Worcester, Clark University
WORCESTER GOES GREEN
Worcester's proud Irish community is front and center for Irish Heritage Month in March, as annual St. Patrick's Day celebrations bring out the marching bands, bagpipers and step dancers, along with live music and dance performances, community theater, dining specials and plenty of conviviality!
Monique Joseph, the president of Discover Central Massachusetts, describes the region as "a vibrant destination where the arts, history and community events create a rich, inclusive tapestry for visitors and locals alike."
Worcester's Irish roots go back to the 18th century, when a group of sturdy Ulster Presbyterians from the north of Ireland arrived here in 1718. A century later, on July 4, 1826, a new wave of Irish laborers came to construct Worcester's canals, roadways and railways. The Irish famine of the 1840s brought even more Irish to Central Massachusetts, and by 1850 Sullivan was the most common name in Worcester.
Today, those strong Irish roots are still evident in Worcester County, as 17.5% of all residents claim Irish ancestry, according to the US Census Community report, issued in September 2023.
"Irish culture is such a huge part of Worcester's identity," according to Worcester Radio, which recently interviewed Erin Zamarro about this year's 42nd Annual Worcester County St. Patrick's Day Parade on Sunday, March 10, starting at noon.
Zamarro, in her second year as parade chairperson, oversees some 50 volunteers who plan out the parade, invite participants and raise between $50-70,000 each year to stage the event.
"We're a non-profit group," Zamarro says proudly, "so funds we raise are put into the parade or donated to local programs," including the Shriners, whose presence helps raise funds for Shriner Hospital, and also marching bands, dance academies and bagpipers.
The two-mile parade begins at Mill Street and Park Avenue, ends at Highland Street and is free and open to the public. See Parade Map here.
This year's Grand Marshal is Richard Smalley and the Mayor of Parade is Tammy Bailey. Leo Quinn, one of the early founders of the parade, is operations manager. Bud Sargent, popular radio host of the "Four Green Fields" program on WCUW 93.1 for four decades, is a live commentator on Spectrum Local News during the parade.
One of the parade's biggest advocates is President & CEO of Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce Tim Murray, who was grand marshal of the 2007 parade. A Worcester native with strong local roots in the community, Murray served three terms as the city's mayor and was Lt. Governor of Massachusetts during the Patrick Administration. He still marches each year with family and friends as well as a group of former grand marshals.
"As demographics and immigrant pattern change in Worcester," Murray says, "the parade celebrates Irish culture, tradition and heritage and is also a tip of the cap to immigrant communities that have arrived over the years and more recently. The Irish have a story for other immigrants to emulate."
Murray says Worcester wouldn't be what it is today without Tipperary immigrant Tobias Boland and the Irish navies he brought down from the Eire Canal project to build the Blackstone Canal in the 1820s. The waterway connected Worcester to Providence, RI, and became a crucial transportation route for farms and other businesses moving their products inland to the ocean. "The Canal was the state-of-the-art transportation infrastructure project at the time, and it set the stage" for Worcester's growth as New England's second largest city after Boston, he says.
A monument to the Canal Builders, pictured, created by sculptor Robert Shure, was unveiled in the city's Canal District in June 2023, showing Tobias pointing his hand toward the future.
Music, Singing and Dancing
There are plenty of Irish and Celtic concerts and dances, theater and social gatherings in March as well. The exquisite and historic Hanover Theatre on Southbridge Steet in Worcester presents the legendary Cape Breton fiddle duo of Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy on March 9.
Enter here for a chance to win free tix to the concert!
The cozy Fiddlers' Green Pub at the Hibernian Cultural Centre on Temple Street has live music year round, including Sunday afternoon traditional sessions with local musicians and singers. The Centre presents Irish ballad band Derek Warfield and the Young Wolftones on Friday, March 8, featuring Worcester's own Brendan Keenan. On Saturday, March 9, the Druids perform, direct from Ireland.
As part of Women's History Month, Worcester Historical Museum presents "Nellie: The Musical," recounting the exciting life of Irish-American journalist Nellie Bly, on Feb 29, March 1, 7 & 8.
In Boylston, MA, Calliope Performance Center presents "Dancing at Lughnasa" by noted Irish playwright Brian Friel, on March 7-10 and 15-17. Set in Donegal in the 1930s, it won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Play of the Year.
Corned Beef & Cabbage
O'Connor's Restaurant and Bar on West Boylston Street has been an epicenter of Irish hospitality and dining since 1989, when newly arrived Irish immigrants Brendan and Claire O'Connor opened in Worcester. Since then, O'Connor's has won the #1 Irish Pub of Massachusetts award from Taste of Massachusetts and other local awards for its amazing food, drink and friendly service as well as community involvement. A hugely popular meal this time of year is O'Connor's prized corned beef and cabbage dinner, being served from March 7-14. And its "Shannon Bar" has an array of craft draft beers and an eclectic selection of wines and spirits from around the world.
Other local Irish places include Quinn's Pub and Moynagh's Pub, Worcester's oldest tavern.
For visitors seeking authentic products from Ireland, check out Erin Gift Store at Worcester Public Market in Kelley Square, a popular retail clothing & gift store.
Local officials say the Irish community is just one of the vibrant ethnic communities flourishing in Worcester County today.
"Central Massachusetts is proud of the variety of activities and organizations that highlight the unique cultures of our dynamic region," says Monique Joseph of Discover Central MA, who invites visitors to take "a memorable journey through the Heart of Massachusetts's cultural landscape."
Central Massachusetts has an abundance of budget-friendly hotels, restaurants, breweries, cultural attractions, and historical landmarks, ensuring a wealth of activities for those visiting for the parade or music.
For more information on exploring Worcester and Central Massachusetts throughout the year, visit discovercentralma.org or follow on Facebook / Instagram.