The Irish Suite was commissioned by the Eire Society of Boston for a Boston Pops concert on June 6, 1947. It was composed for orchestra, completed in June, 1947 and was conducted by Arthur Fiedler. The Irish Suite was originally called "Eire Suite" and had only four movements which were all all written in 12 days before the concert: The Irish Washerwoman; The Minstrel Boy; The Last Rose of Summer, The Rakes of Mallow. Two years later in 1949 two more movements were written: The Wearing of the Green (first performed separately on May 3) and The Girl I Left Behind Me (first performed separately on June 14) were added and the order changed. It is 18 minutes and 40 seconds long. The score was dedicated to Arthur Fiedler.

The first recording of The Irish Suite was on June 17, 1949 with Arthur Fiedler conducting the Boston Pops, in analog mono sound, with Alfred Krips, as violin soloist in The Last Rose of Summer. The Irish Suite was first recorded by the composer on October 29, 1952, with Oscar Shumsky, violin soloist, in The Last Rose of Summer, in analog mono sound.

The Irish Suite for orchestra has 6 movements:

1. The Irish Washerwoman
2. The Minstrel Boy
3. The Rakes of Mallow
4. The Wearing of the Green
5. The Last Rose of Summer
6. The Girl I Left Behind Me

The Irish Suite was first performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra, Arthur Fiedler conductor, on June 6, 1947 in Symphony Hall, Boston.

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