Monaghan County Council is pleased to announce the successful completion of a delegation visit to Boston, Massachusetts as part of the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. The delegation consisted of Cathaoirleach Cllr. PJ O’Hanlon, Leas Cathaoirleach Cllr. Richard Truell, Chief Executive Robert Burns, Director of Services Olga McConnon and Museum Curator Liam Bradley.
The visit provided a significant opportunity to connect with the Monaghan diaspora, cultural institutions, community groups and business networks across Boston and the wider region. The delegation’s itinerary included the following key engagements:
Irish Pastoral Centre St. Patrick’s Celebration
This event took place in the Florian centre and was coordinated and organised by the Irish Pastoral Centre. It was attended by 400 mostly Irish Americans. The event included a mass, an Irish traditional corn beef dinner followed by music and dancing. The group met Mary Swanton, Executive Director of the centre, Fr Daniel Finn Co-founder and Pastoral support, Roisin Lee, Cultural & Development Manager, Geraldine Murphy, Student Support & Events Coordinator, among others. The group received a tour of the Irish Pastoral Centre learning that:
The Irish Pastoral Centre which is located in the heart of Adams village in Dorchester, was founded in 1987 in direct response to the large increase in Irish Immigrants in the Greater Boston area. They offer a comprehensive range of caring and culturally appropriate spiritual, family, social, legal, wellness and educational services for all ages. Honouring the continued presence of Ireland in Boston they continue the tradition of an Irish welcome in Boston for all.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Newport, Rhode Island
The Cathaoirleach and Chief Executive having received an invitation, travelled to Newport in Rhode Island to participate in the St Patrick’s Day festivities there. This included a celebration mass and marching in the parade with the Mayor of Newport.
Irish Cultural Centre, Family Fun Day, Canton
The delegation travelled to Canton to attend the family fun day in the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton. Hudi McKenna, a Clones native transported the delegation from Boston and give a tour of the Irish Cultural centre which is also the hub of GAA games and activity in the Greater Boston Area . Martina Curtin, Chair of the ICC met the delegation and provided insights into the centre. She explained the following
The centre was founded in 1989 to celebrate Irish culture and heritage in the Greater Boston Area. Partially funded by the Irish Government, the centre is one of the largest in the United States and was built mainly by Irish and Irish American volunteers. The 61-acre campus consists of four playing fields, a large patio area with a three-season marquee tent, and a main building that features offices, a performance area, function space, a resource library, and a pub restaurant. The Irish Cultural Centre is open year-round to the public and welcomes both members and non-members to appreciate the customs of Ireland through authentic food & drink, traditional Irish music, song & dance, sporting events, educational classes and more.
Monaghan Diaspora Networking Event
Monaghan County Council hosted a networking event for Monaghan diaspora and Friends of Monaghan in The Merchant, Franklin Street. The venue was chosen as it is owned by Monaghan native Kevin Treanor. More than 40 Monaghan diaspora attended the event were the delegation provided an update to the attendees on Monaghan County Council’s recent achievements, goals for 2026 and how we strive to fulfil our ambition to make out county a welcoming place to visit, to work, to invest in and to call home.
State Senator Nick Collins’ Annual St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast
This long running breakfast tradition took place in the Ironworker Local 7 Union Hall in South Boston. For over seventy years, the St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast in Boston, has served as an opportunity for cultural leaders and the community to come together in celebration of Irish heritage in Boston. Evacuation Day was also commemorated at this event.
Evacuation Day is an annual holiday celebrated on March 17, commemorating the withdrawal of British troops from Boston in 1776, which ended their eight-year occupation of the city. This event marked a significant turning point in the American Revolutionary War and was the first major victory for the Continental Army.
South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade
The delegation marched in the parade and were supported by over one million attendees. The parade began at Broadway station and ended some four miles later at Andrew Station.
MIT Campus Visit
Eamon Kearns, a Monaghan native welcomed the delegation to MIT and coordinated a tour of the campus. The tour focused on innovation, enterprise and collaboration with County Monaghan. The delegation also received an engaging lecture from Professor Phil Budden, Senior lecturer in Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management. The group completed the tour with a presentation to Eamon Kearns, who is the associate vice president of IS&T Operations.
Meeting with Maureen Pace, President of the World Trade Centre Dublin
Monaghan County Council met with Maureen Pace to discuss the World Trade Centre objectives and how Monaghan businesses could benefit from its membership. Objectives include fostering international business relationships, stimulating trade and promoting economic development. They provide essential services and networking opportunities for businesses, particularly SMEs, to access global markets, offering a prestigious, unified brand for commercial trade. The delegation extended an invitation to Maureen to visit County Monaghan which she accepted.
Irish American Partnership St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast
The delegation attended this event on the morning of St. Patrick’s day. There were a number of guest speakers at the event including the former American President Joe Biden, Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade and Minister for Defence, Helen McEntee, TD and Irish aeronautical engineer, STEM advocate and soon-to-be first Irish person in space Dr. Norah Patten.
The Irish American Partnership celebrates their 40th Anniversary this year and have raised more that $63 million for young people and communities across Ireland.