Irish Massachusetts

A Classic Irish Christmas starring Andy Cooney and a cast of great performers is taking place at Mechanics Hall in Worcester on Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets to the show are $25 - $32.50 and can be purchased online or by calling the box office at 508 752-0888. Considered one of the world's great acoustic concert halls, Mechanics Hall is the perfect venue to enjoy the warmth and traditional culture of Ireland. For a schedule of upcoming performances at Mechanics Hall this winter, click here . To find out more about the Irish-American community in Central Massachusetts, visit the Worcester Hibernian Cultural Centre . For year round details on Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts and the New England states, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

Photo by Vic Dvorak Irish stepdancer and concertina player Caitlin nic Gabhann wooed the audience at last year's Christmas Celtic Sojourn by dancing to the Brazilian classic Tico Tico. Here's the video: The Boston Irish Tourism Association is raffling off some free tickets to see this year's show.  To enter to win, go to BITA Contest Page and follow the instructions. Or visit WGBH web site for details of this year's line-up and directions for purchasing tickets. For year round information on cultural activities in Massachusetts and the New England states, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

Boston's ArtsEmerson is holding a one-day sale for its 2012 theatre season , with tickets available for the extraordinary price of $25.   The sale takes place on Monday, November 28, 2011 and is applicable for six plays coming to Boston between January-April 2012. Click here for more details.  Launched in 2010, ArtsEmerson brings to Boston a series of world class theatre, films, and lectures throughout the year.  More about ArtsEmerson . For year round details on cultural activities in greater Boston, visit IrishBoston.org . For tourist information visit MassVacation.com and BostonUSA.com . 

The Boston Irish Tourism Association has compiled a selection of great holiday music coming up in December - ranging from the Boston Pops' annual holiday shows to a variety of Irish and Celtic performances. To view the schedule click here . For year round information on Irish and other popular cultural activities in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . For tourist information visit MassVacation.com

To celebrate its 35th birthday, the Black Rose Pub in Boston is rolling back the price of a pint of Guinness to $2.50 - which is what it charged when the Rose first opened its doors in 1976.  The special offer lasts the  week of November 27, 2011. The normal price of a pint today is $6.75. “Our patrons can feel like it is 1976 again and in this economic time, it’s a really great deal. I am honored to raise a pint in celebration with our loyal patrons. Slainte!“  said Paul Wilson , Operations Manager at The Glynn Hospitality Group . Considered one of the great Irish pubs in America, the Black Rose has live Irish music seven nights a week.  It has served over three million pints of Guinness, 300,000 fish and chips, and 250,000 bowls of Irish beef stew in the past 35 years.  To read about the history of the Black Rose, click here .  For year round information on Irish cultural activities in greater Boston, visit IrishBoston.org .

Four Celtic Voices , an exciting new ensemble of virtuoso musicians, performs at the Rogers Center for the Arts at Merrimack College in North Andover on Friday, December 2, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased online . An all-women group, consisting of Celeste Ray, Erin Hill, Carol Crittenden and Maria Johnson, Four Celtic Voices released its debut CD on March 17, 2009 on QVC television and have since performed in concert halls around the country. For a schedule of upcoming events at the Rogers Center for the Arts, click here . For more Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

Sheila Falls The Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland, RI is hosting a homecoming concert featuring some of the best traditional musicians in the region on Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. Performers include Atwater-Donnelly , Blue Around the Edges , Sheila Falls , The Miller Family from Smithfield, RI, Robbie O'Connell , Torrin Ryan , and Pendragon . Tickets to the event are $20 and help support the year round programming of the Blackstone River Theatre . For a schedule of upcoming concerts at Blackstone River Theatre this winter, click here .  For year round Irish and Celtic cultural activities throughout Massachusetts and the New England region, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . 

The John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site is open to the public on Tuesday, November 22, 2011 in recognition of President John F. Kennedy and the 48th anniversary of his assassination. Located at 83 Beale Street in Brookline, the site is the birthplace of President Kennedy, and the place where he spent his childhood.  The site is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and admission is free.  National Park Rangers are holding a brief memorial ceremony outside the house at 1:00 p.m. and guided tours are offered throughout the day. The JFK National Historic Site also offers a free audio tour of the facility.  To access the audio tour dial 617-992-9172, then click  mobile phone .  For directions to the site, click here . Also in Boston, visit the JFK Library & Museum in Dorchester. For more about Boston's Irish history, visit IrishHeritageTrail.com . For tourist information visit MassVacation.com and BostonUSA.com .

