Update: THIS SHOW IS SOLD OUT. Tickets will not be available at the door. 

The ICC invites you to an afternoon of indie Celtic fiddle and folk with House of Hamill. Their dynamic performances have been extremely popular in their many years of playing for the ICC, and include original instrumentals, reimagined folk ballads, and original songs that showcase the versatility of the trio of Brian Buchanan, Rose Baldino, and Caroline Browning.

House of Hamill performs on Sunday, November 16 at 3:00 pm at the ICC’s Irish House Restaurant and Trinity Pub. Doors open at 1:30 pm. Food and drinks will be available for purchase (not included in ticket cost). Guests are encouraged to arrive early if ordering food.

Main Room: Tickets are $25 for ICC Patrons, and $30 for general public. Rear Room: Tickets for the rear room, which has an obstructed view of the show when seated, are $20 for ICC Patrons and $25 for general public (the music can still be heard, and guests may stand in the main room during the show). SOLD OUT. Tickets will not be available at the door. 

This is a seated show. Seating location is first come, first served. Seating includes tables with regular height chairs and taller bistro-style, and the bar. Please let us know if accessible seating is required.

About House of Hamill
Pennsylvania-based House of Hamill was created by Brian Buchanan and Rose Baldino, with bassist Caroline Browning joining four years later. The trio is a fixture on festival stages across the US, and have shared their music and stories on premier folk stages throughout the country and beyond. Whether they’re ripping through a set of original jigs and reels, adding lush three-part harmonies into traditional folk ballads, or cracking up an audience with stories from the road, House of Hamill puts on a show that captivates audiences from the very first note. 

Listen to their latest album “Wildfire” now >
Video > “The Bully of Skidmore Town”
Video > “Shine”

Presenting Sponsor
Westfield Bank. Thanks to our Business Sponsors >

All sales are final. Refunds are given ONLY in the event of cancellation by performers.

The Springfield Rifles Rugby Club has announced their 2025 fall season. Home matches at the Balise Field at the ICC are listed below.

Saturday, September 6 at the ICC
Women’s Match vs. Hartford: kickoff at 11 am
Men’s Match vs. Cape Cod: kickoff at 1 pm

Saturday, September 20 at the ICC
Men’s Match vs New London: kickoff at 1 pm

Saturday, October 25 at the ICC
Men’s Match vs Worcester: kickoff at 1 pm

For all home matches, the Trinity Pub bar opens at 1 pm for drinks. The kitchen opens at 2 pm with a specialty menu. We hope to see you here to cheer on your local team on their home field!

Join us in the Irish Cultural Center Book Club. We’ll enjoy good craic and delve into Irish and Irish-American literature, with guided discussion in a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere. This event is open to all.

Our meeting will take place on Thursday, September 11 from 5:30–6:30 pm at the ICC.

We are reading Good Behaviour by Molly Keane. Participants are encouraged to arrive a few minutes early to get settled, perhaps grab a drink, mix and mingle. You are welcome to stay after at the Trinity Pub to socialize with dinner or drinks. 

To Register
The Book Club is free to join. Please register ahead so we know how many people to expect. Register online >

NEW! We’re always looking for ways to make the experience smoother and more enjoyable for everyone, though we’re limited by the layout and capacity of our kitchen. In addition to our regular dinner menu, we are now offering a specially priced Book Club Buffet, available as an option at registration. This buffet will be offered exclusively to Book Club attendees at $15.50 per person, plus tax and tip. Guests of Book Club attendees are also welcome to partake in the buffet.

September Book Club Buffet: House Salad, Chicken Marsala, Roasted Scrod, Pasta Primavera, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Treat.

About the Book
Is it possible to kill with kindness? As Molly Keane’s Booker Prize–short-listed dark comedy suggests, not only can kindness be deadly, it just may be the best form of revenge. The novel opens as Aroon St. Charles prepares to serve her invalid mother a splendid luncheon—the silver gleams, the linens glow—of rabbit mousse, a dish her mother despises. In fact, a single whiff of the stuff is enough to knock the old lady dead. “All my life so far I have done everything for the best reasons and the most unselfish motives,” says Aroon soon after. In the pages that follow she will make her case, reminiscing about her youth among the hunting-and-fishing classes of Ireland, a faded aristocracy dedicated to distraction even as their fortunes dwindle.

Available from several vendors online or your favorite local book shop. Or, check your local library.
• Amazon.com (new) >
• Better Worlds Books (used) >

Books for Upcoming Meetings
• October 9, 2025: Gaelic and Garlic: A Boston Love Story by Mike Bernard
• November 13, 2025: Dark Lies the Island by Kevin Barry
• December 11, 2025: Time of the Child by Niall Williams

Join us at the Majestic Theater for a special preview performance on Wednesday, September 3 as a fundraiser for the Irish Cultural Center!

