Around the Town

Music, dance, and fun on tap over 3 weekends The Irish Cultural Centre of New England (ICCNE) in Canton is making a big change in the presentation of its annual Irish Festival this year. Since 1990, the non-profit organization has staged a three-day... Read more
The growing ties between the cities of Boston and Belfast in Northern Ireland will be affirmed later this month when the mayors of the two municipalities are expected to sign a “Sister City” agreement. Belfast’s  Sinn Fein mayor, Mairtin O Muilleoir,... Read more
Position of Administrative Assistant The Consulate-General of Ireland, Boston, would like to invite interested candidates to apply for the position of Administrative Assistant. The full-time position will become available in May 2014. Candidates should... Read more
BY ED FORRY BIR PUBLISHER The historic M. Steinert & Sons piano retail showroom at 162 Boylston Street across from Boston Common was the setting of a private musical concert last month to mark the Boston launch of the Irish American Art and Music... Read more
He made many friends in his years here, doing poetry readings and participating as a valued member of the local community. He was a popular figure at many area universities, including Bridgewater State and Boston State, where he developed close and... Read more
ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE LISTING Sat., March 8, 2014 Cape Cod – Yarmouth at 11a.m. Route is about 2 miles long. Parade starts at Long Pond Drive and Route 28 in South Yarmouth. Continues west on Route 28, over the Parker’s River Bridge, ending at Route 28... Read more
One of the more memorable moments of Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s inauguration ceremony at Boston College’s Conte Forum on Jan. 6 occurred during a musical interlude featuring Yo-Yo Ma, the 59-year-old Chinese American cellist who lives in Cambridge. Many in... Read more
BY BILL FORRY BIR EDITOR On Jan. 6, the city and the region got its first extended glimpse of the political leader whom we’ve come to know, simply, as Marty. It was a good first impression and a reminder of why he won last fall: People want to like him.... Read more
Dr. William T. O’Connell of Duxbury, a podiatrist who was known to many as Dr. Bill, led an active life well into his 80s. He traveled extensively, touring Russia and South America, among other places while making 21 trips to Ireland. He skied into his... Read more
BY BILL FORRY BIR EDITOR A tight-knit group of neighbors and family friends will form the nucleus of the inaugural Team MR8, a squad of 100-plus runners who will run in April’s Boston Marathon in memory of Martin Richard, the eight-year-old Dorchester boy... Read more
BY ARTHUR MURPHY SPECIAL TO THE BIR Jack Shaughnessy grew up in Quincy, graduated from BC High in wartime 1944, served in the Navy, and afterwards worked with his brother Al in building a very successful crane and rigging business in South Boston. That... Read more
The year’s most indelible images, memories and emotions for the city — and certainly for Dorchester at-large— are connected to the April 15th terror attack on spectators and participants at the Boston Marathon. The bombings killed three and wounded... Read more
Peter O’Toole met his goal: “To be the event!” BY PETER F. STEVENS BIR STAFF There was always that voice. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to speak with the legendary actor Peter O’Toole, who passed away last month at the age of 81, and I daresay... Read more
BY CLARK BOOTH SPECIAL TO THE BIR Clearing the decks soon to be draped in holly as the clock runs out on what’s been another banner year in sports – especially if you hail from New England! ••• The scorecard for 2013 is stunning! A spectacular... Read more
For the last 26 years, Robert O’Neill has been the director of the John J. Burns Library at Boston College. Now, as he prepares to retire this month and head for the warmer clime of Arizona, he leaves a deep legacy. The library, under his and his staff’... Read more
The John J. Burns Library and The Center for Irish Programs at Boston College in collaboration with The John Boyle O’Reilly Society of Ireland, The Charitable Irish Society, and The Eire Society of Boston will be opening an exhibit entitled “John Boyle O’... Read more
“The Irish Immigrant Experience” The effect on viewers was immediate…“Stop, I need to take a closer look!” The photo accompanying this article greeted visitors at a recent Irish festival. The 1939 study of Roxbury’s Emerald Isle Orchestra elicited many... Read more
The Boston Irish Reporter hosted its fourth annual Boston Irish Honors on Fri., Oct. 25, at the Seaport Hotel on the South Boston waterfront. The event, which marked the 23nd anniversary of the BIR, drew more than 300 persons to the mid-day luncheon. In... Read more
Before the gloves came off late in the Boston mayoral race – City Councillor At-Large John Connolly pointing to negative mailers from an outside group trashing his upbringing and state Rep. Marty Walsh accusing the Connolly campaign of phone calls testing... Read more
It was the socio-political equivalent of a late-summer thunderstorm: low-levels of thunder and lightning followed within hours by a fast-clearing sky. The clouds began gathering on the edge of the horizon back in late May after state Rep. Linda Dorcena... Read more

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