A new four-part series called Gaeil Bhoston for TG4, sees journalist and gaeilgeoir, Seán Mac an tSíthigh visit Boston, known as one of America’s most Irish cities.
“The series is an exploration of Irish identity in Boston,” explains Seán. “We speak to first-, second- and third-generation immigrants, and we get an idea of how they perceive their Irishness and their assimilation into American society.”
For people from west Kerry, Connemara, Donegal and the Gaeltacht areas in particular, Boston was a big destination
The series is also an exploration into key areas where the Irish dominated in Boston such as in politics, crime and healthcare. “We tell the story of the Irish in Boston through personal stories,” says Seán.
Hailing from Co Kerry, Seán has many relatives who would have travelled to Boston to start their new life. “For people from west Kerry, Connemara, Donegal and the Gaeltacht areas in particular, Boston was a big destination. It was a natural port for west Kerry people in particular, so that’s what drew my interest to Boston specifically,” said Seán.
Special connections
Given that many Irish people continued to emigrate to the USA in the 1980s and 90s, it was unsurprising to Seán that he found many fluent Irish speakers in the city such as historian Molly Hestor, a second-generation resident.
In the first episode, Seán made his way to Springfield, Massachusetts, where he met a strong west-Kerry community and Blasket Islander, Máiréad Kearney. At over 90 years of age, she is the last surviving Blasket Islander in America now.
The last surviving Blasket Islander in America, Máiréad Kearney speaks to Seán.
“It was lovely to interview her, she hadn’t been interviewed before. It was funny, her Irish was rusty, but the longer she spoke and reminisced about her time on the island, she gradually just drifted back into it and it was just the most beautiful Irish, the real eloquent, poetic Irish.”
Home background
Seán grew up west of Dingle in Baile an Fheirtéaraigh, where he was influenced to study placenames, folklore and landscape studies by his great-grandfather, Peats á tSíthigh. He graduated from University College Cork (UCC) with a master’s degree in 2001.
“Our house would have always been a house for talking, not much work, the talk was more important,” jokes Seán.
“But the Folklore Commission would have collected a lot of stories from Peats back in the 1930s and 40s.
“They would have been collecting all his lore and so on, so I would have always grown up with an interest in it from my grandparents and neighbours.”
After university, Seán worked as a heritage officer for five years before landing a job with RTÉ, somewhat by chance. RTÉ were visiting Kerry to film a show and Seán was there to lend a hand with his local knowledge and source interesting interviewees. Later, he received a phone call from the head of Nuacht and was offered a position as a video journalist.
I was covering some of the social unrest there as well as the president’s visit for Nuacht
He was trained in camera work and editing and was assigned as a reporter for the area, a role that he thoroughly enjoys. He works for both Nuacht and the RTÉ News. He has also done plenty of travelling for his job; just before Christmas this year, has was delivering news reports from Beruit in the Lebanon.
“I was covering some of the social unrest there as well as the president’s visit for Nuacht,” he says.
Last year, he travelled through the UK from the north of Scotland down to London meeting various generations of the descendants of Irish emigrants, much like his new series. “I think it’s interesting to see those who are successful and I admire the courage of those who head out into the new territory of a strange land, and to have self-belief. It’s really encouraging to see it.”
The Irish abroad
Seán speaks about how the Irish network is central to community in the UK and Boston. Although the younger generations are becoming less reliant on the network in a traditional sense, they are maintaining connections on other platforms like social media groups and societies.
“The way it worked in Dorchester, which is a very big Irish community in Boston, everyone had uncles and granduncles who could give them a start. We met two Kennedy brothers who were from my own parish and they started as labourers. They now have their own company and are very successful.”
Seán speaks to the Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh.
As Seán explores Boston, he discovers that the racism and discrimination that Irish people received during famine times still influence the mindset of the community. He also finds out that the keys to City Hall have been more often than not, been held by the Irish and even today, the Mayor of Boston is the son of Irish immigrants, Marty Walsh.
Seán also speaks with Jennifer Roberts, a woman of mixed heritage who grew up in Southie, a place that was made famous by Irish gangs and figures such as Whitey Bolger. He chats to her about her experience growing up during the controversial school ‘bussing’ crisis of the 1970s and 1980s.
Gaeil Bhoston continues every Thursday on TG4 at 8pm.
