Category: Latest News

The Dingle Peninsula comes to The Big E for the 22nd year as Irish vendors, artisans, heritage experts and hoteliers establish a traditional Irish Dingle Peninsula Showcase in the Young Building. The Irish Cultural Center is taking part, offering information on the ICC, our Ireland tours, and selling our St. Brigid raffle tickets.

“Returning after an absence of two years, due to the global pandemic, we invite Big E visitors to visit the Irish Dingle Peninsula Showcase in the Young Building if they are planning a trip to Ireland or would like to visit Ireland someday, or are in need of a gift or memento, and for corporate businesses that can also commission work done by any of the artisans,” said Caroline Boland of Dingle Peninsula Tourism Alliance. Visit the Dingle Showcase website for more info on the exhibitors.

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On September 12, 2022, board members of the Irish Cultural Center visited Fan Pier in Boston to attend an Irish Community Reception aboard visiting Naval Ship the L.É. James Joyce, hosted by the Consulate General of Ireland/Boston. We were honored to meet with other Irish cultural groups and with Geraldine Byrne Nason, newly arrived Ambassador of Ireland to the United States. Special thanks to Lieutenant Commander Donnchadh Cahalane and Ireland’s Consul General to New England, Dr Laoise Moore, for the invitation.

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The ICC held its first annual Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day on September 8, 2022. Thanks to our hosting partner, the St. Patrick’s Committee of West Springfield, plus Ellen Redman, John Tabb and the Irish session, the Cassin Academy of Irish Dance, the Black Rose Academy of Irish Dance, The Blaney Brothers, the North Elm Butcher Block, the Trinity Pub staff, our committee and volunteers, and all who came to enjoy this event!

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The Irish Cultural Center is linking up with Irish historian, Sean Murphy, to introduce our community to live, weekly online Irish history courses. Sean presents two monthly topics, divided into four-week modules. Courses are presented on Zoom. Each student will receive an electronic copy of each presentation.

The first topic is a general history of Ireland from ancient times to the present day. The course module for September 2022 is Northern Ireland/6-Counties: 1921–1939. Takes place on Thursdays, September 8, 15, 22 & 29 from 7:30–9:00 pm. Download course flyer.

The second topic is a general history of each of the thirty two counties in Ireland. Featured in September 2022 is County Limerick. Takes place on Thursdays, September 8, 15, 22 & 29 from 6:00–7:30 pm. Download course flyer.

To Enroll
The enrollment fee is $90 for each four-week course. Please contact Sean directly for information or to enroll in his course(s) – send an email to [email protected] or call 508-790-0438.

About Sean Murphy
Sean Murphy was born in Dublin and came to live on Cape Cod in 2005. He has a passion for his homeland and loves to share his knowledge and interest about his heritage through classes, workshops and conversation. He is a teacher of Irish history, music, and dance. 

The ICCWNE hosted its 3rd annual Lúnasa Feis on Sunday, August 28 at the Eastern States Exhibition in West Springfield, MA. Over 530 dancers from as far as Ontario and Halifax in Canada, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and all over New England attended the day-long competition.

As the only feis in western Massachusetts, Lúnasa gives local dancers a chance to compete in their own backyard. Typically, dancers travel 2+ hours to attend feiseanna in the Boston or New York areas. The location on the Eastern States fairgrounds is perfect in terms of parking, mobility, and amenities.

We would like to thank the Cassin Academy and the Black Rose Academy for their partnership with the ICCWNE. Our continued working relationship has proven to be a winning combination for this event. We would also like to thank all the volunteers who gave their time and talents to make the feis a success, and our sponsors for their support.  

Presenting Sponsors: Congressman Richard Neal, Westfield Bank. Main Stage Sponsors: Specialty Bolt & Screw, Consulate General of Ireland/Boston. Dance Stage Sponsors: Bates Fullam Insurance Agency/Cassin Insurance, Cassin Academy Booster Club, Donovan’s Irish Pub, Ed Sullivan, Fred’s Shoes – A division of Northeast Mountain Footwear, Healys Irish Program, Wel-Design Alarms, The Wherehouse?.

