Canton Field

Directions to Canton Field

The Centre's campus consists of 46 acres, including an Activity Building and three athletic fields. The present complex has 17,000 square feet in the main building, and 5,200 square feet in a state-of-the-art tent on the patio.

The Activity Building is a multi-use, handicapped-accessible facility. The lower floor houses the Shane McGettigan/Ronan Stewart Room that can hold 25-100 for meetings or receptions, and locker room facilities.

Located on the second floor are The Adare Room, a banquet and meeting room that can hold up to 200 people; the Library, a temporary home for the ICC Collection; a small meeting room; and the corporate offices of the organization.

The 46 acres of land were purchased in 1995 with funds raised by interested members, generous donors and successful fundraising, including the very popular festivals held at Stonehill College.

The Irish Festival is the ICCNE's main fundraiser, and has been held annually on the second weekend in June since 1991. In 2004, it was rebranded and the 'first' Irish Connections Festival was held at our own campus in Canton. Beautiful weather and record crowds were a delight.

In 1996, the road to the Centre was laid and in the Spring of 1997, the land was cleared and developed according to the master plan for the building, playing fields, and two parking lots for up to 450 cars. Later that year, and additional three acres were purchased for future expansion.

In August 1997, the construction began in earnest and the Irish of Boston came together live never before to embark on a massive volunteer effort and labor of love. The Activity Building, its garden walls and patios, and the surrounding trails were constructed virtually by volunteers and with crews donated by Irish contractors. Some materials were donated and the balance was purchased at cost from local suppliers.

A beautiful 230-foot bridge, erected by all-volunteer labor, connects the parking lot to the main grounds of the Centre. It serves as the primary entry to the Centre's building and campus.

By Summer 1999, a 90 x 60 foot state-of-the-art tent was permanently installed on the patio. It can accommodate events such as weddings with 400 guests surrounded by a beautiful country backdrop.

In December 1998, the first unofficial function at the Irish Cultural Centre was a banquet for our victorious GAA Minor Footballers who won the North American GAA Minor Football Championship.

Phase One of the Centre - the Activity Building and playing field - was officially opened and dedicated on October 19, 1999 by Irish Minister, Dermot Aheirne, TD, and Joseph McDonagh, President of the GAA in Ireland. That day featured games between All-Ireland Hurling Champions, Cork and the 1998 Eircell All-Stars, and the All-Ireland Football Champions, Meath versus Runners-up, Cork. The festivities culminated with a banquet with over 1,300 attending.

The Centre is home to weekly events throughout the year. Music seisiuns (sessions) and set dancing are held Friday nights and Irish language classes are offered every Wednesday.

The Centre is also home to the local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) - the North East Divisional Board. The GAA promotes and sponsors the nationalsports of Ireland - Gaelic Football and Hurling. Matches are played by mens and womens teams, and the Irish Sports Youth League oversees the childrens program. Games are held from April to October.

In September 2000, the GAA American League Championships were held. The ICC Campus played host to competitions ranging from Under-12 up to Senior Level, featuring teams from Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, Denver, Chicago, Florida, Atlanta, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo. Over the course of the day, an estimated 10,000 people entered the grounds.

The ICC is governed by a Board of Directors, consisting of a cross section of the community: corporate executives, lawyers, builders, tradesmen, bankers, secretaries and business people. Officers are appointed to lead the organization for the upcoming year. The Officers, Directors and Legal Counsel are all non-paid volunteers.

Membership of the Irish Cultural Centre is open to all persons wishing to become more involved with Irish culture. The membership fee is $100 per person, with an annual dues of $20 necessary to remain a member in good standing.

The Irish Cultural Centre is available for use by Irish organizations, the Boston Irish Wolfhounds Rugby Club, and local community groups including Canton Youth Soccer, which utilizes the playing fields of the campus for competition.

Please take the time to visit our sponsers: