Boston Irish Festival, June 8-10: Calling all Irish Fiddlers, Dancers and Redheads!

Gaelic Storm

 

Have you noticed how many people in Massachusetts have freckles? That’s because we’re the most Irish state in America, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with nearly 24% of all state residents claiming Irish ancestry.

You’ll find many of us  – with or without freckles – at this year’s Boston Irish Festival, taking place June 8-10, at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton, about 10 miles from Boston. And everyone’s welcome, you don’t have to be Irish!

Now in its 22^nd year, the festival takes place on the spacious 46-acre grounds of the Centre, tucked away off Route 138, not far from the interstate highways. It boasts state-of-the-art athletic fields, walking trails, a children’s play area, and an authentic Irish cottage built by craftsmen to traditional specifications – thatched roof and all.

The festival’s main draw, of course, is great Irish music, on fiddles, accordions, pipes, flutes and guitars, taking place on various stages throughout the festival grounds.

Opening this year’s performances on Friday, June 8, is Gaelic Storm, a great traditional band whose music can be heard on the soundtrack of the hit movie, Titanic.

Throughout the weekend you’ll hear continuous Irish music, including ballad and pub songs, Gaelic songs, and Irish dance music. Irish step dancers will display their fancy footwork, and the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) will play traditional Irish games like hurling and camogie.

New to this year’s festival is a 5K Road Race on Saturday, June 9 at 9:30 a.m. Also on schedule through the weekend: a gathering of Irish setters and wolfhounds, a soda bread baking contest, an Irish tea house, author lectures, genealogy workshops and children’s cultural activities.

And let’s not forget the redheads. This year’s festival is aiming to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the most redheads gathered in one place. It takes place Saturday, June 9 at 2:00 p.m., so be there to help make history and get your photo taken.

The Irish Cultural Centre was formed in 1989 by a group of dedicated Irish leaders to preserve their cultural traditions in Massachusetts and the region for generations to come. The Centre has plenty of other cool activities, including a day camp for kids, lectures, music lessons, theatre and social gatherings.

You can find year-round details of Irish activities throughout the state, including festivals, parades, concerts, campus events, shops, pubs and cultural groups, by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com

For more details on visiting Massachusetts, go to MassVacation.com and BostonUSA.com.

(Courtesy of MOTT BLOG)
 

Rock and Blues Concert Cruises in Boston Harbor Kicking off on Saturday, June 2

The ever popular Rock and Blues Concert Cruises kick off on Saturday, June 2, 2012 with a double-billing of two great bands - Adam Ezra Group and Max Creek with special guest Jamie Kent.

The cruise, aboard the Provincetown II, departs from the World Trade Center Pier at 7:30 p.m. at 200 Seaport Boulevard in South Boston.  Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at the Bay State Cruise box office on the pier.  This is a 21+ show, since alcohol is being served aboard the ship.

The Rock and Blues Concert Cruises run from June 2 through August 26, and include eleven great concerts.  Check out the full schedule here.

You more details on cultural activities in greater Boston this summer, check out irishboston.org.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com and BostonUSA.com.

President John F. Kennedy Born on May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Mass

President John F. Kennedy was born on Tuesday, May 29, 1917 at 83 Beals Street in Brookline, Massachusetts, the son of Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy.

Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States, elected at age 43, the youngest American president.  He was also the first Catholic president.

You can find out about President Kennedy, his life, his family and his presidency, by visiting John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, located at Columbia Point in Boston. The Library is open year round to the general public.

Kennedy's birthplace in Brookline is a National Historic Site and is also open to the public.

To read more about the Kennedy Family's Irish connections, click here.

For year round details on Irish activities in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com and BostonUSA.com.

Irish Duo Dylan Foley and Brendan Dolan Perform at The Chatham Fiddle Company on Cape Cod this Saturday, May 26

The Chatham Fiddle Company 

Two great traditional Irish musicians - fiddler Dylan Foley and pianist/flutist Brendan Dolan - are performing in concert at The Chatham Fiddle Company in Chatham, Cape Cod, on Saturday, May 26, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.  Suggested donation is $15.00.