Visit our Facebook Gallery for more photos of the Lúnasa Feis >

The 10th Anniversary Ride to Remember took place on September 3, 2022, with riders starting out at the Irish Cultural Center at 9 am and returning for an after party event. 325 bike riders took part in the 50 mile ride honoring all fallen Police Officers and Firefighters in Massachusetts. This year’s ride was dedicated to Springfield Police Officer Kevin Ambrose and Westfield Police Officer Jose Torres, two local heroes who lost their lives 10 years ago. 

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The Irish Cultural Center, in conjunction with the St. Patrick’s Committee of West Springfield, is hosting a Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day Party on Thursday, September 8 from 4–9 pm. Join us for a great Irish celebration in the Trinity Pub, including live music, Irish dancing, a cocktail competition, and our Irish blanket raffle drawing.

Entertainment Schedule
4–6 pm: Irish Trad Session led by Ellen Redman and John Tabb
6–7 pm: Cassin Academy of Irish Dance and the Black Rose Academy of Irish Dance
7–9 pm: The Blaney Brothers

Plenty of Fun
Local St. Patrick’s Parade committees will take part in a cocktail competition to see who mixes it best. The ICC’s handmade Irish blanket raffle drawing will also be held this evening (more info on tickets). 

Food and Drink
We have the North Elm Butcher Block food truck joining us, as well as drinks and light fare available for purchase from the Trinity Pub. Open to the public.

August 22 is the centenary of the death of the Irish revolutionary leader Michael Collins. To commemorate this event, Irish historian Sean Murphy is offering a two-week online Zoom course that tells the story of Michael Collins explains his political views. The course takes place on Thursdays, August 18 and 25 from 6 – 7:30 pm. Download course flyer.

To Enroll
The enrollment fee is $50 for the two-week course. Please contact Sean directly for information or to enroll – send an email to [email protected].

About Sean Murphy
Sean Murphy was born and reared in Dublin and came to live on Cape Cod in 2005. He has a passion for his homeland and loves to share his knowledge and interest about his heritage through classes, workshops and conversation. He is a teacher of Irish history, music, and dance. Over the past twelve years he has taught courses at the Irish Cultural Center of New England in Canton, Cape Cod Sons of Erin, Cape Cod Cultural Center, the Cotuit Center for the Arts, and at venues on Nantucket. He leads a traditional Irish music session in O’Shea’s Old Inne in West Dennis every Sunday night. He speaks on Irish cultural and historic issues at libraries, and at private and community events across the Cape and beyond.

The Irish House Restaurant and Trinity Pub is hiring! We are urgently looking to add servers, bartenders and cooks to our team. Please contact General Manager Sheri Hannifan for all the details if you or someone you know is interested. Call 413-342-4358 or email [email protected].

Word of the ICC’s Language Day in May 2022 drew Irish Language enthusiasts from Manchester, England; Toulouse, France; and various towns throughout western Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut. More than sixty people attended our annual event on Zoom.

Although we would have preferred to engage our learners in person, the technology enabled participants to listen to, ask questions of, and think about four fabulous presentations that focused on the placenames, food, language, and music of the Inishowen Peninsula in Ireland. Paddy Doherty, William McElhinney, Manchán Magan and Clodagh Warnock gave thoughtful and spirited presentations.

Réaltín Nic Giolla Chainnigh organized the theme, recruited the speakers, and flawlessly managed the day’s events. A native of the peninsula, her love and pride of place and language was evident through her selection of presenters. By the end of the day, participants had a deeper appreciation and understanding of the cultural ties that bind Inishowen’s inhabitants together.

The feedback from the day was very positive. Several participants noted that the speakers were offering ways to slow down and observe the importance of simple pleasures. Take the time to consider a townland’s name; be thankful for eating the natural bounty of the area with family. Listen to traditional music, live sustainably, and be connected to the landscape.

Each presentation is on the ICC’s YouTube channel.  Make time to watch them if you were unable to attend the day.

Joe O’Reilly from Manchester was surprised to see the great support from the general Springfield area. He particularly enjoyed the presentation on placenames and the new word that he learned – spág. Come to our Irish language classes, and you can learn what it means. Deirdre Godfrey, a language student from Chicopee, found the day to be “incredibly stimulating and fascinating. It was quite difficult to turn off the computer and reenter daily life.”

The program’s impact was felt by many people united by a love of the language and culture. Réaltín’s management of the process was greatly appreciated. She admirably fulfilled her role as the cultural ambassador from Inishowen.

– Written by ICC Language Instructor Gerald Costello