House of Hamill

The ICC invites you to an afternoon of indie Irish fiddle and folk music with the trio House of Hamill – Brian Buchanan, Rose Baldino, and Caroline Browning. Their dynamic performances have been extremely popular in their many years of playing for the ICC, and include original instrumentals, reimagined folk ballads, and original songs that showcase the trio’s versatility.

House of Hamill performs on Sunday, November 17 at 3:00 pm at the ICC’s Irish House Restaurant and Trinity Pub. Doors open at 1:30 pm. Food and drinks will be available for purchase (not included in ticket cost). Guests are encouraged to arrive early if ordering food.

Purchase tickets online or call the ICC 413-342-4358. Tickets are $23 for current ICC Patrons, and $28 for the general public.

The main room is sold out – tickets are still available for our rear Celtic Room for $20/ICC Patrons and $25/general. The room has an obstructed view of the show when seated; the music can still be heard and guests may stand in the main room during the show.

This show will sell out! Online sales end at 8 am on November 17.

This is a seated show. Seating location is first come, first served. Seating includes tables with regular chairs and taller bistro-style, and the bar. Please let us know if accessible seating is required.

Purchase tickets online
About House of Hamill
Pennsylvania-based House of Hamill was created by Brian Buchanan and Rose Baldino, with bassist Caroline Browning joining four years later. The trio is a fixture on festival stages across the US, and have shared their music and stories on premier folk stages throughout the country and beyond. Whether they’re ripping through a set of original jigs and reels, adding lush three-part harmonies into traditional folk ballads, or cracking up an audience with stories from the road, House of Hamill puts on a show that captivates audiences from the very first note. All three members also play with Enter the Haggis.

Listen to their latest album “Wildfire” now >
Video > “The Bully of Skidmore Town”
Video > “Shine”

Presenting Sponsors
Westfield Bank, Freedom Credit Union, PeoplesBank. Thanks to our Business Sponsors >

All sales are final. Refunds are given ONLY in the event of cancellation by performers.

Jokes My Irish Father Told Me

Come join in the fun, as comedian Dave Kane brings you a laugh filled presentation of jokes, one liners and stories that celebrate the warmth and resilience of the Irish sense of humor. Don’t miss this delightfully entertaining one man show, from the creator of the sold-out hit Misgivings last year!

The show takes place on Thursday, August 22 at 5:30 pm at the Irish House Restaurant and Trinity Pub. Doors open at 4:00 pm. Food and drinks will be available for purchase (not included in ticket cost). Guests are encouraged to arrive early if ordering food.

Tickets are $25 for ICC Patrons / $30 for the general public. Get your tickets online or call 413-342-4358.

Get tickets online - click here
Table seating location is first come, first served. Seating includes tables with regular chairs and taller bistro-style. Please let us know if accessible seating is required.

Tickets are non-refundable. 

Presenting Sponsors
Westfield Bank, Freedom Credit Union, PeoplesBank. Thanks to our Business Sponsors.

On June 29, 2024 the ICC hosted a special Patron Reception to celebrate our 25th anniversary. Thank you to our dedicated Patrons, board members past and present, and founders who came to celebrate the growth and future of the Irish Cultural Center of Western New England! The Cassin Academy of Irish Dance and The Stout Porters provided great entertainment.

See more photos in our Facebook gallery >
25th Anniversary Patron Celebration

Join us in the Irish Cultural Center Book Club. We’ll enjoy good craic and delve into Irish and Irish-American literature, with guided discussion in a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere. This event is open to all.

Our meeting will take place on Thursday, August 8 from 5:30–6:30 pm at the ICC. 

We are reading We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange. Participants are encouraged to arrive a few minutes early to get settled, perhaps grab a drink, mix and mingle. You are welcome to stay after at the Trinity Pub to socialize with dinner or drinks. 

To Register
The Book Club is free to join. Please register ahead so we know how many people to expect. Register online >

We Are the BrennansAbout the Book
When twenty-nine-year-old Sunday Brennan wakes up in a Los Angeles hospital, bruised and battered after a drunk driving accident she caused, she swallows her pride and goes home to her family in New York. But it’s not easy. She deserted them all―and her high school sweetheart―five years before with little explanation, and they’ve got questions.

