Maine Irish Poetry Night
2026-04-11 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
Maine Irish Poetry Night
In Celebration of National Poetry Month & Seamus Heaney’s Birthday

Saturday, April 11th

7:00pm
Doors open at 6:30pm
Join us for an evening of poetry in celebration of National Poetry Month and Seamus Heaney’s birthday! We will have readings from three incredible poets, followed by a Q&A with the audience.
Doors open at 6:30 PM, and readings begin at 7:00 PM. Admission is free, and books will be available for purchase at the event
Stay tuned for more details soon!

A Fragile Peace: Documentary Screening and Talkback
2026-04-19 18:00 - 21:00 | Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
Sunday, April 19th
6:00pm
Doors open at 5:30pm
A FRAGILE PEACE
BREXIT AND NORTHERN IRELAND
THE INTERNATIONALLY AWARD WINNING FILM
Will Brexit destroy the peace and bring back violence to war torn Northern Ireland?
Join us on Sunday, April 19th, for a screening of this incredible documentary, immediately followed by a talkback with Director Rory Duffy! General admission tickets are just $20, or snag priority seating for just $30! Don’t wait to buy your tickets – prices go up at the door, and priority seating is only available in advance!
SYNOPSIS
A Fragile Peace: Brexit and Northern Ireland is a film about the intersection of history and the present, about a peace agreement that many assumed was solid but now faces new and unexpected challenges due to Brexit.
The Good Friday Agreement, signed in 1998, created a delicate balance of identities, political parties, and loyalties within Northern Ireland. However, Brexit has reopened a wound that many thought was healed, casting uncertainty on the future of this hard-won peace.

DIRECTED BY RORY DUFFY
Rory Duffy is an award winning documentary filmmaker, and adjunct professor of United States history at City College of New York. As an actor, Rory has had recurring roles on Blue Bloods, Law and Order SVU, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. His masters thesis on the John F. Kennedy Administration won the Judith Stein Prize in Political Economy.
On stage and screen, he has worked with director Hal Hartley, Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons, and Amy Sherman-Palladino.
His production company Maci Duffy Productions, which he co-runs with his wife Hyun Joo Lee, produces films with a concentration on history, politics, and art.

THE SUBJECTS:
DAMIAN MCGENITY
Political Activist and Farmer
Damian McGenity is a political activist and farmer who faces financial ruin due to Brexit. A supporter of peace in Northern Ireland, Damian joined Border Communities Against Brexit to maintain the peace and save his family farm.

MARTINA ANDERSON
Politician and former combatant
Martina Anderson is an Irish politician from Northern Ireland. She became involved in the Irish Republican movement in the late 1970s and is a former IRA volunteer.
In June 1986, she was convicted of conspiring to cause explosions and sentenced to life in prison. Today, she is working towards uniting Ireland through politics.

ARON HUGHES
Political Activist
Aron Hughes was too young to vote in the Brexit referendum and has taken to the streets to advocate for a second Brexit vote. He now runs an organization that brings the youth of Belfast together in a safe welcoming space.

CREW CREDITS
HYUN JOO DUFFY
Producer

RONAN KILLEEN
Cameraman

PRESS
“Responsible history as it occurs, frankly portrayed.”
— Hal Hartley, director Henry Fool, Ned Rifle
“The acclaimed documentary keeps picking up prestigious new awards.”
— Cahir O’Doherty
“A Fragile Peace reminds us that we should always be careful whenever we believe history has reached an endpoint.”
— Patricia Harty, Editor in Chief, Irish America

AWARDS
Best Picture
London Movie Awards
Best Documentary Feature – Winner
New York Monthly Film Festival
New York Movie Awards
Crown Points International Film Festival
Queens (Unisphere) Film Festival
Cork Indie Film Award
Massachusetts International Film Festival
Best Film Essay
Area 51 Film Festival
Best International Documentary Feature Film
Austin International Art Film Festival
Best Feature Documentary – Nominee
Copenhagen Doc Only
Big Apple Film Festival
Liverpool Indie Awards
Finalist
Out of the Can International Film Festival
Darkland Film Festival
Hawaii International Film Awards
Prazske Filmove Ceny
Indiemania

GET IN TOUCH
Email
AFRAGILEPEACEFILM@GMAIL.COM
Instagram
@AFRAGILEPEACEMOVIE

Celtic Woman: A New Era at the State Theatre
2026-04-24 19:30 - 22:00 | State Theatre, 609 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Fri, April 24, 2026
State Theatre
Doors: 6:30pm – Show: 7:30pm – all ages
$75-$45 reserved seating
Meet & Greet Package – $100 upgrade
• Private backstage photo opportunity with Celtic Woman pre-show
• Brief chat with the cast
• Early entry
Tickets available through the State Theatre HERE!

