The Irish House Restaurant and Trinity Pub is hiring! We are looking to add dish washers, cooks, and servers with or without bartending experience 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].
We’re excited to bring this new community event to the ICC! Join us for a free Family Games Day on Sunday, March 13 from 1–6 pm. Participants are welcome to use one of the many Milton Bradley board games available here: Monopoly, Battleship, Candy Land, Monopoly Junior, and Star Wars Operation to name a few. All are welcome to what will become a fun monthly tradition at the ICC.
The Trinity Pub will be open for drinks and a light menu of cheese and crackers, finger sandwiches and Frips.
Thanks to a generous donor for the gift of these brand new Milton Bradley games!
Join us for a Pop Up Gaeltacht with Conradh na Gaeilge Iarthar MA at the Irish Cultural Center of Western New England. We are taking part in the international Seachtain na Gaeilge festival which promotes Irish language and culture.
Wednesday, March 2
6–6:30 pm: FLTA Réaltín Mc Elhinney will give a presentation on Seachtain na Gaeilge, the biggest celebration of the Irish language across the world which takes place March 1–17 each year.
6:30–8:30 pm: Join in the Pop Up Gaeltacht and use your Irish! It’s an opportunity for people of any and all levels to come together and speak or listen to the Irish language with friends. There will be caint, comhrá agus craic – tá fáilte roimh chách!
The Irish House Restaurant and Trinity Pub will be open for food and drinks, and our trad Irish seisiún will also be taking place this evening.
Contact Réaltín Mc Elhinney to let us know you are coming: [email protected].
The St. Patrick’s Committee of Holyoke to hold dinner for 2020 JFK Award winner and breakfast for 2020 Ambassador Award winner.
The 2020 John F. Kennedy National Award Recipient, David Glidden, will be honored this year at the John F. Kennedy National Award Reception at the Log Cabin in Holyoke on Saturday, March 19th 2022. The 2020 Ambassador Award Winner, Martin J. Walsh, will be honored this year at the Ambassador’s Award Breakfast at the Wyckoff Country Club on Sunday, March 20th 2022.
Download the press release for more details and ticket information >
The Irish Cultural Center is pleased to share the 2022 John Boyle O’Reilly Scholarship for High School Seniors. The application deadline is April 1, 2022.
We invite you to join us at the ICC for traditional Irish dance this St. Patrick’s season. The Cassin Academy of Irish Dance and the Black Rose Academy of Irish Dance are instrumental in helping the ICC put on our Lúnasa Feis each year. We are excited to have their students present Irish dance performances in the Trinity Pub on three different evenings in March.
Thursday, March 3 from 5–5:30 pm
Black Rose Academy of Irish Dance
Thursday, March 10 from 5–5:30 pm
Cassin Academy of Irish Dance
Thursday, March 17 from 5–6 pm
Both the Black Rose Academy of Irish Dance and Cassin Academy of Irish Dance will join us on St. Patrick’s Day
The Irish Cultural Center is proud to honor Black History Month this February. For a week, we shared information on our social media about the connections between African American and Irish history, identity, and expression of Irish and African American arts.
It has been estimated that approximately 38% of African Americans have some Irish ancestry (data from the African American Irish Diaspora Network). Ireland’s diaspora is indeed rich and varied, but we also firmly believe you don’t need an Irish background in order to appreciate and celebrate Ireland’s arts, dance, history, language, and culture.
Information and Resources
The African American Irish Diaspora Network
New York initiative explores links between black identity and Irishness
The Irish Times / February 2020
Haigh. I’m a black woman, and I happen to speak Irish
Black Irish Lives: Gaeilgeoir and broadcaster Ola Majekodunmi on the future of the language
The Irish Times / July 2020
A grá of Gaeilge
Ola Majekodunmi tells us all about her love of Irish and its importance in her life
RTE / March 2021
Frederick Douglass in Ireland, 1845-46 – Ambassador’s Blog
Embassy of Ireland, USA / September 2020
Black Irish Identities: The complex relationship between Irish and African Americans
Exploring the identity of the Black Irish in the US
IrishCentral / October 2021
Riverdance features its first-ever Black Irish dancer as show resumes US tour
Riverdance will be resuming its 25th Anniversary tour in the US this year, and Black Irish dancer Morgan Bullock says she’s “honored” to be a part of the cast
IrishCentral / February 2022
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 March 2022 is The 1916 Easter Rising. Takes place on Thursdays, March 3, 10, 24 & 31 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 March 2022 is County Down. Takes place on Thursdays, March 3, 10, 24 & 31 from 6:00–7:30 pm. Download course flyer.
To Enroll
The enrollment fee is $80 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 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.
With the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade triumphantly returning from a two-year hiatus this March, the 2020 awards are carrying over into 2022.
The 2020 Springfield Parade Marshal is Sean Cahillane, President of the Irish Cultural Center of Western New England. According to the Springfield St. Patrick’s Parade Committee, Sean was “an easy choice given his background in community work and development.” Born to parents from County Kerry, Sean helped form the Irish Cultural Center at Elms College in 1999, dedicated to preserving and sharing the many aspects of Irish culture to Americans of all backgrounds. As current President of the ICC, he was instrumental in acquiring the building that is now our new home in West Springfield, which was officially opened in 2017.
Patty Devine was named the 2020 John Boyle O’Reilly Club Irish Person of the Year. Patty has been a member of the ICC board of directors for several years and she always does a great job keeping us connected with our affiliate organization, the JBO. Patty is a wonderful person, very proud of her Irish heritage, and is loved by everyone who knows her.
The ICC congratulates Sean and Patty on their recognition, and all the award winners. We are excited to finally be able to celebrate in person on parade day!
We’re excited to bring this new community event to the ICC! Join us for our first free Family Games Day on Sunday, February 20 from 1–6 pm. Participants are welcome to use one of the many Milton Bradley board games available here: Monopoly, Battleship, Candy Land, Monopoly Junior, and Star Wars Operation to name a few. All are welcome to what will become a fun monthly tradition at the ICC.
The Trinity Pub will be open with beverages, soups, and sandwiches available to order. We ask that participants wear masks unless actively eating or drinking.
Thanks to a generous donor for the gift of these brand new Milton Bradley games!