Time again to laugh it up in ‘A Little Bit Of Ireland’

By R. J. Donovan
March 1, 2016
R. J. Donovan

The Massachusetts Harp Ensemble, led by Judy Ross, performs in “A Little Bit Of Ireland.” Reagle Music Theatre / Herb Philpott photoThe Massachusetts Harp Ensemble, led by Judy Ross, performs in “A Little Bit Of Ireland.” Reagle Music Theatre / Herb Philpott photo

With St. Patrick’s Day approaching, it’s time for Reagle Music Theatre’s annual celebration, “A Little Bit Of Ireland.”  The 18th edition of the heartfelt homage to all things Irish plays three performances on March 12 and 13 at Robinson Theater in Waltham.  Conceived and directed by Bob Eagle, Reagle’s producing artistic director, the production features a cast of 100 with music, dance, and a touch of blarney, all backed by a live orchestra.

A fresh sound from Newfoundland

By Sean Smith
March 1, 2016
Sean Smith

Matthew Byrne: “These songs are windows into the lives of those people, and the time and place in which they lived,” says Matthew Byrne of his repertoire, much of which comes from his family. Graham Kennedy photoMatthew Byrne: “These songs are windows into the lives of those people, and the time and place in which they lived,” says Matthew Byrne of his repertoire, much of which comes from his family. Graham Kennedy photoAt the end of last year, Newfoundland folk singer Matthew Byrne did what countless aspiring musicians have dreamed of down through the ages: He quit his day job.

This was no spur-of-the-moment impulse move on the part of 31-year-old Byrne, however, but rather the outcome of several years of carefully assessing the trajectory of his musical career – which, following the release of his first album in 2010, only continued to rise. Toward the end of 2014, Byrne – who was providing tech support for the University of St. John’s distance education program – found himself needing so much more time to devote to his music that he went to his managers and asked for a one-year leave so he could narrow his focus. They gave it to him.

And then came 2015: He released the album “Hearts & Heroes,” which garnered widespread critical acclaim and considerable radio airplay, and he also performed more in the US, including in Lowell last year as part of the first “Summer Celtic Sojourn” show. So he returned to his bosses and put in his notice.

Youth will be served – again – at ‘St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn’

By Sean Smith
March 1, 2016
Sean Smith

Boston-based uilleann piper Joey Abarta will be part of the cast in the 2016 “A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn.”Boston-based uilleann piper Joey Abarta will be part of the cast in the 2016 “A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn.”Over its first decade, “A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn” has made a point of featuring performers representing the younger generation of Irish, Scottish, and other Celtic music and dance traditions. And there’s even more of a “youth movement” to this year’s show – the 11th edition – which will take place on March 19 and 20 in Sanders Theatre at Harvard University in Cambridge, with additional performances at Worcester’s Hanover Theatre (March 17) and Zeiterion Theatre in New Bedford (March 18).

The 2016 line-up includes The Outside Track, a “pan-Celtic” band with Irish, Scottish, and Cape Breton influences; Newfoundland traditional ballad singer Matthew Byrne; Boston-based uilleann piper Joey Abarta; and 13-year-old Haley Richardson, already established as an up-and-coming fiddler.

National Heritage Fellowship winner Kevin Doyle and the Miller Family, a trio of New England siblings, will provide the show’s dance component, while Vermont guitarist-vocalist Keith Murphy will once again serve as music director.

“When you gather musicians, singers, and dancers of this stripe, it’s often a let-down to just do one performance,” says the show’s creator and host, WGBH-FM broadcaster Brian O’Donovan. “So it’s nice to be able to add an extra date at Sanders Theatre, as well as once more go on the road, to Worcester and New Bedford. One of the things I love about the experience is the friendships and collaborations that result from ‘Celtic Sojourn,’ and I’m sure there will be plenty to come from this year.”

BC to host conference, concert to mark the Rising

By BIR News Room
March 1, 2016

Boston College will host two major events this month to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising: an international conference, “Easter 1916: A Terrible Beauty Is Born,” during March 18-20; and an Easter Rising Commemorative Concert on March 28.

The events, both free and open to the public, are part of BC’s yearlong observance of the centenary of the Rising, widely regarded as a turning point in Ireland’s struggle to gain independence from the British.

BC vs. Georgia Tech in Aer Lingus Football Classic Sat., Sept. 3, Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland

By BIR News Room
March 1, 2016

The Eagles of Boston College will kick off their 2016 football season in Dublin on Sept. 3 against the formidable Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech. The game in Aviva Stadium will mark the BC team’s second visit to Ireland; in 1988 the Eagles defeated , 38-24, in front of a crowd of 42,000 in the old Lansdowne Road stadium.  It is expected that 25,000 fans will travel from the US and Europe to take in the event this fall.

March Here & There

By Bill O’Donnell
March 1, 2016
Bill O’Donnell

The Popes And Their Special Friends – The news that broke recently about Pope John Paul II’s close relationship with a Polish-born American philosopher, Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka, revealed a rarely seen private side to Karol Wojtyla, who died in 2005. The newly released letters exchanged between the pontiff and the married woman provide a closer look at the 30-year tie that existed between the two.

‘THE NAME KNOWN TO ALL FRIENDS OF IRISH FREEDOM’ The day when De Valera hailed a New Bedford sea captain

By Peter F. Stevens
March 1, 2016
Peter F. Stevens

In mid-February 1920, people had gathered around a simple gravestone in a New Bedford cemetery where a tall, thin, bespectacled man bent down to lay a wreath in front of the marker. Etched on the face of the stone was the name of “George S. Anthony,” once captain of the whaling bark Catalpa.

Mayor Walsh reflects on the Rising

By Martin J. Walsh, Mayor of Boston
March 1, 2016
Martin J. Walsh, Mayor of Boston

Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Massachusetts Congressman Richard Neal spoke at a Boston College forum – “Reflections on the 100th Anniversary of Ireland’s 1916 Easter Rising” – on Feb. 22 in Gasson Hall on the BC campus. They were welcomed by the Rev. Oliver P. Rafferty, a Jesuit priest and director of B.C.’s Irish Studies Program. Following are excerpts from Walsh’s remarks:

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