2007 News and Events
December 2007
The Eire Society of Boston was proud to share a multi-generation, Boston Irish community Christmas party with ICCUSA and the American Ireland Fund at the Parris Lounge at Ned Devine's in Boston (Photos by Karen Thornton).
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| Eire Society Members Kathleen O'Brien (top left) Cate McGrail, Treasurer (top right), Kathleen Quill (bottom left) and Barbara Quill (bottom right) | Rob Geary Eire Society guest with Eire Society members Bev Armour and John Connolly |
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| Eire Society members Jeff Flagg, Jim O'Brien and Past President Margaret Flagg |
Eire Society Members Beverly Armour and Boardmember Karen Thornton |
October 23, 2007: Kilmainham Gaol, The Irish Nation's Historic Pulse
The Eire Society of Boston sponsored an event at Jurys Hotel in Back Bay, Boston, featuring Niall Bergin, Administrator of Kilmainham Gaol Museum of Dublin, Ireland. Niall Bergin is employed by the Irish Heritage Service in the Office of Public Works, which is the Irish office responsible for protecting and maintaining Ireland’s heritage. His work in Kilmainham Gaol ranges considerably from guided tours of the Gaol to its many thousands of visitors, coordinating research, recruiting new staff and liaising with TV/Film groups and artists, all of which would like to use Kilmainham Gaol as a venue. He has worked with the museum since 1999.
Príosún Chill Mhaighneann, or Kilmainham Gaol (jail), in Dublin served as a politicalseismograph, recording many different political upheavals in Ireland, including the imprisonment and execution of many of those involved in the 1916 Easter Rising for Ireland’s independence from Britain. Niall Bergin reviewed the Gaol from its opening in 1796 to its closing in 1924. Mr. Bergin also explored the often overlooked story of the fate of the common man, woman and child held in the Gaol and the impact of the Great Famine and Convict Transportation on the Gaol.
September 2007: Eire Society Unveils Celtic Treasure of Eire at the MFAMThe Eire Society of Boston was proud to unveil a special collection of ancient, Irish-Celtic gold treasures at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston On September 13, 2007. These objects, discovered along the coast of County Cork and Donnegal, once adorned the necks of Celtic aristocracy in Ireland from the middle to late bronze age, dating back as far as 1200 B.C. The private showing featured three major artifacts, all gold armlets. These Irish treasures were purchased in 1950 through partial contributions donated by the Eire Society to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. The unveiling of the objects was conducted by Mr. David Barry, Irish Consul General to Boston. The event included an introduction by Eire Society President, Peter Beford Estes. The introduction was followed by a brief talk by Boston Irish historian Michael J.C. Neagle who shared the history of the donations of these and other objects to the Boston community by the Eire Society of Boston. Contributions mentioned include the donation of a Perry Violin to Harvard University, the commission of a Boston Pops concert at Boston Symphony Hall and oil paintings donated to Boston College High School, the Boston Public Library, the Massachusetts State House and Harvard's Fogg Art Museum. The event was followed by a hors d'oeuvre reception at Bravo Restaurant on the second floor of the MFA. The event was featured in the Boston Globe, the Boston Irish Reporter, the Boston Irish Emigrant and held a full page article in the Irish Echo Newspaper (PDF). |
 Headline image from the September 2007  Board Members Cornelia Cassidy Koutoujian |
August 2007: Eire Society of Boston Supports Irish Connections Festival
The Eire Society of Boston hosted an Open House at MJ O'Connors to welcome new and old members. The Eire Society of Boston was proud to support the Irish Connections Festival in Canton – now titled the ICONs Festival – through an Eire Society sponsored booth as one of several supporting, non-profit organizations from the Boston Irish community. The festival is a massive tribute to Irish culture in Boston and New England and draws thousands of Irish Americans every year for great Irish music, food, dance and craic.
Kevin and his son William from Mansfield visit the Eire Society booth at the
2007 Irish Connections Festival in Canton, Massachusetts.
May 2007: Eire Society of Boston Elects New Leadership for 2007-2008
The Eire Society of Boston introduced the installment of several new Officers and Board of Directors at the May 31, 2007 Annual General Meeting held at the Burns Library at Boston College. Among the newly elected Board are Glenn Bronson (below left); Connie Koutoujian; and new the Officer positions held P. Estes, President; Phil O'Brien, First Vice President (below middle); and Anna Quinn O'Brien, new Recording Secretary (below right).
Glenn Bronson, new Board of Director, Phil O'Brien, new First Vice President,
and Anna Quinn O'Brien, new Recording Secretary following the
Annual General Meeting elections at the Burns Library, Boston College.
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 The Eire Society Awards Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith with the 2007 Gold MedalThe Eire Society of Boston hosted this years Gold Medal Dinner and Award Ceremony on May 3, 2007 at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston. Celebrating our 70th year as Boston's original Irish cultural organization, the society awarded Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith who has been noted for her central role in the peace efforts in Ireland during the 1990s and for her humanitarian efforts in the United States. Ambassador Kennedy Smith played a pivotal role in the peace process in Northern Ireland that resulted in the historic Easter Agreement. In 1974 she founded Very Special Arts, a nonprofit organization which promotes the artistic talents of mentally and physically challenged children. |
The Eire Society of Boston was entertained by Irish wine broker, Michael Sherlock and Concannon Vineyard's Matt Brooks at Ned Devine's in downtown Boston on February 22nd. We reviewed three of the top Irish American wines of the west coast including those of Garretson Wines, Stephen Ross (Dooley) Vineyards and Concannon Vineyards. Mr. Brooks and Mr. Sherlock walked us through the rich history of Irish American vineyards offering Irish and Irish American wine enthusiasts an excellent overview into the exquisite world of fine wines of the American west coast.