Richard Daley , mayor of Chicago from 1989 to 2011, has been invited as a Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, the week of November 28, 2011. "We are excited to welcome Mayor Daley to Harvard," said Trey Grayson, Director of Harvard's Institute of Politics.  "His extensive management experience running a major U.S. city will be invaluable to students and to the dozens of new city leaders attending the Institute's Newly Elected Mayors Conference." For more information about the Institute of Politics at Harvard University, click here . To find out about Irish cultural activities year round in the Boston area, visit IrishBoston.org .

Caroline Kennedy , President of the JFK Library Foundation , is presenting the 8th annual New Frontier Awards to Luke Ravenstahl, Mayor of Pittsburgh, and Jennifer Staple-Clark, Founder and Chief Executive of  Unite for Sight. The awards are being presented on Monday, November 21, 2011 during a ceremony at the Institute of Politics at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.  You can watch a Live Web Cast of the ceremony starting at 6:00 p.m. Kennedy called Ravenstahl and Staple-Clark,“ inspiring public servants who exemplify my father’s belief that every person can make a difference."  To read more about the event, and for biographies of Mayor Ravenstahl and Jennifer Staple-Clark, click here . For more information on the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum, visit JFKLibrary.org . For year round cultural activities in greater Boston, visit IrishBoston.org .

The US-Ireland Alliance has announced the George J. Mitchell Scholars for the class of 2012-13.  The  twelve recipients, who were selected out of a field of over 300 applicants, will embark on a one-year post-graduate course of study in their respective disciplines in Ireland and Northern Ireland.  The scholarship was formed in 2001 by Trina Vargo , founder of the US-Ireland Alliance, in honor of Senator George J. Mitchell' s role in the Northern Ireland peace talks.  It is designed to connect future American leaders to the island of Ireland. For more about the George J. Mitchell Scholarship, click here .  For information on Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts and the New England region. visit IrishBoston.org .

Historian David McCullough was honored by the American Ireland Fund at its 30th annual Boston Gala at the Westin Hotel on Thursday, November 17, 2011. 1,100 guests attended the gala and raised over $2.3 million to support the American Ireland Fund. The 2011 Gala was chaired by James R. Boyle, President of John Hancock Financial Services and Peter Eastwood, President and CEO of Chartis U.S. served as Vice Chairman. Earlier this year, McCullough was given the John F. Kennedy National Award by the Holyoke St. Patrick's Day Parade committee. The mission of The American Ireland Fund is to be the largest worldwide network of people of Irish ancestry and friends of Ireland dedicated to raising funds to support programs of peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, education and community development throughout the island of Ireland. For more information on the American Ireland Fund, click here .  For year-round cultural activities, hotel p

Dropkick Murphys , the Boston-based Punk-Irish band, won the Artist of the Year prize at the annual Boston Music Awards ceremony held at the Liberty Hotel on Sunday, November 20, 2011. The Murphys also scooped the Best Live Artist of the Year award. The Boston Herald has a for a full list of winners in all of the categories. For year round Irish concerts and cultural activities in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . For tourist information visit MassVacation.com or BostonUSA.com .

Famed Celtic harpist and noted storyteller Patrick Ball is performing in concert at the Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland, RI on Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets to the show are $13 in advance and $15 the day of the show.  For information call  (401) 725-9272. Born in California, Ball has emerged as one of the world's leading Celtic harpists, having produced nine musical CDs and three spoken-word albums.  For a full schedule of upcoming events at Blackstone River Theatre, click here . For year round Irish and Celtic activities in Massachusetts and the New England states, visit IrishMassachusetts.com .

Brian Evans   There's great live jazz, blues and world music taking place all across Massachusetts on Friday, November 18, 2011.  Here is just a sampling from MassJazz : Cambridge Bela Fleck and the Flecktones Celebrity Series of Bosto n Sanders Theatre Black Sea Salsa Band Ryles Jazz Club 212 Hampshire Street Inman Square, Cambridge John Scofield Quartet Regattabar Jazz Club Charles Hotel Harvard Square MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble : The Art of Transformation Massachusetts Institute of Technology Kresge Auditorium Boston Spyro Gyro Scullers Jazz Club Doubletree Suite @ Hilton 400 Soldiers Field Road, Allston Tato Torres and Yerbabuena Villa Victoria Centerfor the Arts 85 W. Newton Street South End Vinx, with special guests Flynn and Emily Musolino Café 939 939 Boylston Street Back Bay Metro Boston/Central Mass Shemekia Copeland Bull Run Restaurant Route 2A, Shirley Hannah Rose

