Arts and Entertainment

Courage.   That’s the English-language translation of the Irish word “Misneach,” the name attached to Dermot Kennedy’s global Irish music festival that will launch in Boston and Sydney, Australia, in March 2025. The two-day turn in Boston will feature an... Read more
Boston Irish editor Bill Forry interviewed Patrick Radden Keefe in January 2019 on the occasion of the scheduling of a nine-part series by FX Productions based on his 2018 book, “Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland.”... Read more
First, an apology: This space has been extremely negligent of late about keeping up with new or recent Irish/Celtic-related music albums. So, here’s a look at some releases over the past several months: •Uilleann piper Leonard Barry, a Kerry native who... Read more
As you might imagine, holiday-themed events are as ubiquitous this month as candy canes and eggnog. That’s not meant to be snarky, however, because there are some quality Irish/Celtic concerts coming up which celebrate and uplift this special season. But... Read more
  On April 2, 1912, the renowned Belfast shipbuilders Harland and Wolff had completed the required sea trials on their latest project, the “Titanic.”  With hundreds of ships to their credit, this was one of the builder’s most prestigious efforts.  It... Read more
 It’s been a decade since North Carolina-born fiddler Maura Shawn Scanlin first crossed paths in Boston with Maryland guitarist Conor Hearn (she was a New England Conservatory student, he was enrolled in Tufts) and began playing together, initially as... Read more
A glance at some upcoming Irish/Celtic-related events in Greater Boston •This is the month that we can all go to Hell – Fiddle Hell, that is. The immensely popular traditional/folk music festival will take place from Nov. 7 to Nov. 10 at the Westford... Read more
    The college years are often a time for reinvention, for going in new directions, as was the case for Boston-based fiddler Hannah O’Brien while a student at the University of Michigan. But she also rekindled her childhood love for Irish traditional... Read more
Dermot Kennedy is bringing his brand-new global music festival to Boston and Sydney, Australia next March. The acclaimed, multi-platinum singer/songwriter today announed plans for MISNEACH— Irish for "courage"— which he says will be a " celebration of... Read more
A look at some upcoming Irish/Celtic music-related events in Greater Boston and nearby •No mathematicians were consulted in the writing of this column, but here’s a confluence of events that would seem to defy the odds: a father and a son, both Scottish... Read more
       The first, and most important thing Sally and Joe Harney want people to know is this: They’re not going anywhere and will not be disappearing from the face of the Earth. The Walpole couple has been a mainstay of Boston’s Irish set dance community... Read more
This coming month will see another homecoming for Boston-area native Eric McDonald, a musician with a lengthy and diverse portfolio, when he appears as part of Celtic roots trio Kalos on Sept. 3 at Club Passim in Harvard Square. McDonald’s homecomings... Read more
Centered around the Shalin-Liu Performance Center, one of the more impressive venues in Greater Boston, the fifth Rockport Celtic Festival will take place Sept. 12-15, with an assortment of big-stage and intimate events that spotlight Celtic traditions – ... Read more
A look at upcoming Irish/Celtic-related music events in Greater Boston •The Rockport Celtic Festival – one of many gifts from the late Brian O’Donovan to Celtic music aficionados – takes place from Sept. 12 to Sept. 15, mostly at the Shalin Liu... Read more
Award-winning actor-director-educator Fred Sullivan Jr, was born in Chelsea, educated at St. John’s Prep in Danvers, and spent 35 years as a member of the acting company at Trinity Rep in Providence, appearing in 130 productions. Over his distinguished... Read more
For some 25 years, Gloucester resident Michael O’Leary has been exploring, and celebrating, the connections between song and sea.  O’Leary has organized and led a series of regularly occurring “Celtic Music Sunset Sails” around Gloucester Harbor on the... Read more
A look at upcoming Celtic music-related events in the Greater Boston events •She came through town in February, but you can never have too much of Karan Casey, who continues to flourish as one of Ireland’s most accomplished all-around artists – and not... Read more
A look at what’s coming up for some of Boston’s favorite stage talents as summer wanes. Fred Sullivan, Jr. is devoting several weeks this summer to “Tootsie: The Musical.”  Based on the Dustin Hoffman film of the same name, the stage musical focuses on... Read more
BCMFest (Boston Celtic Music Fest) will present a concert featuring the internationally renowned Irish band Lúnasa on March 8, 2025, in Somerville Theater – a new venture for Boston’s annual showcase of Celtic music and dance. Ticket information and other... Read more
It’s fair to say that Adam Hendey, in a fairly short space of time, has become one of the more ubiquitous figures in the Boston Celtic music scene. Besides performing at venues and events like Club Passim, BCMFest and the Burren Backroom Series – now... Read more

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