Detours mark Bradshaw’s life – in the end, there’s the music

By Sean Smith
June 4, 2012
Sean Smith

By Sean Smith
Special to the BIR
It sounds like the kind of moment only the imagination of a singer-songwriter—like, say, Bob Bradshaw—might cook up, only it really happened.
The quick lead-in: Irish native moves to the US at the tail end of the 1980s, pursues a musical career that eventually lands him in Boston, where he decides to apply to, and is accepted by, the Berklee College of Music. Then he has misgivings, so he calls the school to cancel his enrollment.

Mary Callanan's having the time of her life in "Mamma Mia"

By R.J. Donovan
June 4, 2012
R.J. Donovan

By R. J. Donovan
Special to The BIR
Boston theater audiences love Mary Callanan. Period. From her performances at SpeakEasy Stage, New Rep and Lyric to the hot night spots in Provincetown, she’s known for her razor-sharp way with a funny line as well as her ability to knock a musical number out of the park. Loyal followers haven’t seen a lot of the South Shore resident lately because she’s been on the road playing the role of Rosie in the national tour of “Mamma Mia!” All that changes this month when the tour works its way to the Opera House for a June 19-24 run.

The ultimate power tool

By Ed Forry
June 4, 2012

By James W. Dolan
Special to the Reporter
With all of the hoopla surrounding the Trayvon Martin case in Florida, it is difficult to determine what likely happened. This is my take based on a lot of years of observing human nature and trying to find the truth.
A misguided law set the stage for a tragedy in which a 17-year-old, innocent African-American youth was killed by a police officer wannabe. George Zimmerman fits the pattern of a well-intentioned neighborhood watchman, who enjoyed the inflated status of a quasi law enforcement role.

About the troubles facing the Catholic Church in Ireland

By Joe Leary, Special to the BIR
June 4, 2012
Joe Leary, Special to the BIR

By Joe Leary
Special to the BIR
Are the continuing controversies surrounding the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland as serious as they sometimes seem? After a 1,500-year history of strength and fidelity, has the Church been weakened so much that political leaders now find it advantageous to call for the resignation of its leader, Cardinal Sean Brady, for his role as a young priest-clerk in a tribunal investigating an abusive priest 37 years ago?
The answer to both questions is “yes.”

Irish “Gathering” To Be Highlight of 2013

By Bill O'Donnell
June 4, 2012
Bill O'Donnell

By Bill O’Donnell
Irish “Gathering” To Be Highlight of 2013 -- The Irish government and its tourist agency are planning a mammoth party next year and are inviting some 70 million people of Irish heritage around the world to join in. It is hoped that the Gathering, modeled on the widely acclaimed Scottish event in 2009 called the “Homecoming, will bring over a quarter of a million visitors to Ireland.

An Appreciation: ONE OF A KIND

By Ed Forry
June 4, 2012

Thomas O’Connor wrote the book(s) on Boston’s Irish, the city’s history

By Peter F. Stevens
BIR Staff
The passing of Professor Thomas H. O’Connor last month marked the passing of a man and historian who was truly one of a kind. O’Connor’s work stood – and stands – as the bar for anyone who writes about history. He was that good. He also was generous with his time, his experience, and sage insights to this writer, and I’ve rarely enjoyed interviewing and simply conversing with someone more than with Professor O’Connor.

Hello, sheep lovers: Ireland is the place for ewe

By Ed Forry
June 4, 2012

By Judy Enright
Special to the BIR
The clerk in the upscale Connemara shop said, “Sheep sell. Items here with sheep on them fly out the door!”
She had seen me admiring a large display of ceramic mugs, coasters, magnets, cards, prints, and more – by Thomas Joseph, an artist in Co. Down, Northern Ireland. He has a lot of fun with the word “ewe” – using it in place of “you” (wish ewe were here, for instance) – and depicts sheep on surf boards, driving tractors, playing and doing other whimsical things that, of course, sheep don’t do.

In Canton, it's a weekend for wearing of the Green

By Sean Smith
June 4, 2012
Sean Smith

Boston Irish Festival begins Friday at ICCNE, Canton
Gaelic Storm, the irrepressible Celtic folk-rock quintet, headlines this year’s Boston Irish Festival, set for this weekend, June 8-10 at the Irish Cultural Centre of New England in Canton. Other performers slated to appear at the festival include The Prodigals, The Glengarry Bhoys, and The Screaming Orphans, as well as popular local acts such as The Gobshites, Devri, The Great Whiskey Rebellion, The Silver Spears, Erin’s Melody, and the Andy Healy Band.

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