interviewing several people for the documentary, including Michael Quinlin, author and co-founder of Boston Irish Tourism Association; former US Congressman and US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland Joe Kennedy III; former Mayor of Boston and US Ambassador to the Vatican Ray Flynn; Martina Curtin, Board Chair of the Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston; and Guy Beiner, Sullivan Chair in Irish Studies at Boston College. Created by Bríona ...

Ulster American Folk Park, Co. Tyrone Officials from the  America 250 Commission  traveled to Belfast last week to discuss Northern Ireland’s special status in the Semiquincentennial celebrations next year.   America 250 Executive Vice President Jen Condon and Commissioner Joe Crowley were welcomed by  Northern Ireland Communities Minister Gordon Lyons and Department for the Economy NI Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald .   Jen Condon and Joe Crowley at Hillsborough Castle   “It is a privilege to welcome Commissioner Joe Crowley and Executive Vice President Jen Condon to Northern Ireland in recognition of the unique contribution our people have made to the foundation of the United States of America,” Lyons said. “The stories of our nations have been woven together over the last 250 years. More than 250,000 people left these shores during the 18th century to help shape modern America. We must seize this special opportunity to showcase our contribution and cel...

A musical tribute to the Flanagan Brothers, a traditional Irish band wildly popular a century ago, takes place at the Lilypad in Inman Square, Cambridge this Sunday, November 2 starting at 7:30 p.m.   Purchase tickets here . The musical tribute,  featuring in-person performances set against an extraordinary backdrop of archival sounds and projected images, is being performed by Dan Neely on banjo, Diarmuid Ó Meachair on melodeon and Matt Mulqueen on piano.   Neely, a musician and ethnomusicologist, is a longtime music columnist for the Irish Echo newspaper in New York, and has done extensive research on Irish music recording stars from the 1920s, including the Flanagan Brothers as well as Boston's own Dan Sullivan and the Shamrock Band.  Ó Meachair,  an accomplished accordionist, mandolin player and sean nos singer from Cúil Aodha, Co. Cork, was awarded the prestigious TG4 Young Musician of the year award in 2022.  Mulqueen, from Baltimore, M...