• Genealogy masterclasses: iFest gives Boston’s large Irish American population a unique opportunity to explore their heritage through a series of exhibitions, lectures, and workshops. Genealogy expert and author John Grenham of “Who Do You Think You Are?” on the TLC network will give attendees the tools to trace their roots during genealogy master classes and talks on family histories.

Boston Irish Honors 2014The Boston Irish Reporter, the region’s leading chronicler of all things Irish-American, will host “Boston Irish Honors 2014,” its annual an­niversary luncheon, on Fri., Oct. 24, at 11:45 a.m. in the main ballroom of Boston’s Seaport Hotel. The 35-member luncheon committee is chaired by Peter Meade, former director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

The 2014 honorees are: The Burke Family – Jacquelyn, John, Paul, Dennis and Michael; Katherine Craven; and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh.

“We are especially pleased that this year’s honorees have agreed to share their stories with us,” said BIR publisher Ed Forry. “In keeping with our heritage, the newspaper will recog­nize special achievements in business and public service, and salute an estimable family that shares our common roots in Boston and Ireland.

“The Burkes are an exemplary family, and their story is a wonderful example of our Boston Irish culture. Growing up in South Boston, their dad operated a drug store on D Street, and the siblings followed their own paths while sustaining their strong family ties: Jacquelyn and John Burke became pharmacists like their dad, and John now heads the Staples Foundation; Paul is a Boston firefighter, and he’s now a District Chief; Dr. Dennis Burke is a leading orthopedic surgeon at Mass General Hospital; and Michael is a union worker in South Boston.

Boston’s own Barbara Lynch is a major iFest booster.
South Boston native Barbara Lynch just returned from a trip to Tokyo to cook for US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy in an attempt to create a more robust interest in American cuisine in Japan. But it’s Ireland, and the opportunity presented by IFest, that has captured her imagination lately.

Lynch, a James Beard Award-winner and Relais & Châteaux Grand Chef, has been a major booster of the inaugural IFest. Last year, she took a brief, but enlightening tour of Ireland’s culinary scene. It was her first-ever trip to her ancestral homeland and she says it has inspired her to take a keen interest in developing stronger ties to Irish vendors.

“They really blew me away,” Lynch said of her visit to Cork and Killarney. “There was a Michelin star chef at the hotel in Ballymaloe and the food was beautiful. It’s funny because I always feel like Ireland has this reputation of older people and simple food. But I spent some time with Darina Allen at Ballymaloe and they are all real artisans and they use quality products.”