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A new four-part series called Gaeil Bhoston for TG4, sees journalist and gaeilgeoir, Seán Mac an tSíthigh visit Boston, known as one of America’s most Irish cities.
“The series is an exploration of Irish identity in Boston,” explains Seán. “We speak to first-, second- and third-generation immigrants, and we get an idea of how they perceive their Irishness and their assimilation into American society.”
For people from west Kerry, Connemara, Donegal and the Gaeltacht areas in particular, Boston was a big destination
The series is also an exploration into key areas where the Irish dominated in Boston such as in politics, crime and healthcare. “We tell the story of the Irish in Boston through personal stories,” says Seán.
Hailing from Co Kerry, Seán has many relatives who would have travelled to Boston to start their new life. “For people from west Kerry, Connemara, Donegal and the Gaeltacht areas in particular, Boston was a big destination. It was a natural port for west Kerry people in particular, so that’s what drew my interest to Boston specifically,” said Seán.
Special connections
Given that many Irish people continued to emigrate to the USA in the 1980s and 90s, it was unsurprising to Seán that he found many fluent Irish speakers in the city such as historian Molly Hestor, a second-generation resident.
In the first episode, Seán made his way to Springfield, Massachusetts, where he met a strong west-Kerry community and Blasket Islander, Máiréad Kearney. At over 90 years of age, she is the last surviving Blasket Islander in America now.
The last surviving Blasket Islander in America, Máiréad Kearney speaks to Seán.
“It was lovely to interview her, she hadn’t been interviewed before. It was funny, her Irish was rusty, but the longer she spoke and reminisced about her time on the island, she gradually just drifted back into it and it was just the most beautiful Irish, the real eloquent, poetic Irish.”
Home background
Seán grew up west of Dingle in Baile an Fheirtéaraigh, where he was influenced to study placenames, folklore and landscape studies by his great-grandfather, Peats á tSíthigh. He graduated from University College Cork (UCC) with a master’s degree in 2001.
“Our house would have always been a house for talking, not much work, the talk was more important,” jokes Seán.
“But the Folklore Commission would have collected a lot of stories from Peats back in the 1930s and 40s.
“They would have been collecting all his lore and so on, so I would have always grown up with an interest in it from my grandparents and neighbours.”
After university, Seán worked as a heritage officer for five years before landing a job with RTÉ, somewhat by chance. RTÉ were visiting Kerry to film a show and Seán was there to lend a hand with his local knowledge and source interesting interviewees. Later, he received a phone call from the head of Nuacht and was offered a position as a video journalist.
I was covering some of the social unrest there as well as the president’s visit for Nuacht
He was trained in camera work and editing and was assigned as a reporter for the area, a role that he thoroughly enjoys. He works for both Nuacht and the RTÉ News. He has also done plenty of travelling for his job; just before Christmas this year, has was delivering news reports from Beruit in the Lebanon.
“I was covering some of the social unrest there as well as the president’s visit for Nuacht,” he says.
Last year, he travelled through the UK from the north of Scotland down to London meeting various generations of the descendants of Irish emigrants, much like his new series. “I think it’s interesting to see those who are successful and I admire the courage of those who head out into the new territory of a strange land, and to have self-belief. It’s really encouraging to see it.”
The Irish abroad
Seán speaks about how the Irish network is central to community in the UK and Boston. Although the younger generations are becoming less reliant on the network in a traditional sense, they are maintaining connections on other platforms like social media groups and societies.
“The way it worked in Dorchester, which is a very big Irish community in Boston, everyone had uncles and granduncles who could give them a start. We met two Kennedy brothers who were from my own parish and they started as labourers. They now have their own company and are very successful.”
Seán speaks to the Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh.
As Seán explores Boston, he discovers that the racism and discrimination that Irish people received during famine times still influence the mindset of the community. He also finds out that the keys to City Hall have been more often than not, been held by the Irish and even today, the Mayor of Boston is the son of Irish immigrants, Marty Walsh.
Seán also speaks with Jennifer Roberts, a woman of mixed heritage who grew up in Southie, a place that was made famous by Irish gangs and figures such as Whitey Bolger. He chats to her about her experience growing up during the controversial school ‘bussing’ crisis of the 1970s and 1980s.
Gaeil Bhoston continues every Thursday on TG4 at 8pm.
Read more
Living Life: how to be good with money
Living life: Netflix and lockdown
Living Life: partners in rhyme
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