When you listen to A.J. Gerritson talk, you know he’s a man who’s on the move

By Greg O’Brien, Special to the BIR
October 4, 2012
Greg O’Brien, Special to the BIR

"The Irish in me keeps me forever grounded, always in search of self-improvement, always looking for creative ways to do it better." -A.J. Gerritson"The Irish in me keeps me forever grounded, always in search of self-improvement, always looking for creative ways to do it better." -A.J. Gerritson

How many angels can dance on the head of a pin? That’s a tough one. But do you know the temperature at which paper burns? A. J. Gerritson does, and in fact he branded it on his company’s name.
In true 21st century style, Gerritson and his founding co-partner, Nicholas Lowe, discerning the need for new, on-line approaches to communications and marketing, created the firm of 451 Marketing in 2004, naming it after Ray Bradbury’s classic novel, Fahrenheit 451.

Weekend to remember for Tip O’Neill’s clan

By Ed Forry
October 3, 2012

By Liam Ferrie
Special to the BIR

The O’Neill clan gathers with Taoiseach Enda Kenny in Dublin on September 6. Pictured, l-r: Michael O’Neill, Jr., grandson of Speaker O’Neill Thomas P. O’Neill III, son of Speaker O’Neill, Shelly O’Neill, Thomas P. O’Neill III’s wife, Taoiseach, Rosemary The O’Neill clan gathers with Taoiseach Enda Kenny in Dublin on September 6. Pictured, l-r: Michael O’Neill, Jr., grandson of Speaker O’Neill Thomas P. O’Neill III, son of Speaker O’Neill, Shelly O’Neill, Thomas P. O’Neill III’s wife, Taoiseach, Rosemary

BUNCRANA, Co. Donegal –The late Tip O’Neill was no doubt looking down with a huge smile on his face on events in Buncrana on the first weekend of September. His lifetime achievements were being acknowledged by the people of the County Donegal town near which his grandmother was born and it was all taking place in the presence of his many descendants, including his sons Tom and Christopher and daughters Susan and Rosemary.

In Boston visit, Ireland's Tourism Chief touts "The Gathering 2013"

By Ed Forry
October 3, 2012

By Ed Forry
BIR Publisher

Ireland's Minister for Tourism Leo Varadkar (left) is pictured with Ruth Moran of Tourism Ireland, BIR Publisher Ed Forry, and Tourism Ireland Director Niall Gibbons Ireland's Minister for Tourism Leo Varadkar (left) is pictured with Ruth Moran of Tourism Ireland, BIR Publisher Ed Forry, and Tourism Ireland Director Niall Gibbons
In an exclusive interview with the BIR on Sept. 7 at Tourism Ireland’s offices just off Dublin’s St. Stephen’s Green, TI executive director Niall Gibbons explained the government’s vision for the year-long promotion.
“The Gathering is a very exciting initiative,” Gibbons said. “It’s the biggest tourism initiative in the history of the state. It’s going to take place in 2013. It has been in preparation through a lot of this year and it’s going to be a very exciting time for anybody coming to visit Ireland.”

Murdoch's brand grossly and continuously abuses journalistic guidelines

By Bill O’Donnell
October 2, 2012
Bill O’Donnell

Lies, Bad Journalism Typify Murdoch Brand – One of the immutable principles of newspaper columns and opinion pieces is that they must be signed, with the identity and relevant facts about the writer attached to the piece. Only then can we begin to know and weigh what ties exist and/or what employment history may have influenced the opinions and judgments of the writer.
The same principles, or rules of the game, are essentially in force for other media.

When it comes to wind energy, the Irish know their stuff

By Ed Forry
October 2, 2012

By Judy Enright
Special to the BIR
The Irish are a wind-loving lot – and why not when they are so often buffeted by the gales that swirl around the greenest island in the Atlantic? While some here complain that wind turbines block their vistas, the Irish have long embraced the concept of harnessing the wind’s energy and all its resulting benefits and you can see turbines atop many hills in the country.

New M4 Motorway makes for easy travel across Ireland

Ed Forry
By Ed Forry
October 2, 2012

By Ed Forry
A September trip to Ireland brought with it good weather, some surprising motoring, and some great new memories from my ancestral homeland.
The good news for this visitor is how the exchange rate is advantageous against the dollar; in late September, a euro cost $1.30, not a bad rate compared to a year ago. Also, Irish hotels and restaurants are offering attractive low rates and package deals, helping the American tourist to stretch the travel budget.

Oct 19 luncheon honors US Rep Richard Neal, Bob & Mary Muse family, Brendan & Greg Feeney

By Ed Forry
October 2, 2012

The Boston Irish Reporter, the region's leading chronicler of all things Irish-American, will host “Boston Irish Honors 2012” on Friday Oct. 19, in the main ballroom of Boston's Seaport Hotel. The annual event draws an appreciative audience of some 400 top Boston business and civic leaders and officials of Boston’s many Irish social and cultural organizations.

Boston College: IRA interviews should stay sealed

By BostonIrish.com... (not verified)
September 10, 2012

By Denis Lavoie (AP)— A lawyer for Boston College says a judge was wrong to order the school to give police in Northern Ireland recordings of interviews with former members of the Irish Republic Army. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Friday in the school's appeal.

College researchers conducted and recorded the interviews as part of an oral history project.

Kylemore Abbey has history, and much, much more

By BostonIrish.com... (not verified)
August 31, 2012

Resplendent: Kylemore AbbeyResplendent: Kylemore Abbey

If you’ve traveled through the West of Ireland, you have almost certainly stopped to visit Kylemore Abbey, built in the 1800s by Mitchell Henry for his wife, Margaret. Kylemore is one of Ireland’s top tourist attractions for so many reasons—the fascinating history of the castle and the Henry family’s many contributions to life in Connemara, the wonderfully well-stocked gift shop, delicious meals and snacks in the Mitchell cafe and Tea House, the restored Victorian Walled Garden, beautiful Neo-Gothic Church, and the vast array of programs held on site during the height of the tourist season.

Five years out, Annalivia adopts new persona: Celtic-Americana

By Sean Smith, Special to the BIR
August 31, 2012
Sean Smith, Special to the BIR

Few bands go looking for the metaphorical crossroads, but once they encounter it, there’s no turning back. So was the case last year with Annalivia, the Greater Boston-based group that since its beginnings five years ago has drawn plaudits for its intelligent union of Irish and other Celtic and British Isles traditions with American roots music, plus a gradual incorporation of original material.

The band underwent a membership change, as fiddler Brendan Carey Block and string bassist/banjo player Stu Kenney departed, and fiddler-vocalist Mariel Vandersteel, with solid foundations in Celtic and old-timey/Appalachian as well as Scandinavian music, joined co-founders Flynn Cohen and his wife Liz Simmons, and fiddler-vocalist Emerald Rae. With a string of performances this year that includes New Bedford Summerfest, BCMFest, One Longfellow Square in Portland, Me., The Basement in Northampton, and the New Haven International Festival of Arts and Ideas, and now, their brand new CD (and third overall), “The Same Way Down,” Annalivia has moved well along from the crossroads of 2011.

Pages

Subscribe to Boston Irish RSS