June 2013 Boston’s hometown VOL. 24 #6 journal of Irish culture. $1.50 Worldwide at All contents copyright © 2013 Boston Neighborhood News, Inc. bostonirish.com Atlantic Steps, which takes the stage on the final day of the Boston Irish Festival, showcases the story of Irish dance. Table is set for ICC’s Irish Festival By Sean Smith competitions, an Irish bread An Coimisiun, North American its sometimes gritty, sometimes among the cast of Atlantic Special to the BiR baking contest, children and Feis Commission and NAFC saucy, sometimes angry, always Steps, an international-touring Performances by Eileen Ivers family amusements, genealogy New England Region President loud’n proud version of Irish adaptation by Brian Cunning- & Immigrant Soul, Black 47, consultations, and appearances Pat Watkins. rock, flavored with folk as well ham of the Irish show “Fuaim and Atlantic Steps highlight by authors of books related to Kicking off the festival on as reggae, jazz, and hip-hop to Chonamara,” which chronicles this year’s Boston Irish Festival, Irish and Irish-American his- Friday evening, June 7, at 8 create an unabashed working- the story of sean-nos, Ireland’s which will take place June 7-9 tory, culture and literature. o’clock, will be Grammy win- class urban sound. Fronted by oldest dance form, portrayed at the Irish Cultural Centre of This year also will see the ner and nine-time all-Ireland lead singer, writer and guid- through the music, song, dance, New England in Canton. inaugural Boston Irish Festival fiddle champion Eileen Ivers, ing spirit Larry Kirwan, their and energy of the Connemara The traditional fiddle-accordi- Feis, a partnership with Liam whose resume includes appear- songs explore the social and region. The production will be on duo of Oisin Mac Diarmada Harney, founder and owner ances with the Boston Pops, The political, as well as the personal, staged at 2 p.m. on Sunday, and Seamus Begley and Celtic- of the Walpole-based Harney Chieftains, Sting, and Paula whether musing on the tragedy June 9. pop Canadian band Searson also Academy of Irish Dance. The Cole, and stints with Cherish of Michael Collins, expressing Oisin Mac Diarmada and are on the bill. Irish dance competition will the Ladies and “Riverdance.” outrage over the Iraq War and Seamus Begley are members In addition, the annual festi- take place on five stages all Ivers will be performing with the world financial crisis, or of Téada, one of the best tra- val will include its customary day on Sat., June 8, beginning her Immigrant Soul ensemble, recounting the craziest wedding ditional bands to emerge from roster of local and regional at 8:30 a.m. Participants of a blending of Celtic, pop and ever. Black 47 will play at the Ireland this century, and are music and dance acts, as well all ages and experience levels world music instruments and festival on Saturday at a time acclaimed musicians in their as various events and activi- are welcome. The Boston Irish influences. to be announced. own right. They will appear at ties, among them a 5K road Festival Feis is registered, sanc- For almost 25 years, New Boston-area dancers Kieran 11 a.m. on June 8. race, Irish football and hurling tioned and governed by rules of York City’s Black 47 has played Jordan and Jackie O’Riley are (Continued on page 11) Renaissance man: Seeing to an uncle’s Suffolk’s McCarthy memorial by the sea If they handed out frequent On Jan. 25, 1917, the passenger ship SS Laurentic, car- flier miles for an extended re- rying 475 passengers and crew, and 43 tons of gold ingots, sume, Jim McCarthy would was maneuvering in Ireland’s Lough Swilley, a glacial fjord fly free, first class, the rest in County Donegal between the Inishowen and the Fanad of his life. Instead, the presi- peninsulas, when it struck two German mines. It sank in dent of Suffolk University is less than one hour, and 354 souls perished. flying high in the academic In late May, the Boston philanthropist John Cullinane world. To say that he is a made an emotional voyage to Donegal to visit the site of Renaissance man in a time the sinking those many years ago. It was a trip he had long of multiple challenges is to hoped to make to pay a memorial tribute to an uncle he never Emotional Return: From