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March 23 , 2023
Dear Members,
What a fabulous March it has been thus far!
It was a delight to open the doors on March 10 to our Interpretive Center — in the first phase of its "refresh," thanks to the generosity of our members — to celebrate the 46th Newport Irish Heritage Month. Our two Trolley Tours of Irish Newport on March 18 were again sold- out, and we are grateful to Viking Tours of Newport for generously donating the trolley. The March 5 and March 19 tours of the Barney Street Cemetery were well attended and well received, and the weather cooperated.
We're on the home stretch of Irish Heritage Month, but remain busy with activities this weekend and next week:
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Our Lower Thames Street Interpretive Center will be open for three final days this month: Fri. Mar. 24 through Sun. Mar. 26 (we'll reopen Memorial Day Weekend for the 2023 Season).
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A beloved, flagship event of Newport Irish Heritage Month, "Dancing at the Forty Steps," takes place Sun. Mar. 26 at 3:00 p.m. Scroll down for details.
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Last, but not least, the final talk of our 2022-2023 Lecture Series will be presented on March 29 at 6:00 p.m. at the Wyndham Newport Hotel and via Zoom. We are planning for a wonderful crowd for Mike Slein's much-anticipated talk! Scroll down for details and please make your reservation if you have not already. Many thanks to longtime member, Frank Furtado, for generously sponsoring this lecture in memory of his wife, Barbara Carr Furtado.
- Scroll down for several other news items and fun photos we hope you will enjoy.
Hope to see many of you as we close out a most successful Newport Irish Heritage Month!
Sláinte,
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"DANCING AT THE FORTY STEPS" | |
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It looks as though we'll have some "Luck of the Irish" and enjoy favorable weather on Sun. March 26 for this much-loved, family-friendly community event. The outdoor gathering is held weather-permitting, and updates will be posted on our Facebook page and on this webpage: https://newportirishhistory.org/events-calendar/dancing-at-the-forty-steps/
Learn more about this commemorative event and view videos of recent past "Dancing at the Forty Steps" gatherings by visiting the above webpage.
Questions? Please contact event coordinator, Rick O'Neill at
(401) 374-5698 or riconeill@cox.net
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FINAL TALK OF OUR 2022-2023 SERIES | |
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Fifth and Final Program of the 2022-2023 Series
~ Our 21st Annual ~
Made possible by a generous gift from
Frank Furtado in memory of Barbara Carr Furtado
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Mike Slein is the immediate past president of the board of directors of the Museum of Newport Irish History and served in that position for eight years. His final project prior to turning over the Museum reigns to Deanna Conheeny was to develop three self-guided walking tours of “Irish Newport,” which are available as a set of three brochures. Each stroll is approximately 90 minutes in length, covering one to three miles, and was designed to highlight the presence and impact of the Irish in building our great city of Newport.
This illustrated presentation will borrow stops from each of the three walks which share common themes and show connections between Ireland, Irish culture, and Newport history and its people.
Mike’s presentation is inspired by his abiding love of Ireland, its people and its culture, honed by more than twenty extended stays in the “old sod.” He has toured every county, from one-night stops on perimeter circumnavigation trips to month-long stays in country homes with family and friends. His appreciation and love of Newport, its history and its people are as deep as its Irish roots are at the heart. The personal connections between Newport and Ireland are many and deserve recognition.
The walking tours, a “virtual” version of which you will enjoy from the comfort of your chair, are a fine complement to the story told at the Museum’s Interpretive Center on Lower Thames Street. The Center spotlights the Irish immigrant working class who overcame 19th-century prejudices and persecution, and through their hard work, built the City of Newport and its surrounding towns. The walking tours are a confluence of both the working class and the wealthy, influential Irish who contributed to so many of the prominent buildings and institutions throughout our city.
Mike hopes that these tours will remain living documents that may grow and evolve as people provide ideas and additional sites for inclusion. Copies of each of the three tour brochures will be offered to each in-person attendee of this special presentation.
(To read Mike's fascinating bio, please click the above photo)
Photo by Jennifer Carter
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Reservations required. Click a link below to sign up.
In-person guests at the lecture and reception to follow are asked for a $5 per person fee/donation. No fee to participate via Zoom.