Once is a modern, heartwarming musical that tells the story of an Irish street musician and a Czech immigrant who form an unlikely bond over their shared love of music. Set against the backdrop of Dublin, the musical captures the magic of creative connection, love, and the healing power of song. With a score that blends folk, pop, and soul, Once features intimate, soulful performances that bring out the raw emotions of its characters. The show’s unique structure, where the cast also serves as the orchestra, creates an immersive, almost cinematic experience that resonates long after the final note fades.  

Special Ticket Price: $25
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at 7:30 pm

Please Call the Majestic Theater Box Office to Purchase Tickets
Majestic Theater, 131 Elm Street, West Springfield
Box Office: 413-747-7797

Tickets may also be purchased online at this special link > 

The ICC receives 50% of the ticket revenue from this preview performance.

All ticket holders will receive a 10% off coupon for the ICC’s Irish House Restaurant (food only).

The ICC invites you to a special evening with acclaimed author Kevin O’Hara, on Tuesday, August 26. Join us as he shares stories and images from his unforgettable journey across Ireland with a donkey cart – the basis for his beloved book, Last of the Donkey Pilgrims. Kevin will present a 50-minute slideshow of his travels, followed by a Q&A. This heartfelt, humorous and inspiring talk is not to be missed!

All are welcome to attend this event – whether you’re a Patron, a Book Club member or simply a fan of travel and great literature. Registration is free; to support the ICC and help offset costs, we kindly suggest a donation of $5 – $10 at the door.

PLEASE NOTE: This event is full; we cannot accommodate walk-ins. 
Please register in advance online >

Join us for this engaging evening and enjoy the company of fellow readers and travelers.
• Doors open at 5:30 pm
• Author talk with Q&A takes place from 6–7 pm
• The Trinity Pub bar will be open for purchase
• Following the talk, enjoy complimentary pizza and dessert provided by the ICC Book Club (please note there will be no restaurant food service)

About the Author
Kevin O’Hara, of Pittsfield, MA, is a longtime columnist for The Berkshire Eagle, and is the author of three acclaimed books: Last of the Donkey Pilgrims, A Lucky Irish Lad, and Ins and Outs of a Locked Ward. In 2012, Kevin was the proud recipient of the John F. Kennedy National Award, for being “an outstanding American of Irish descent.”

The Irish Cultural Center is your place to experience the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup! Join us at the Trinity Pub for watch parties of select matches during the tournament on our big screen tv. Sponsored by the Springfield Rifles Rugby Club. The Trinity Pub will be open for all matches with drinks and a limited menu.

FRIDAY • AUGUST 22
USA vs England @ 2:30 pm (LIVE)

SUNDAY • AUGUST 24
Ireland vs Japan @ 3 pm (tape delay)

SUNDAY • AUGUST 31
Ireland vs Spain @ 3 pm (tape delay)

SATURDAY • SEPTEMBER 6
USA vs Samoa @ 3 pm (tape delay)

SUNDAY • SEPTEMBER 7
Ireland vs New Zealand @ 3 pm (tape delay)

Join us in the Irish Cultural Center Book Club. We’ll enjoy good craic and delve into Irish and Irish-American literature, with guided discussion in a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere. This event is open to all.

Our meeting will take place on Thursday, August 14 from 5:30–6:30 pm at the ICC.

We are reading This Must Be The Place by Maggie O’Farrell. Participants are encouraged to arrive a few minutes early to get settled, perhaps grab a drink, mix and mingle. You are welcome to stay after at the Trinity Pub to socialize with dinner or drinks. 

To Register
The Book Club is free to join. Please register ahead so we know how many people to expect. Register online >

New! We’re always looking for ways to make the experience smoother and more enjoyable for everyone, though we’re limited by the layout and capacity of our kitchen. In addition to our regular dinner menu, we are now offering a specially priced Book Club Buffet, available as an option at registration. This buffet will be offered exclusively to Book Club attendees at $15.50 per person, plus tax and tip.

August Book Club Buffet: Baked Scrod, Chicken Piccata, Roasted Red Peppers, Vegetable Medley, Salad, Dessert.

About the Book
Daniel Sullivan leads a complicated life. A New Yorker living in the wilds of Ireland, he has children he never sees in California, a father he loathes in Brooklyn, and his wife, Claudette, is a reclusive ex–film star given to pulling a gun on anyone who ventures up their driveway. Together, they have made an idyllic life in the country, but a secret from Daniel’s past threatens to destroy their meticulously constructed and fiercely protected home. Shot through with humor and wisdom, This Must Be the Placeis an irresistible love story that crisscrosses continents and time zones as it captures an extraordinary marriage, and an unforgettable family, with wit and deep affection.