GRAMMY ® nominated global music sensation Celtic Woman returns to North America and Canada in Spring 2026 with their all-new show A New Era.
Celebrating their rich musical and cultural heritage with a fresh and contemporary spirit, A New Era marks the beginning of a new chapter for the world-renowned ensemble.
This tour marks a new, exciting chapter in the group’s celebrated 21-year journey, blending the ensemble’s signature sound with fresh arrangements and dynamic stage production.
A New Era showcases the timeless traditions of Irish music and culture while reflecting on Celtic Woman’s continued evolution. Audiences can expect a captivating performance featuring new orchestrations, exquisite harmonies and world-class musicianship brought to life by sopranos Mairéad Carlin, Muirgen O’Mahony, Sean-Nós singer Caitríona Sherlock, and fiddle player Ciara Ní Mhurchú, together with the Celtic Woman band and dancers.
Since their debut in 2004, Celtic Woman has captivated millions of fans worldwide with their powerful performances and storytelling. The group has achieved over 3 billion streams, 12.5 million global equivalent album sales, and performed to millions of fans across 23 countries. With A New Era, the group invites audiences to experience the next chapter in their extraordinary story, one that honours the past while embracing the future.

Maine Irish Writes: May
2026-05-07 17:00 - 19:00 | Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
We are thrilled to present our inaugural season of Maine Irish Writes, an inclusive monthly Writer’s Group that will meet in the MIHC Library on the first Thursday of each month!
Led by the incredible poet and author Robert Breen, this welcoming writers group is open to all—whether you’re just starting out or deep into a manuscript. Bring your works in progress, share your voice, and receive supportive, thoughtful feedback in a relaxed and inspiring setting. Together, we’ll explore storytelling, poetry, memory, and the written word in all its forms. Come to listen, come to write, come to connect.
Check out the rest of the series dates HERE!

Maine Irish Reads 'Conversations with Friends' by Sally Rooney
2026-05-14 19:30 - 21:00 | Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
Maine Irish Reads, our monthly book club, meets every second Thursday here at the Center!

From 7:30 – 9 PM in the MIHC Library. Bring a friend. The more, the merrier.
About this month’s book:
Frances is a coolheaded and darkly observant young woman, vaguely pursuing a career in writing while studying in Dublin. Her best friend is the beautiful and endlessly self-possessed Bobbi. At a local poetry performance one night, they meet a well-known photographer, and as the girls are then gradually drawn into her world, Frances is reluctantly impressed by the older woman’s sophisticated home and handsome husband, Nick. But however amusing Frances and Nick’s flirtation seems at first, it begins to give way to a strange—and then painful—intimacy.
Written with gemlike precision and marked by a sly sense of humor, Conversations with Friends is wonderfully alive to the pleasures and dangers of youth, and the messy edges of female friendship.

NOW A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES • From the New York Times bestselling author of Normal People . . . “[A] cult-hit . . . [a] sharply realistic comedy of adultery and friendship.”—Entertainment Weekly
SALLY ROONEY NAMED TO THE TIME 100 NEXT LIST • WINNER OF THE SUNDAY TIMES (UK) YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR AWARD • ONE OF BUZZFEED’S BEST BOOKS OF THE DECADE • ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Vogue, Slate • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Elle
SHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD
“Sharp, funny, thought-provoking . . . a really great portrait of two young women as they’re figuring out how to be adults.”—Celeste Ng, Late Night with Seth Meyers Podcast
“The dialogue is superb, as are the insights about communicating in the age of electronic devices. Rooney has a magical ability to write scenes of such verisimilitude that even when little happens they’re suspenseful.”—Curtis Sittenfeld, The Week