left, Irish News editor Noel Doran, Frank Costello, Irish American businessman John J. Cul- say that Isaac Newton could knew, Walter Fitzgerald, a Royal Navy seaman who went linane, and Irish News chairman Jim Fitzpatrick outside the count. down with his ship that day. newspaper’s offices in Donegall Street, Belfast. See Publisher’s Notes, Page 4 Hugh Russell photo Profile, Page 8 When you need a mortgage... Your dream home... you need Mt. Washington Bank. We’ve made our home nancing process so smooth, our applications is in the palm of your hand so easy and our turnaround so quick, the only think you need to worry about is what mover to hire. 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Thankfor youryou for vote your andvote andsupport. support. “Landfall,” Lithograph by John Skelton (1924-2009) Matted and framed in custom moulding measuring 29” x 22” $195 Art of Ireland 229 Lincoln Street (Rt. 3A) Hingham, Massachusetts, 02043 781-749-0555 Hours: Tues. - Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Sunday noon - 5:00 pm Paid for and authorized by the Committee to Elect Linda Dorcena Forry email: [email protected] Vianka Perez Belyea, Treasurer • Carline M. Durocher, Chair www.aisling-gallery.com Worldwide at www.bostonirish.com June 2013 BOSTON IRISH REPORTER Page 3 Dorchester Rep. Dorcena Forry to take a seat in the State Senate By BiR Staff by her son Conor, who stayed State Rep. Linda Dorcena close to his mother, bashfully Forry coasted to a win on May hiding behind her for most of 28 in a special election to fill a her speech. vacancy in the Massachusetts Dorcena Forry gave a shout- state Senate’s First Suffolk out to the 12th Suffolk District District. A Haitian-American, voters who have been her con- Dorcena Forry will take a seat stituents since 2005 when she in the 40-member Senate that entered the Legislature as a has long been held by Irish- representative. “I will now carry State Senator-elect Linda Dorcena Forry spoke during her victory party on May 28 in Lower American men, such as William our work to the state Senate and Mills. At right are her 99-year-old grandmother, Marianne Mathurin, and her mother Annie Bulger, Stephen Lynch, and I cannot wait to get started,” Dorcena. Photo by Mike Deehan she said. Jack Hart. side polling locations, often next For his part, Ureneck held lins the election. conceded to Dorcena Forry. Dorcena Forry, a Dorchester In the counts from various to signature-gatherers seeking his Election Night party at the It took an overnight, but Democrat defeated Joseph Ure- bellwether precincts, Collins won voters who could sign mayoral Blarney Stone in Fields Corner. Collins elected not to pursue a neck, a Dorchester Republican, Florian Hall, 647 votes to 376 nomination papers. “It was quite a funereal event,” recount, issuing a statement of on an Election Day that was votes, according to the unofficial At one point, all three contend- he quipped during a phone inter- concession. marked by low turnout in the dis- tally. But at a double-precinct at ers converged on Florian Hall, view the next morning. He said The electoral back and forth trict, which includes Dorchester, the Chittick School, which has home to two crucial Dorchester he hoped Dorcena Forry would on Tuesday night made for some South Boston, Mattapan, and a become a major location on the precincts, to greet voters. take a look at some of the fathers’ jittery moments, although the portion of Hyde Park. Mattapan/Hyde Park line and Dorcena Forry was elected to rights issues he concentrated on Dorcena Forry camp says it According to the unofficial a leading indicator for perfor- the state House of Representa- during the campaign. never got truly rattled, knowing tally of all 77 precincts on the mance in communities of color, tives in a 2005 special election to “I hope she’ll take them to that its figures pointing to a win city’s Elections Department’s Dorcena Forry won, 714 votes to replace Rep. Thomas Finneran, heart and take a look at it and in the end were on target. website, Dorcena Forry piled Collins’s 50. Dorcena Forry also a Mattapan Democrat and either get rid of these laws or The candidate entered her up 7,858 votes, or just under won the double precinct at the the speaker of the House.