Available from several vendors online or your favorite local book shop. Or, check your local library.
• Amazon.com (new) >
• Better Worlds Books (used) >

Books for Upcoming Meetings
• September 11, 2025: Good Behaviour by Molly Keane
• October 9, 2025: Gaelic and Garlic: A Boston Love Story by Mike Bernard
• November 13, 2025: Dark Lies the Island by Kevin Barry
• December 11, 2025: Time of the Child by Niall Williams

The Irish Cultural Center of Western New England is saddened to learn of the passing of Mairead Kearney Shea, who was the last living woman from the Great Blasket Island in County Kerry, Ireland. 

Born in December 1922, Kearney Shea was the youngest of seven children of Peats Tom and Nellie Shea Kearney. She came to Springfield in the 1940s and worked as a seamstress at the former Berkshire Maid, owned by the Joseph family. She married Springfield firefighter Patrick Shea in 1960, and together they had four children – Patrick, John, Thomas, and Theresa – and seven grandchildren.

ICC President Sean Cahillane is the nephew of Kearney Shea. “My Aunt Mairead is the last of the original Blasket Island clan. My aunt and godmother, she was a woman of class and all good things. She will be greatly missed here but will be with her many Island family members in the next world. Farewell to a great lady.”

In 2023, Irish Deputy Prime Minister (Tánaiste) Micheál Martin took time out on his visit to Western Massachusetts to honor Kearney Shea in a celebration of the centennial of her life at the ICC, along with Congressman Richard Neal and U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin.

Surrounded by her loving and large family at the celebration, she was the beneficiary of many exemplary words and a plaque with photographs. The framed piece also included a stone from the Great Blasket Island.

The ICC offers sincere condolences to her family and friends here in western Massachusetts and Ireland.

The Irish Cultural Center has linked 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, on the topics of Irish history and Irish counties. On enrollment, participants will receive the Zoom link, a copy of each week’s PowerPoint presentation, and additional background materials. The courses may be taken as recordings if Thursday presents access difficulties for any reason. Participants also have a half hour one-on-one session with Sean to answer any questions on the course content.

1. History of Northern Ireland/6-Counties 1920-1937
Thursdays: July 10, 17, 24 & 31 from 7:30–9 pm.
• View course information and register >

2. History of County Fermanagh
Thursdays: July 10, 17, 24 & 31 from 6–7:30 pm.
• View course information and register >

To Enroll
The enrollment fee is $100 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 register at www.irishhistory.online.

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.

In the world of Irish literature, June 16 is a momentous day. June 16, 1904 is the day immortalized in James Joyce’s 1922 novel Ulysses, which follows Leopold Bloom’s life and thoughts throughout this single day. The festival of Bloomsday has become a beloved celebration of the novel and its characters, and special events are hosted in Ireland and throughout the world.  

The ICC was excited to launch our first annual event for Bloomsday this past June 16. The free event was open to everyone in the community. There was no need to have read Ulysses to attend; but hopefully our guests were inspired to pick up the novel again or for the first time.

We welcomed our featured speaker, Prof. Abby Bender of Sacred Heart University, to give a fascinating look at James Joyce’s epic novel. An Associate Professor of Languages and Literature at Sacred Heart University, Prof. Bender directs the Center for Irish Studies and teaches at Sacred Heart’s campus in Dingle.

Prof. Bender presented her new research and thoughts focused on “Gathering Crumbs in James Joyce’s Dublin.” She explored the case of perhaps the most insubstantial and transitory object in the novel, the crumb. James Joyce’s encyclopedic novel Ulysses is famously considered not only the greatest, but one of the most difficult books ever written. Joyce famously said, “I’ve put in so many enigmas and puzzles that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant.”

Prof. Bender followed the breadcrumbs – and sometimes, as Joyce wished, were unable to follow them – and guided attendees in finding the way, from this most insubstantial thing, to some of the novel’s big insights.

She spoke of her first time presenting at the ICC, “It was such a pleasure to talk about Ulysses with the engaged group of listeners at the ICC. So many people seemed keen to start – or restart – reading this wonderful novel! Over many years of reading it, I am always finding new sites of interest in Ulysses, and I hope these new thoughts I shared on Bloomsday, focused on at-risk children, parents, and breadcrumbs, piqued some interest. Ulysses may involve work, but it always repays the work we put into it.”

Refreshments for the event also had a Bloomsday theme. The ICC’s Trinity Pub provided light appetizers, including the novel’s famous gorgonzola sandwich that Leopold Bloom orders at Davy Byrne’s Pub. This was a popular and tasty choice among the guests.

The ICC was proud to add this new celebration of Irish culture to our programming and look forward to making this an annual event with more ways to celebrate James Joyce each year.

Prof. Bender has provided some suggestions for resources for reading Ulysses:
• Ulysses Guide >
• U22, The Centenary Ulysses Podcast >