AMHERST — An Amherst organization dedicated to promoting Irish culture, history, language and politics through various events, including giving an annual award named in honor of an Irish native who served as a maid for Emily Dickinson’s family for 30 years, is closing out its work.
The Amherst Irish Association/Cumann Gaelach Amherst announced in correspondence to its members this week that its schedule of activities this fall, including an event each month, will be its last offering.
Among the final activities will include handing out the Margaret Maher Award Oct. 22 to Leah Wing, a faculty member in the legal studies program in the University of Massachusetts political science department who has also done 20 years of work with communities in Northern Ireland.
“From the outset, the founders committed themselves to 10 years of work with the organization,” reads the letter that is addressed to “A Chairde/Dear Friends.” “Our aim was to present events exploring aspects of Ireland’s history, culture and society, to counter the negative association to Ireland and matters Irish resulting from the drunken student riots in the town of Amherst around St. Patrick’s Day in 2014 (“Blarney Blowout”), since reports of those riots were carried on national news bulletins in the USA and Ireland.”
In 2015, Amherst’s then Select Board, proclaimed Feb. 1 as Amherst Irish Day, coinciding with Brigid’s Day, or La le Bhride. At the same time, the members acknowledged that it was unfortunate that heavy drinking had become associated with St. Patrick’s Day.
The association has presented 63 events over the years, using the hashtag #BeyondBlarney in the formative years.
The main sponsor has been Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs’ Emigrant Support Program, managed by the Boston Consulate team, including former Consuls General Breandán Ó Caollaí and Fionnuala Quinlan, as well as Laoise Moore, who visited Amherst to present the Margaret Maher Award.
“The association’s directors are of the view that as a limited lifetime association, run by volunteers, we have consistently delivered a high quality program of events annually for 10 years,” the letter reads. “Therefore, the association has been enormously successful.”
In addition to support from the homeland, various speakers, performers and presenters have contributed on a voluntary basis. During the COVID pandemic, online offerings were presented via Zoom.
Membership fees have been set at $25 a year, and gatherings have been at the Unitarian Universalist Society in downtown Amherst, where complimentary tea and scones are offered after each event and resident musicians, Le Chéile, perform Irish tunes. Others are welcome to each event, with a small donation suggested.
In-person presentations typically begin at 2 p.m., with Tea and Tunes from 3 to 4 p.m.
The kickoff event this year is Sept. 17. “What’s in a Name: A Primer on Irish Surnames and Place Names” will be presented by Amanda Bernhard, Jonathan Kennedy and Tim Goodhind.
Following the Margaret Maher Award on Oct. 22, the association next convenes Nov. 19 for “Thirty Years of Change: Ireland, 1993 to 2023,” a talk by Ide B. O’Carroll, who co-chairs the association.
The concluding event is Dec. 10 with the “Last Hurrah,” or “Bígí linn!”
“When we began in 2014, there were few Irish-related resources in our area,” the assosiation’s team wrote in the letter. “Now there are several organizations and cultural centers offering regular Irish events.”
