Trolley Tour GM takes to stage for role in Wilde drama

By R.J. Donovan
August 3, 2012
R.J. Donovan

Matthew Murphy appears as Oscar Wilde's attorney this month at the Boston Ctr for the ArtsMatthew Murphy appears as Oscar Wilde's attorney this month at the Boston Ctr for the ArtsMatthew Murphy wears a lot of hats in life. By day, he’s General Manager of Old Town Trolley Tours of Boston. After hours, he’s a trained singer and actor. Either way, he’s always on stage.
In addition to his full-time tourism duties, the Dorchester resident spent a decade singing with The Handel & Haydn Society. He’s also served as bass soloist at Wellesley Hills Congregational Church. Last year he appeared in a staged reading of Marina Carr’s “Marble” as part of the Irish Festival at ArtsEmerson. And this month, from August 11 - 26, he’s appearing in the Bad Habits Production of Moises Kaufman’s “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde” at the Boston Center for the Arts.

‘Why are you here?” the priest asked him; after a while, Sean Connor figured it out

By Greg O’Brien, Special to the Reporter
August 2, 2012
Greg O’Brien, Special to the Reporter

Fr. Sean Connor, pictured with a 2012 1st Communion Class at St. Ann's Church, DorchesterFr. Sean Connor, pictured with a 2012 1st Communion Class at St. Ann's Church, Dorchester
Sean Connor is an unlikely priest. The son of a Milton police officer, the brother of a state trooper, a former Marshfield cop himself, the brother of a legendary Boston art thief and self-professed “President of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” a counselor who calls the clergy sex abuse scandal “perverse and evil,” he is the antithesis of today’s public perception of what it means to be a priest. And yet in so many ways, he embodies the resurrection of the church from its latest crisis, a hope for the future.

Aug 5 Ceili to help local musicians in the All-Ireland Fleadh

By Sean Smith
August 2, 2012
Sean Smith

The Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Hanafin-Cooley branch of Boston will hold a special ceili on Sun., Aug. 5, to benefit local musicians who are competing in the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil later this month. Boston Comhaltas musicians will play at the ceili, which takes place from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Concannon’s Village, 60 Lenox St., in Norwood. Admission is $10. This past spring, Greater Boston-area entrants qualified in nine categories for the All-Ireland Fleadh, which takes place August 10-20 in Cavan.

BCM Fest for August

By Ed Forry
August 2, 2012

A column of news and updates of the Boston Celtic Music Fest (BCMFest), which celebrates the Boston area’s rich heritage of Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton music and dance with a grassroots, musician-run winter music festival and other events during the year. – SEAN SMITH
Going for a song: The BCMFest series at Club Passim in Harvard Square features a Celtic Music Monday concert event this month, “Songs for a Summer Evening,” on August 13 with Kate Minogue, James Hamilton, Lisa Coyne, and their special guest Jim Prendergast, plus host Sean Smith.

The Irish and B&B offerings: Very successful combination

By BostonIrish.com... (not verified)
August 2, 2012

Clonalis in Castlerea, Co. Roscommon, the ancestral home of the O'Conor familyClonalis in Castlerea, Co. Roscommon, the ancestral home of the O'Conor family
By Judy Enright
Special to the BIR
The Irish have totally mastered the art of bed and breakfast accommodation, offering many wonderful and welcoming B&Bs all across the country where you will experience so much more than just a bed for the night and breakfast. I enjoy staying in B&Bs of every sort and will choose that option over most hotels.

Robinson & McGuiness: Some bumps, less chuckles, but few public brawls.

By Bill O'Donnell
August 2, 2012
Bill O'Donnell

By Bill O’Donnell
Not Chuckling At Stormont These Days – The earlier relationship between Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness was one of the soft-landing wonders of the western world. So much so that they were often referred to as the Chuckle Brothers as they fulfilled their roles as First Minister and Deputy First Minister. To have the hardline “No Surrender” anti-papist Paisley and McGuinness, the former Derry IRA commander, working in tandem as northern political leaders was the stuff of fantasy.

Mitt’s ‘Irish connection’ is a taxing dilemma

By By Peter Stevens
August 2, 2012
By Peter Stevens

No, Mitt Romney is not claiming Irish heritage to pander for Irish-American votes here or elsewhere. He’s also not claiming publicly his investments in Ireland. No surprise there. After all, as Ann Romney bluntly told ABC’s Robin Roberts: “We’ve given all you people need to know and understand about our financial situation and about how we live our life.” That would be fine – except that her husband happens to be running for president. What’s next from the Romneys? “Let them eat cake?”

Big Money buys message, hides messenger

By Ed Forry
August 2, 2012

By James W. Dolan
Special to the Reporter
The corrupting influence of unlimited amounts of money from undisclosed sources is undermining our democracy. The Supreme Court in its Citizens United decision determined that corporations were persons and any limitations on corporate funding of elections would be an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment’s free speech protections.

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