Liz Carroll, fiddle in hand, is ready for St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn

By Sean Smith
March 2, 2017
Sean Smith

Liz Carroll and Nic Gareiss fiddle and dance at “A Christmas Celtic Sojourn” performance at the Cutler Majestic Theatre on Dec. 9, 2009. Courtesy WGBHLiz Carroll and Nic Gareiss fiddle and dance at “A Christmas Celtic Sojourn” performance at the Cutler Majestic Theatre on Dec. 9, 2009. Courtesy WGBHMake no mistake, fiddler Liz Carroll is proud to have grown up in Chicago, and has always enjoyed playing in and around her hometown. But she’s more than happy for the opportunity to spend time in Boston.

“When people ask me, ‘Where are the best sessions?’ I answer, ‘Well, Chicago – but oh, those sessions in Boston…,’ ” laughs Carroll, whose past performances in the Boston area include the ICONS Festival, The Burren ,and “A Christmas Celtic Sojourn.”

She adds, “It’s such a vibrant scene. There are so many wonderful young musicians who come to the area – I think Berklee College of Music has a lot to do with that – and bring a lot of exciting, fresh perspectives with them. But the ‘old guard’ – like the local Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann chapter – has always done such a great job in keeping the music alive and well.”

Norwegian Air launching routes from Providence to Dublin, Cork, Shannon

By Matt O'Brien, Associated Press
March 1, 2017
Matt O'Brien, Associated Press

The low-cost carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle is promising to boost traffic at smaller airports on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean when it starts service to Europe this summer from Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York.

Norwegian Air announced on Feb. 23 that it's opening new flight crew bases and plans to hire pilots and flight attendants at Rhode Island's T.F. Green Airport and Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, New York, about 60 miles north of New York City.
Year-round flights from those airports to Edinburgh, Scotland, begin in June, and to four airports in Ireland and Northern Ireland in July.

IIIC immigration legal services alert

By Irish International Immigrant Center
March 1, 2017
Irish International Immigrant Center


IIIC immigration legal services alert - Irish International Immigrant Center’s immigration attorneys and social workers are available for all Irish immigrants during this time of uncertainty. We are closely following changes in immigration policy. If you or anyone you know wants to speak to an attorney or social worker please call us at 617-542-7654.

Legal clinics during March
(Clinics are in the evening)

March 7 and March 21 – Irish International Immigrant Center, One State Street, 8th Floor, Boston.

Bay State’s Dems in Congress vow to persist in resisting Trumpian agenda

By Andy Metzger, State House News Service
March 1, 2017
Andy Metzger, State House News Service

A Sudanese mother who adopted five orphans from her war-torn country and a veteran of Boston's busing crisis stood alongside US Sen. Ed Markey and Congressman Joe Kennedy III on Tues., Feb. 21, as they pledged to confront the president's immigration
agenda and other Trump administration actions.

With Congress in recess, the Democrats spoke at a Downtown Crossing locale nearby pivotal spots where Bay Staters rejected the British yoke, undermined the federal Fugitive Slave Act and enshrined marriage equality into law - a geographical fact referenced by the state's junior senator.

Standing steps from a monument commemorating the Irish Famine, which spurred migration from the island nation to Boston, Markey noted the proximity of other sites of historical significance as he urged the crowd to "fight" the agenda of President Trump.
"It was here just three blocks away that the American Revolution began, rising up against tyranny, against discrimination," Markey claimed. Speaking to reporters after his speech, Markey endorsed emulating "peaceful revolutions" that came about through public activism.

Trump’s Emerging Tax Plan: Bad for Ireland

By Bill O'Donnell
March 1, 2017
Bill O'Donnell


Trump’s Emerging Tax Plan: Bad for Ireland – The early predictions for the Trump administration tax package is that it will shake up the world of direct foreign investment and severely impact Ireland’s economy. The Irish Times used the term “potentially toxic” regarding the Trump plan’s negative effect on Ireland and its economy going forward.

Calendar of Celtic music, dance events March 2017

By Sean Smith
March 1, 2017
Sean Smith

March is typically the mother lode for Irish/Celtic music events in Greater Boston and Eastern Massachusetts, and this year is no exception. Here’s a look at some of the month’s happenings:

• Popular entertainers Phil Coulter and Andy Cooney once again team up for their “Celtic Crossings” show, an evening of “Irish warmth, spirit and culture” presented through music and dance, on March 4 at 7 p.m. in the Berklee Performance Center, produced by Bridget’s An Irish Tradition. Coulter, a Grammy-nominated musician, songwriter, singer and producer from Derry, Northern Ireland, has amassed dozens of platinum, gold and silver albums. Long Island native Cooney, who has sung professionally for more than three decades, has toured around the world and been featured on CD, DVD and broadcast television. Their special guests include Irish vocalist Geraldine Branagan, world champion Irish dancer Conor O’Brien (who has performed in “Lord of the Dance”) and the Irish Pops Ensemble.

The Celtic Connection to host fundraiser to benefit the Alpha-1 Foundation

By Maureen Forry-Sorrell
March 1, 2017
Maureen Forry-Sorrell

The Celtic Connection will host fundraiser to benefit the Alpha-1 Foundation on March 4 at the Boston Marriot-Newton Hotel on March 4.

Alpha-1 is a genetic condition that affects the lungs and may cause liver damage in infants, children and adults. It has been found to be especially prevalent in those of Irish descent and is exacerbated by lifestyle choices such as smoking. It is believed that many Irish and Irish-Americans (among other European nationalities) are likely carriers of the disease and therefore are at risk of passing it on to future generations.

Irish PM Kenny to help launch BC-Ireland Business Council on March 14

By Bill Forry
March 1, 2017

Enda Kenny: Will visit Boston to launch BC-Irish Business Council on March 14Enda Kenny: Will visit Boston to launch BC-Ireland Business Council on March 14Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny will help launch a newly-formed Boston College-Ireland Business Council during a visit to Boston this month. The Taoiseach is expected to offer remarks about the impact of Britain's Brexit decision during a breakfast event at the Boston College Club on Tuesday, March 14.

The Boston College-Ireland Business Council "has been established to enhance and deepen transatlantic business opportunities and development between the Boston College, Boston, and Irish business communities," according to BC spokesman Jack Dunn, who said that the council was inspired by the 2016 Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin.

The Business Council intends to connect Boston and Irish business leaders, actively engage foreign direct investment alumni based in Boston— and vice versa; and act as a welcoming community and landing point for transatlantic business ventures.

First trip to Ireland? Suggestion: Take a tour

By BostonIrish.com... (not verified)
February 1, 2017

By Judy Enright
Special to the BIR


You’re having fun planning your first trip to Ireland and you wonder whether you should take an organized tour? Yes, absolutely. That’s a great idea, especially if you’ve never been before.

Generally speaking, countrywide tours acquaint you with various cities, counties, and assorted attractions. You can then return on your own later to spend more time in the places that especially appeal to you. There are also specialized tours that focus on special interests like golf, hiking, etc.

Bus tours make sense in larger cities where there are many interesting attractions that you might miss otherwise. City driving is not fun and, if you’re on a tour, you have the benefit of not only an experienced driver but also a guide’s extensive knowledge about places you’re going to. And you are usually dropped off at the door of the attraction and your hotel or B&B.

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