Riverdance plays final five shows this weekend at Boston's Opera House

By Sean Smith
April 6, 2012
Sean Smith

Riverdance in farewell visit to Boston- Don't miss it!
In 1996, Bill Clinton was president, William Weld was governor of Massachusetts, the old Boston Garden was still standing, the Red Sox were still in search of their first world championship since 1918 – and a show called "Riverdance" began touring cities in the United States, including Boston, hoping to duplicate its success in Ireland.
Long story short? It did.

40 countries, 4 continents, 350 venues- ‘Riverdance’ legacy – so far

By R.J. Donovan
April 6, 2012
R.J. Donovan

The international sensation known as "Riverdance" has played in 40 countries across 4 continents in more than 350 venues to a worldwide audience surpassing 22 million people. That's astounding when you consider that the two-hour celebration of Irish music, song, and dance began life as a seven-minute intermission entertainment for the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest televised throughout Europe.

The Chieftains At 50: Better than Ever

By Bill O'Donnell
April 3, 2012
Bill O'Donnell

The Irish Taoiseach calls them “living treasures whose music has transcended all boundaries.” And ain’t it the truth. After 50 years as a major international music group, the Chieftains, led as they have been since the beginning by Paddy Moloney, have won just about every award imaginable for their richly nuanced traditional Irish music offerings.

Minister Frances Fitzgerald: Ireland’s children are on her watch

Ed Forry
By Ed Forry
April 3, 2012

Boston’s St. Patrick’s events were the occasion of the visit to Boston of Frances Fitzgerald, T.D., the Ireland government minister who is designing new initiatives to protect the country’s children.

Fitzgerald, T.D., who serves in the Dail representing city residents in the Dublin Mid West constituency, undertook a whirlwind set of public appearances that included the launch of an initiative with the Irish Pastoral Centre, a St. Patrick’s breakfast speech hosted by the Irish American Partnership, a star turn as the honored guest at the Irish Network/Boston St. Patrick party at the Moakley Court House, and a visit to Holyoke for that city’s St. Patrick’s parade.

Fitzgerald speaks in BostonFitzgerald speaks in Boston

Commentary: Ah, yes, ‘The Quiet Man’

By Ed Forry
March 8, 2012

The huge flow of information on the internet sometimes can be quite useful. In this age of almost immediate access to all sorts of knowledge, information can be had with just a few keystrokes. Case in point: Some friends were trying to recall some of those wonderful lines from the movie “The Quiet Man,” the 1950s John Ford film about the ancestral country of Irish Americans.

An online search for “Quiet Man quotes” yielded a treasure trove of memorable quotes. Here are a few:

“He’ll regret it till his dying day, if he ever lives that long.” – Red Will Danaher

Returning to Kerry – the Flahertys and the O’Donnells

By Bill O'Donnell
March 6, 2012
Bill O'Donnell

My cousin Dan Flaherty died twenty years ago at age 53. As he left us, he was doing what he loved: tending his sheep atop the mountain overlooking the farm below that he shared with his wife Eileen and daughter Margaret. I love all the Flahertys, but I reserve a special place for Dan. He was a community leader, a regular in the Castlemaine players group, and a much-loved performer in his neighborhood musicales.

Liam Harney: Dancing Man He’s in Reagle’s revue, ‘A Little Bit of Ireland’

By R.J. Donovan
March 6, 2012
R.J. Donovan

Reagle Music Theatre’s popular revue “A Little Bit of Ireland” returns on March 17 and 18 for its 14th season. The show is a colorful celebration of Irish music, dancing, and light-hearted comedy based on what Reagle’s Producing Artistic Director and Founder, Bob Eagle, modestly calls “a little idea I had.”

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