Arts and Entertainment
You can’t tell the story of Irish music without Patrick J. “Patsy” Touhey (1865-1923), says Greater Boston uilleann piper Joey Abarta, nor can you tell the story of Irish music without the American chapter, in which Touhey figures quite prominently.
“His... Read more
Two years after the ill-fated 2020 “A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn” tour, which had the misfortune to coincide with the beginning of the Covid lockdowns, the show – presented in virtual format last year – is set for an in-person theatrical run.... Read more
By Martin McGovernBoston Irish Contributor
The last two years of my career in higher education coincided with the pandemic and during that period, reading for pleasure proved challenging if not impossible for me.Even with a good book to look forward to at... Read more
By R. J. DonovanSpecial to Boston Irish
Boston theaters were plunged into darkness and lay dormant during the pandemic. Happily, the joy of live performances has returned and the upcoming weeks and months – right up to the “Riverdance, 25th Anniversary... Read more
]Scottish trio Talisk plays with so much power and presence, it's sometimes hard to believe there are only three of them. Their tight, propulsive, and often downright raucous instrumental sets have their basis in, but are by no means confined to, the... Read more
A look at some upcoming Irish/Celtic events in the Boston/Eastern Massachusetts area (subject to change pending COVID-related developments)
Considering how barren the landscape has been for live, in-person events the last two years during St. Patrick’s... Read more
If there was ever something to spark warmth and joy in the dead of winter, this album is it – but then, “Day Is Come” would be just as welcome in the middle of a July inferno. This is the second CD (the phrase “long-awaited” goes without saying) by the... Read more
By Sean Smith
Boston Irish Correspondent
A look at some upcoming Irish/Celtic events in the Boston/Eastern Massachusetts area (subject to change pending Covid-related developments)
As late January rolled around, the Omicron outlook seemed to be improving... Read more
Boston-born political commentator Larry Donnelly will appear in a Virtual “Meet the Author” event on January 29, 2022 at 9 AM (Boston time), to discuss his book, The Bostonian: Life in an Irish American Political Family. The event is being hosted... Read more
By Sean SmithBoston Irish Correspondent
Boston-area fiddler Maura Shawn Scanlin and guitarist Conor Hearn readily agree that the name they perform under, Rakish, was an improbable – and manifestly ironic – choice.
After all, one definition of “rakish” is... Read more
What if there were a way that allowed everyone to connect on the internet with Irish culture? To learn some songs, the steps of a few dances, or even a few tunes from wherever they were in the world?
That’s what Siamsa Tíre, (pronounced “Shee-am-sa”,) ... Read more
Dominique Dodge, “Cànan nan Teud (The Language of the Strings)” • If you’ve come to regard Celtic harp music as ethereal, reposeful, dainty, and wrapped in layers of mist and reverb – or even if you haven’t – this album is a very pleasant revelation.... Read more
A look at some upcoming Irish/Celtic events in the Boston/Eastern Massachusetts area, all subject to change pending Covid-related developments:
•There’s the Boston Celtic Music Fest (BCMFest), of course, which you can read about elsewhere on the Boston... Read more
The 19th annual BCMFest (Boston Celtic Music Fest) will take place in virtual format from Jan. 13 to Jan. 16, with some of Greater Boston’s favorite Celtic acts, including Matt & Shannon Heaton, Hanneke Cassel & Mike Block, Copley Street, Rakish,... Read more
The Murphy Beds, “Easy Way Down” •
It has been almost 10 years since Jefferson Hamer and Eamon O’Leary made their debut recording as The Murphy Beds, but the hiatus is understandable, given how busy the New York City-based pair have been elsewhere –... Read more
Caítriona O’Leary, “Strange Wonders: The Wexford Carols, Vol. II” • O’Leary’s first volume of Wexford Carols, first released in 2014 and again two years later, was a joy to a world oversaturated with over-produced, over-played Christmas music. A scholar... Read more
Growing up in rural Ireland, storytelling was part of our family culture. My father would sit at the top of the dinner table and recount stories that would amaze us, stun us and keep us in line with his values. Using storytelling, he communicated so... Read more
Cherish the Ladies holiday show comes to Shirley MA
During December, the band will embark on a holiday show tour in the northeast that includes The Bull Run in Shirley, a little northwest of Route 495, on Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m. The nucleus of the band –... Read more
Yes, it’s a cliché, but one that Kevin Crawford is quite happy to proclaim: “We’re getting the band back together!”
The band in question is Lúnasa, one of the more venerated and accomplished Irish groups of the past quarter-century, noted for its layered... Read more
However many years “A Christmas Celtic Sojourn” lasts – and it’s about to hit 19 – there’s little doubt that the 2020 and 2021 editions will loom large in the collective memories of those involved in the music-song-dance-and-storytelling production,... Read more