Sunday is determined to rebuild her life back on the east coast, even if it does mean tiptoeing around resentful brothers and an ex-fiancé. The longer she stays, however, the more she realizes they need her just as much as she needs them. When a dangerous man from her past brings her family’s pub business to the brink of financial ruin, the only way to protect them is to upend all their secrets―secrets that have damaged the family for generations and will threaten everything they know about their lives. In the aftermath, the Brennan family is forced to confront painful mistakes―and ultimately find a way forward, together. (text from Amazon)

Available from several vendors online or your favorite local book shop. Or, check your local library.
• Amazon.com (new) >
• Better Worlds Books (used) >

Books for Upcoming Meetings
September 12: Northern Spy by Flynn Berry
October 19 (Saturday at 1 pm): Nora by Nuala O’Connor – Special Book Club Presentation with author via Zoom

Are you interested in applying for an Irish passport? Learn more about how to apply, what is required, and frequently asked questions at the following links from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs. 

Passport Online is the only way to apply for your or your child’s passport or passport card. This secure and convenient service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on a smartphone, tablet or personal computer. Applications will be processed within the current turnaround times. Processing will only begin once all documents are received.

Passports >

First-Time Passport Application >

Frequently Asked Questions >

Irish Citizenship >

Chef Anthony PadillaChef Anthony Padilla has been adding his talents to the Irish House Restaurant since January 2024, fine tuning our menu offerings, and is a perfect fit to grow into our soon to be expanded banquet facility and Community Performance Center. Anthony graduated from Branford Hall Career Institute in Springfield in 2011. He decided to work locally as a chef throughout the Pioneer Valley to continue to broaden and fine tune his skills. Learning from more experienced and skilled chefs allowed him to take on the position of executive chef at Tekoa Country Club and then Dewey’s Jazz Lounge. Anthony loves to explore unique flavors and learn new cuisine combinations. He has a side passion for molecular gastronomy and enjoys incorporating his ongoing hobby into his menus.

Ireland 101

Join us at the ICC for Ireland 101 – A Summary of Irish History presented by historian Sean Murphy on Saturday, June 1 from 3–4:30 pm. Doors open at 2:30 pm. Sean leads us through a crash course on the entirety of Irish history, beginning 430 million years ago when three super-continents collided and separated, forming the landmass of Ireland, and continuing through the years to present day.

A number of topics are covered, including:
• What characteristics Ireland has had over millions of years
• How and when Ireland moved across the equator to where it is today
• When people arrived in Ireland and what we know about them
• Who were the Gaels
• How and why Ireland became Christianized
• When and why the Vikings invaded
• When and why the Normans made their conquest of Ireland
• How the Tudor and Cromwellian conquests affected the Ireland of today
• Why there was a Great Hunger/Famine in the 1840’s
• How the struggle for national independence evolved

The presentation takes place in the main room of the Irish House Restaurant and Trinity Pub. The bar will be open for drink orders.

Sean Murphy was born in Dublin and now lives on Cape Cod. He has a passion for his homeland and loves to share his knowledge and interest about his heritage through classes, workshops and conversation. He is a teacher of Irish history, music, and dance. Over the past twelve years he has taught courses at the Irish Cultural Center of New England in Canton, Cape Cod Sons of Erin, Cape Cod Cultural Center, the Cotuit Center for the Arts, and at venues on Nantucket. He leads a traditional Irish music session in O’Shea’s Olde Inne in West Dennis. He speaks on Irish cultural and historic issues at libraries, and at private and community events across the Cape and beyond.

Join us in the Irish Cultural Center Book Club. We’ll enjoy good craic and delve into Irish and Irish-American literature, with guided discussion in a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere. This event is open to all.

Our meeting will take place on Thursday, June 13 from 5:30–6:30 pm at the ICC. 

We are reading In The Woods by Tana French. Participants are encouraged to arrive a few minutes early to get settled, perhaps grab a drink, mix and mingle. You are welcome to stay after at the Trinity Pub to socialize with dinner or drinks. 

To Register
The Book Club is free to join. Please register ahead so we know how many people to expect. Register online >

In The WoodsAbout In The Woods 
As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children gripping a tree trunk in terror and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.

Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad. But when a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox—his partner and closest friend—find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past. (text from Amazon)

Available from several vendors online or your favorite local book shop. Or, check your local library.
Amazon.com (new) >
Better Worlds Books (used) >

Books for Upcoming Meetings
July: Summer Hiatus (no meeting)
August 8: We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange
September 12: Northern Spy by Flynn Berry
October 19 (Saturday at 1 pm): Nora by Nuala O’Connor – Special Book Club Presentation with author via Zoom

The Irish Cultural Center has linked up with Irish historian, Sean Murphy, to introduce our community to live, weekly online Irish history courses. Sean presents two monthly topics, divided into four-week modules. On enrollment, participants will receive the Zoom link, a copy of each week’s PowerPoint presentation, and additional background materials. The courses may be taken as recordings if Thursday presents access difficulties for any reason. Participants also have a half hour one-on-one session with Sean to answer any questions on the course content.

*June special offer for NEW enrollees – the two courses for the price of one!*

The first topic is a general history of Ireland from ancient times to the present day. The course module for June 2024 is The Confederate Wars and Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland. Takes place on Thursdays, June 6, 13, 20 & 27 from 7:30–9:00 pm. Download course flyer >

The second topic is a general history of each of the thirty two counties in Ireland. Featured in June 2024 is County Sligo. Takes place on Thursdays, June 6, 13, 20 & 27 from 6:00–7:30 pm. Download course flyer >

To Enroll
The enrollment fee is $100 for each four-week course. Please contact Sean directly for information or to enroll in his course(s) – send an email to seanmurphy630@gmail.com or register at www.irishhistory.online.

About Sean Murphy
Sean Murphy was born in Dublin and came to live on Cape Cod in 2005. He has a passion for his homeland and loves to share his knowledge and interest about his heritage through classes, workshops and conversation. He is a teacher of Irish history, music, and dance.

The Beveridge Family Foundation has awarded the Irish Cultural Center of Western New England (ICCWNE) a $35,000 grant in support of creating a Community Performance Center at the ICCWNE’s Morgan Road facility.

The grant will support the ICCWNE’s $2 million Capstone Campaign. Funds from the Capstone Campaign will be used to complete the Community Performance Center, which will serve the needs of the greater region for concerts, events, meetings, and private functions. Notably, the Community Performance Center will provide a home for local, regional, national, and international performance groups, making it a full-scale regional base for Irish heritage and culture as well as a center for cross-cultural collaboration. The space will be able to house performances by major Irish cultural groups, such as Dublin’s Abbey Theatre, as well as regional performers of all ages.

“We are thrilled to see our campaign continue to gain traction and momentum,” Chair of both the Board of Directors and the Capstone Campaign, Sean Cahillane said. “We are thankful for this generous support from the Beveridge Family Foundation and are eager to complete work on the Community Performance Center so we can invite the community to enjoy it.”

“The Beveridge Family Foundation is pleased to support the Irish Cultural Center of Western New England in this endeavor that will serve Hampshire and Hampden Counties and improve the quality of educational and arts opportunities in the region,” said Ward Caswell, President of The Beveridge Family Foundation. “An important part of the Foundation’s mission is to preserve and enhance regional quality of life and we are impressed with the ICCWNE’s plan. This project will add substantially to our region’s cultural offerings for many years to come.”

Formerly the home of the Elks Lodge, the facility had been vacant for five years prior to the ICCWNE taking possession of it through a partnership with the City of West Springfield. Improvements have included developing a vibrant, Irish country-style restaurant, pub and meeting and gathering place for the community. It includes 11,500 square feet of space on four floors. The facility has become the ideal setting and home for the Irish Cultural Center, which was established in 1999.

West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt, also a Capstone Campaign Steering Committee member, said that while the ICC is already a vibrant gathering spot the Community Performance Center will expand impact on residents and visitors alike.“We are grateful to The Beveridge Family Foundation for their support of the Capstone Campaign,” Reichelt said. “The Center has become a cultural crossroads for West Side, and I urge others to join the Campaign so that we can leverage the Beveridge Foundation’s support for the Community Performance Center.”