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Volunteer Spotlight: St. Mary's Cemetery | |
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We talked, above, about the new tour of St. Mary's Cemetery that is being offered in March and April and, hopefully, in other months, based on the enthusiastic response we've received via tour reservations. We are grateful to a number of folks for making this important new initiative possible:
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Emeritus Board Member, Patrick F. Murphy, for having the vision to create, over many years, an amazing database of deceased Newporters of Irish heritage using information from St. Mary's Cemetery gravestones and old newspaper obituaries. This information is now stored on a computer at our Interpretive Center and is a resource for us as we carry out an important aspect of our Mission: to facilitate research on (local) Irish history and heritage.
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Board member, researcher and "guide extraordinaire," Steve Marino, for enthusiastically agreeing to develop a tour of St. Mary's and begin to bring to life the stories of some of those buried there.
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Board member, Jack McCormack and his hard-working and hearty crew of volunteers who signed on to spend a few hours tidying up the St. Mary's Cemetery on March 19 to ensure the place is ready for its first tour. As you can see by these photos, they filled a dumpster with overgrowth, fallen tree branches, tree stumps, and more
THANK YOU ALL!
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Above photo (left to right): Ben Smith, Larry Davis, Dan TItus, Tim Shea, Scot Lemieux.
Mar. 19 volunteers not pictured: Larry Bartley, Deanna Conheeny, Chris Jones, Kathy Kearns,
Jack McCormack, and Rob, Emily & Max McCormack.
Photos by: Jack McCormack
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Museum Participates in R.I. Heritage Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony | |
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February 26, 2023 marked the 26th induction ceremony for the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame, which took place at the organization's new headquarters, in East Providence. Fifteen notable Rhode Islanders were added to the Hall of Fame, including Thomas Hamilton Murray (d. 1908), a founder of the American Irish Historical Society.
Dr. Patrick T. Conley, J.D., PhD., the president of the Hall of Fame, asked the Museum of Newport Irish History to accept the award for this learned historian of Irish America. Our board member,
Dr. John Quinn, accepted the award for Thomas Hamilton on behalf of the Museum. The award plaque and citation is now on display at the Museum's Interpretive Center.
The Hall of Fame honors the achievements of its inductees and their contributions to the development of Rhode Island, America and beyond. Inductees have included many of Irish descent. To learn more, please visit the Hall of Fame website: https://riheritagehalloffame.com/
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Left: John Quinn addresses the audience.
Right: Patrick Conley with John Quinn, who holds the award for Thomas Hamilton Murray.
Photos courtesy of the R.I. Heritage Hall of Fame
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Irish Immigrants in Jamestown | |
We are pleased to share this article from the March 16, 2023, Jamestown Press: '"Irish immigrants were prolific following Great Depression," co-authored by Rosemary Enright, one of our newest members, who joined this month. This story of one Irish immigrant family who chose Jamestown as their home is certainly one many can relate to. Click the below photo to open and read the article. We hope you enjoy the article! | |
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For our members from afar, the town of Jamestown is located on Conanicut Island, just over the bridge from Newport, and it is one of Newport County's five towns (plus the City of Newport). There are 17 Museum members of record who reside in Jamestown,
including a member of our board of directors, Jack McCormack.
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LAST BUT NOT LEAST:
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL SEASON IS HERE
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As March 31 marks the end of the Museum's current Fiscal Year, the month of March also kicks off Membership Renewal Season. Nearly 70% of our memberships are Annual Membership (vs. Life), and these are due for renewal at this time of the year. The annual fee for an Individual membership remains $20, and a Family/Household membership $30 (applies to all those living at the same address).
Please, help us defray printing and postage expense by taking a moment to RENEW NOW online, by clicking the "Membership Renewal" button at the bottom of this e-newsletter.
If you prefer to pay by check, please send payable to "MNIH" with "Membership" in the Memo line to us at PO Box 1378, Newport, RI, 02840
If you are not sure of your membership status, please email Ann at tpm1@earthlink.net before making a payment and she'll get right back to you.
Note:
Please do not send payments or other correspondence to our seasonal Thames Street Interpretive Center address. Thank you!
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Museum of Newport Irish History
Established 1996
a 501c3 non-profit organization
Mailing Address:
PO Box 1378, Newport, RI 02840
Interpretive Center:
648 Lower Thames Street, Newport RI 02840
Email: NewportIrishHistory@gmail.com
Click Here for Museum Board of Directors Contact Info. and list of deceased board members, fondly remembered.
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The MISSION of the Museum of Newport Irish History is to tell the story of the Irish immigrants and their descendants in Newport County and the surrounding area from the colonial era to the present. It also seeks to preserve artifacts and mementos relating to their experiences and facilitate
research on Irish history and heritage.
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