See Boston Irish Landmarks
on The Irish Heritage Trail
When we heard about the Boston Irish Heritage Trail, we knew these Irish landmarks were something that we had to check out. Coming from Irish descent, we are very enthusiastic in learning the history of our Irish brothers and sisters, so that the past is never forgotten but always honored. The Irish heritage given to Boston by Irish Americans is evident throughout the city. The Boston Irish Tourism Association has put together a very nice walking tour known as the Irish Heritage Trail.
With thirty sites throughout Boston, the journey will take you through more than three hundred years of Irish history in the area. Parks and plaques, cemeteries and memorials are just a small part of what you will see. The tour starts at Washington and School Streets near the subway stops for Downtown Crossing and Government Center. The three-mile excursion will take you through downtown and different neighborhoods so that you can enjoy the most out of the experience. Artisans, heroes and legends are honored through a timeline of 1700 to present day America. Two sections can be visited: downtown Boston and Back Bay and/or Boston neighborhoods that have over fifty landmarks.
Parts of the Boston Irish heritage will be found as you meander through Rose Kennedy Garden, named for a very influential woman in her own right, as well as being the mother to John F. Kennedy. The Kevin White Statue introduces the visitor to the 45th mayor of Boston who did so much to help elevate Boston as a whole. James Michael Curley was the Purple Shamrock and Rascal King. A legend in politics, he was featured as the character for The Last Hurrah.
The Irish Famine Memorial is very powerful to see, and gives you a sense of the pain and despair which was caused by the famine.
Over at Rest Haven Cemetery, cemetery plots will show you how prolific the Irish were in the formation of our country. You will find many from Irish heritage buried at Deer Island in a few hundred graves there. Most of these were detainees that came from Ireland during the famine, already sick and needing to be quarantined. These people wouldn't make onto the main shore, they would die here, trying to reach their Promise Land.
The Irish Heritage Trail is a self-guided walk through downtown Boston and Back Bay. You can pick up a copy of the map at the Boston Common Visitor Center, and the Prudential Center Visitor Information Center.
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