Nov 14 Event to Benefit Family of Mickey Conneely

By Ed Forry
November 4, 2010

A committee has formed to host a fundraiser for the family of Michael "Mickey" Conneely, an Irish-born member of the Laborer's Union Local 223, who died suddenly last March. Jim King, Mickey's longtime friend is heading the group which will host the event on Sunday, Nov 14, 2- 8 pm at Florian Hall, Dorchester. Dance tickets are $20, and proceeds will benefit the Conneely family, which includes his wife Jeanne (Heaps) and their two children.

Preview- “Kisses,” a Film Directed by Lance Daly

By BostonIrish.com... (not verified)
November 2, 2010

by Sean Smith

Pre-teens Dylan and Kylie escape from their bleak, lifeless Dublin neighborhood to search for the boy’s older brother, who fled home two years earlier after being overwhelmed by the chaotic, miserable family life that has now pushed Dylan to the breaking point. Kylie is, if anything, more resolute than Dylan about leaving her home -- and, as is revealed later, has a very good reason.

Angst and Hatred Continue to Roil Everyday Life in Northern Ireland

By Jo
November 2, 2010
Jo

Minister’s Call to Cut Funds for Catholic Schools a Case in Point

By Joe Leary
Special to the BIR

Many Irish Americans express wonderment as to why, after all the progress towards peace and understanding, Northern Ireland still has sporadic violence and such difficulty in bringing Catholics and Protestants together.

Grace Kelly had this thing about Drimurla in Co. Mayo

By Ed Forry
November 2, 2010

by Judy Enright
Special to the BIR
The ancestral home of Grace Kelly, Oscar-winning American actress, fashion icon and ultimately princess of Monaco, doesn’t look like much at first glance.
And, honestly, it’s really not much more now than the crumbling ruin of a two-room house where her grandfather, John Kelly, was born in 1857 in Drimurla just outside Newport, Co. Mayo. In 1887, he left Ireland for Philadelphia, where he founded one of that city’s leading construction companies and made his family’s fortune.

For Governor: Deval Patrick

Ed Forry
By Ed Forry
November 2, 2010

Four years ago, this newspaper endorsed the candidacy of Deval Patrick because of what we saw in him: The promise of a transformational leader who would bring change to state government.

Four years later, we endorse his candidacy for a more concrete reason: Because he has earned it.

Gov. Patrick has guided the Commonwealth through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. He has done it with poise, professionalism and with a sense of purpose that has paid off: The Massachusetts economy is now growing at twice the rate of the rest of the nation.

Michael Joyce memorialized at playground in Southie's Marine Park

By BostonIrish.com... (not verified)
November 1, 2010

A crowd of friends and officials gathered at South Boston’s Marine Park on October 14 for a ceremony to rename the playground in memory of Michael Joyce, who was remembered as “an unsung hero” by admirers. Joyce, who died in 1989 at age 65, was an administrative assistant with the Massachusetts House of Representatives for more than 20 years. He was known for his tireless efforts in guiding new immigrants and others through bureaucratic mazes.

Small Irish engineering firm played big role in Chilean mine rescue

By by Bill O'Donnell
November 1, 2010
by Bill O'Donnell

Irish Firm Key Rescue Player -- There were many companies and countries that assisted in the near- miraculous rescue operation in the tiny desert mining outpost in Chile, but none played a more significant role than a small Shannon-based Irish engineering firm. Mincon Ltd. employs 52 workers at Shannon, 130 world wide, and specializes in precision mining equipment. The Irish company supplied the drill that first broke through the underground cavity that held the 33 miners.

For Martin Hayes, Master Fiddler, the Tune is What Counts – Always

By BostonIrish.com... (not verified)
October 30, 2010

By Sean Smith
Imagine if you had a one-time-only 30-minute lesson with one of the most eminent Irish fiddlers of the past two decades. Surely it would be like departing a banquet after eating a few hors d'oeuvres, or leaving an Oscar-winning movie once the opening titles concluded.
That's more or less what Berklee College of Music student Emilio Arredondo thought would happen when he got together recently with Martin Hayes, who came to the school for a series of individual instruction sessions. Fortunately for Arredondo, a little of Hayes wound up going a long way.

All rise please! Paul Murphy’s Court is now adjourned

By BostonIrish.com... (not verified)
October 29, 2010

Dorchester buried one of its favorite sons on Monday, October 25 when Judge Paul Murphy was laid to rest. A graduate of St. Mark’s School, BC High, Boston College, and Harvard Law School and a Korean war veteran, Judge Murphy had a long and distinguished career; first as a state representative and then as First Justice of the West Roxbury District Court.

Essentially shy and reserved, he nonetheless was an effective politician who won the respect and admiration of his colleagues as much for his humility as for his brilliant mind.

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