It's An Irish Thing - Neil Byrne in Concert
2026-05-24 19:30 - 21:30 | ME
Sunday, May 24th
7:30pm
Doors open at 7:00pm
Celebrated and award winning Artist Neil Byrne brings Soulful Storytelling and Ancient Tradition to The Maine Irish heritage Center on Sunday, May 24th, bringing the haunting beauty of Celtic tradition and the intimacy of modern folk songwriting to audiences from Chicago to Portland Maine. PLUS, we’re offering the opportunity to meet the artist before the show: from 6:30pm-7:00pm, before the house opens, we’ll have a Meet & Greet with Neil! M&G Ticket holders only, don’t miss out on great conversation, good craic, and the chance to ask all your burning questions!
General Admission tickets are $45 and you can snag an exclusive Meet & Greet ticket (complete with priority seating) for just $70! Don’t wait to buy your tickets, prices will increase at the door!
With a voice described as “both timeless and contemporary” and performances that weave together myth, memory, and melody, Neil has captivated audiences across America, Canada, Australia, Ireland and beyond drawing on the deep well of Celtic heritage, while blending in personal storytelling, creating a sound that is rooted in tradition and alive with fresh emotion.
The East Coast tour will include stops at iconic venues offering listeners a rare opportunity to experience the raw power and delicate grace of Neil Byrne’s music in an intimate live setting.
Neil’s music is known for its lyrical depth and evocative soundscapes, earning recognition from awards for short films to documentaries.
“Touring the East Coast is always an exciting opportunity,” says Neil. “The connection between Celtic folk music and the American folk tradition runs deep. It always excites me to share stories and songs with audiences who feel that same spirit of home and journey.”
Learn more about Neil at https://www.neilbyrnemusic.com/

Maine Irish Writes: June
2026-06-04 17:00 - 19:00 | Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States

Onóir: Live in Concert
2026-06-09 19:00 - 21:30 | Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
Tuesday, June 9
7:30 PM
Doors open at 7:00pm
Meet & Greet from 6:30-7:00pm!
Experience the electrifying sound of Onóir live in concert at the Maine Irish Heritage Center. Hailing from Ireland’s West Coast, Onóir brings a fresh, contemporary edge to traditional Irish music, blending rich vocal harmonies with modern arrangements and deep roots in the Irish tradition.
Known for their dynamic performances and innovative sound, Onóir creates music that is both grounded in heritage and unmistakably of the moment. This concert offers an intimate opportunity to hear one of Ireland’s most exciting young groups in a historic setting that celebrates Irish culture, past and present.
Whether you’re a longtime lover of Irish music or new to the tradition, this promises to be an exceptionally memorable evening of live performance.
General admission tickets are $40 in advance, and Meet and Greet tickets are $55 in advance. Don’t wait to get your tickets, prices will go up at the door!
About the Band:
Contemporary Irish folk group Onóir formed in 2020, when Donegal musicians; Tom McHugh, Declan Gaughan, Deane Connaghan, and Diarmaid McGee, joined forces to create a contemporary version of the famous Irish folk ballad; “The Auld Triangle”, the video went on to be seen by over 3 million people worldwide. These talented musicians with distinctive vocal styles are setting new standards with incredible musical arrangements and harmonies that mark them out as unique.
Onóir are selling out venues in record time as their impassioned audiences are taken on a musical odyssey. From their new take on traditional Irish ballads all the way through to up-tempo modern Irish classics. From tears to laughter, enjoy the onstage chemistry, excitement, and banter in a show not to be missed.
Learn more about the artists at: https://onoirmusic.com/home

Maine Irish Reads 'Our London Lives' by Christine Dwyer Hickey
2026-06-11 19:30 - 21:00 | Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
Maine Irish Reads, our monthly book club, meets every second Thursday here at the Center!

From 7:30 – 9 PM in the MIHC Library. Bring a friend. The more, the merrier.
About this month’s book:
‘Huge of heart and soaring of soul’ CLAIRE KILROY
‘A profound love story…Like Barbara Kingsolver, Hickey captures the pulse of the living moment’ COLUM McCANN
1979. In the vast and often unforgiving city of London, two Irish outsiders seeking refuge find one Milly, a teenage runaway, and Pip, a young boxer full of anger and potential who is beginning to drink it all away.
Over the decades their lives follow different paths, interweaving from time to time, often in one another’s sight, always on one another’s mind, yet rarely together.
Forty years on, Milly is clinging onto the only home she’s ever really known while Pip, haunted by T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, traipses the streets of London and wrestles with the life of the recovering alcoholic. And between them, perhaps uncrossable, lies the unspoken span of their lives.
Dark and brave, this epic novel offers a rich and moving portrait of an ever-changing city, and a profound inquiry into character, loneliness and the nature of love.