The New York-based musicians are part of a new generation of exceptional exponents of traditional Irish music.

The Chatham Fiddle Company, run by Rose Clancy, an instrument maker and Irish fiddler, is located at 875 Main Street in Chatham.  For more information or to reserve tickets for the concert, call  917 416-0139

For more details on Irish music and cultural activities in Massachusetts and the New England region, visit IrishMassachusetts.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com and CapeCodChamber.org.

In Memoriam: Thomas H. O'Connor, Dean of Boston History

Thomas H. O'Connor, one of Boston's most influential and perceptive historians, died Sunday, May 20, 2012 at his home in Milton, according to a story in The Boston Globe.  He was 89.

Born and raised in South Boston, O'Connor attended Gate of Heaven School, went to Boston Latin, then got degrees in history from Boston College, and his doctorate from Boston University.  He worked at the Boston Public Library before teaching at Boston College.

Professor Emeritus and University Historian at Boston College, O'Connor wrote 20 books and hundreds of scholarly papers on various aspects of Boston, New England and American history.  His book, Bibles, Brahmins and Bosses, published in 1976, opened up a treasure trove of untapped topics, which his subsequent books delved into, including: Fitzpatrick's Boston (1984); South Boston: My Home Town (1988); The Boston Irish: A Political History (1995); Boston Catholics (1998).

O'Connor also wrote extensively about the American Civil War, starting with an influential series of pamphlets entitled The Call to Arms: Massachusetts in the Civil War (1960): followed by books,  Lords of the Loom: Cotton Whigs and the Coming of the Civil War (1968); The Disunited States: The US in the Era of Civil War and Reconstruction (1972); and Civil War Boston: Homefront and Battlefield (1997).

Professor O'Connor was also a gifted chronicler of local celebrations and milestones, such as the 1976 Bi-Centennial Celebrations in Boston; and the Boston Irish Famine Memorial project in 1998.  The Eire Society of Boston gave O'Connor its prestigious Gold Medal Award in 1999.

He was also a generous colleague who read dozens of book manuscripts, always with encouragement and sage advice.  He was beloved by his students, colleagues, and by the Boston Irish community at large.

Rest in Peace, Professor O'Connor. 

Scottish Singer Maureen McMullan Performs with Boston Pops on Tuesday, May 22

Scottish vocalist Maureen McMullan is performing with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Orchestra on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. at Boston Symphony Hall.

The concert, which also includes soloist Alan Oxenhandler, is part of the Visions of America series being presented by the Boston Pops, now in its 127th season.

Tickets to the concert are $22-$92 and can be purchased online or by calling 888 266-1200.

Born and raised in Coatbridge, Scotland, McMullan has performed on the world stage in a variety of genres, including classical, jazz and folk.  She graduated from Berklee College of Music.

For a full schedule of this year's Boston Pops season, click here.

Find year round details on Irish and Scottish cultural activities by visiting IrishMassachusetts.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com and BostonUSA.com. 

Conan O'Brien Discusses the Art of Comedy at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston on May 24

American comedian and talk show host Conan O'Brien is speaking at the John F. Kennedy President Library to discuss the Art of Comedy on Thursday, May 24, 2012 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

It's part of the JFK Library Forum, a public affairs series that fosters public discussion on a wide range of political, historical and cultural topics.

O'Brien, who is on the JFK Library Foundation's Board of Directors, is from Brookline, Massachusetts, where President John F. Kennedy was born and raised.

You can watch a live webcast of O'Brien's talk on May 24, starting at 6:00 p.m. 

For more information about year round lectures, award ceremonies and children's educational activities at JFK Library in Boston, click here.

For ongoing details on Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts and the New England region, visit IrishMassachusetts.com.

For visitor information, go to MassVacation.com and BostonUSA.com.