Brian Kelly , head coach of the University of Notre Dame Irish football team, is taking on the Boston College Eagles at South Bend this weekend. Kelly was born in Everett and grew up in Chelsea, a working class city bordering Boston. After attending St. John's Prep School in Danvers, Kelly attended Assumption College in Worcester, where he played football and became a three-year defensive coordinator for the team upon graduating in 1983. He's been a football coach since then, working his way around the country and leading the University of Cincinnati football program to a 34-6 record from 2007-09.  This is his second year as Notre Dame's coach. Kelly has been described as "a winner everywhere he goes" in a profile published by the Worcester Telegram.  In an interview with ESPN reporter Mark Schlabach, Kelly described a painting hanging in his office entitled The Original Fighting Irish: "You don't see faces.  You see blue-collar. 

The American Ireland Fund is  holding its 30th annual Boston Gala at the Westin Hotel on Thursday, November 17, 2011.  Cocktails begin at 6:30 p.m. with the dinner program starting on 8:00 p.m., followed by dancing.  The mission of The American Ireland Fund is to be the largest worldwide network of people of Irish ancestry and friends of Ireland dedicated to raising funds to support programs of peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, education and community development throughout the island of Ireland. For more information on the American Ireland Fund, click here .  For year-round cultural activities, hotel packages, gift shops and Irish pubs in Massachusetts, visit www.IrishMassachusetts.com .     For details on vacationing in Massachusetts, contact the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism at www.massvacation.com and www.Bostonusa.com .

Angel Reapers: A Shaker Musical opens today, November 15, in Boston and runs through November 20, 2011.   The show, presented by ArtsEmerson , takes place at the Culter Majestic Theater in downtown Boston. Tickets are available online . Angel Reapers is described as a lively song and dance piece, inspired by the life of Ann Lee, founder of the Shaker movement. Mother Ann, as she came to be known, was a visionary, mystic and powerful spiritual leader. Her categorical denial of sexuality and determination to erase it from herself and her followers inspires the stunning, rhythmic and often hilarious choreography in Angel Reapers.  For a full schedule of upcoming shows presented by ArtsEmerson, click here .  For year-round cultural activities, hotel packages, gift shops and Irish pubs in Massachusetts, visit www.IrishMassachusetts.com .   For details on vacationing in Massachusetts, contact the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism at www.massvacation.com and w

(Boston) — The Boston Irish Tourism Association (BITA) released its Travel & Culture Guide (fall/winter issue ) of Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts.  The 28-page color magazine details upcoming holiday concerts, dances and theatre from November 2011 to March 2012  It lists selected Irish pubs, gift shops and cultural groups in the Bay State plus hotels and travel agencies for visitors from out-of-town.  The Guide is available for free at tourism centers across the state and at museums, hotels and cultural venues.  For location near you go to distribution centers .  “Visitors looking for the very best Irish and Celtic music can find it right here in Massachusetts,” said BITA director Colette Quinlin.   The fall/winter 2011 Travel & Culture Guide includes stories on the new public art exhibit at Terminal E , Logan Airport and the Butcher Shop Market in Adams Village, Dorchester, plus profiles of Mia Tavan, Marketing Director at Massachusetts Conventi

Writer Stephen King is appearing at the JFK Library in Boston on Monday, November 7, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. to discuss his new novel, 11/22/63.   He'll discuss his long literary career with fellow writer Tom Perrotta . You can view a live webcast of the conversation. The event is part of the JFK Library's Forum, a series of lectures on a diverse array of political, historical and cultural topics.  For a schedule of upcoming Forums at the JFK Library, click here .  For more about the Irish connections of the Kennedy Family, click here . For year round cultural activities in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . For tourist information visit MassVacation.com and BostonUSA.com .

Searching for an affordable vacation where you can do all the things you want at a reasonable price? You can get great deals in Boston on hotels, museums, cultural activities, tours around Boston and family friendly activities, thanks to the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau .

ArtsEmerson is presenting an engaging one-man show by Irish actor Conor Lovett, from Ireland's famed theatre troupe, the Gare St. Lazare Players .   The play holds audiences spellbound with this classic tale of a mythic sea monster, vengeful Captain Ahab, and the epic journey aboard the Pequod. The performance runs from November 7 - 12, 2011 at the Paramount Theatre in Boston.  The music by Marin Lewis provides a poetic counterpoint to Ahab’s fanatical quest, based on the novel by Herman Melville, and adapted to stage by Conor Lovett & Judy Hegarty Lovett. For a schedule of upcoming events by ArtsEmerson, click here . For year round Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts, visit IrishMassachusetts.com . For tourist information visit MassVacation.com and BostonUSA.com .