October Book Club

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, October 9 from 5:30–6:30 pm at the ICC.

We are reading Gaelic and Garlic: A Boston Love Story by Mike Bernard. 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! 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.

About the Book
Among the most overlooked ethnic problems in the country was the division between Irish and Italians. Historically two of the poorest immigrant communities, they clashed on everything from jobs to housing to politics. As rivals, both were always treated with suspicion and fear. No Italian boy would ever bring an Irish girl home to dinner, and the Irish were even less welcoming.

When East Boston’s Antonio Domenicio Riccardo Maximilianus PrestiDiGiovanni meets Charlestown-tough Margaret Katherine Philomena Coventina O’Shaughnessy (for a combined total of 39 syllables!) they have no idea how their lives are intersected. Richie and Mary Kate both live in a world where things should have been – but one simple decision changed the whole trajectory of their lives.

Gaelic and Garlic is a heartwarming and hilarious story about discovering love when you least expect it, and finding comfort in family and traditions..

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

Books for Upcoming Meetings
• November 13, 2025: Dark Lies the Island by Kevin Barry
• December 11, 2025: Time of the Child by Niall Williams