Maine Irish Heritage Center | Genealogy Services Portland, ME

Open Hours!
2025-08-07 10:00 - 14:00, 2025-07-31 10:00 - 14:00, 2025-07-24 10:00 - 14:00, 2025-07-17 10:00 - 14:00, 2025-07-10 10:00 - 14:00, 2025-07-03 10:00 - 14:00, 2025-06-26 10:00 - 14:00, 2025-06-19 10:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) and 9 more dates | Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
The Maine Irish Heritage Center is open to the public every Thursday from 10am-2pm! Stop in to take a tour of the building, do some research on our genealogy station, or peruse our library collection!
For more information, contact maineirish@maineirish.com!

Summer Storytelling Series: Orange Bike Brewing
2025-08-05 18:30 - 19:30 | Orange Bike Brewing, 31 Diamond St Suite D, Portland, 04101, United States
The Maine Irish Heritage Center is bringing the cherished Irish tradition of storytelling to Maine this summer!
In days gone by neighbors would gather at night in the local ceili house, the home of a storyteller. They came for conversation, and to hear stories of their community, its history, old tales handed down by the ancestors, some music. These gatherings helped build community and preserve the culture and values of the Irish people.
We invite you to join us this summer at one of our storytelling events! Bring a story, a poem, a song, or simply come to listen and enjoy an evening among friends—or friends-in-the-making.
Event Details:

Location: Orange Bike Brewing, Portland, Maine
Time: 6:30pm-7:30pm
Host: Cathy Furness
Story Guidelines:

Stories, songs, or poems should be 10 minutes or less
A timekeeper will help us keep things moving
No hate speech – creative freedom is welcome, but kindness and inclusivity are essential

All are welcome – come to share or simply to listen

Storytelling is central to Irish culture—as it is to so many cultures around the world. These outdoor events are part of MIHC’s mission to share this tradition across Maine while also supporting local businesses and gathering spaces. Let’s build community together, one story at a time.

Summer Storytelling Series: Banded Brewing Co.
2025-07-24 18:30 - 19:30 | Banded Brewing, Building 13-W, 32 Main St, Biddeford, ME, 04005, United States
The Maine Irish Heritage Center is bringing the cherished Irish tradition of storytelling to Maine this summer!
In days gone by neighbors would gather at night in the local ceili house, the home of a storyteller. They came for conversation, and to hear stories of their community, its history, old tales handed down by the ancestors, some music. These gatherings helped build community and preserve the culture and values of the Irish people.
We invite you to join us this summer at one of our storytelling events! Bring a story, a poem, a song, or simply come to listen and enjoy an evening among friends—or friends-in-the-making.
Event Details:

Location: Banded Brewing Co., Biddeford Maine
Time: 6:30pm-7:30pm
Host: Cathy Furness
Story Guidelines:

Stories, songs, or poems should be 10 minutes or less
A timekeeper will help us keep things moving
No hate speech – creative freedom is welcome, but kindness and inclusivity are essential

All are welcome – come to share or simply to listen

Storytelling is central to Irish culture—as it is to so many cultures around the world. These outdoor events are part of MIHC’s mission to share this tradition across Maine while also supporting local businesses and gathering spaces. Let’s build community together, one story at a time.

Summer Storytelling Series: Maine Celtic Celebration
2025-07-19 11:00 - 12:00 | Maine Celtic Celebration Steamboat Stage, 34 Commercial St, Belfast, 04915, United States
Saturday, July 19th
11:00am
Steamboat Stage, Belfast ME
The Maine Irish Heritage Center is bringing the cherished Irish tradition of storytelling to Maine this summer! Join us for the first installment of our new summer series: Maine Irish Summer Storytelling!
In days gone by neighbors would gather at night in the local ceili house, the home of a storyteller. They came for conversation, and to hear stories of their community, its history, old tales handed down by the ancestors, some music. These gatherings helped build community and preserve the culture and values of the Irish people. Storytelling is central to Irish culture—as it is to so many cultures around the world. These outdoor events are part of MIHC’s mission to share this tradition across Maine while also supporting local businesses and gathering spaces. Let’s build community together, one story at a time.
We’ll be up at the Maine Celtic Celebration with some incredible featured tellers. Join us at 11am at the Celebration’s Steamboat Stage for storytelling, and then enjoy the rest of the festival! We’ll have a table set up where you can chat with the artists after the show, and perhaps even snag a souvenir or two!
Our Tellers:
Cathy Furness
Although three generations removed from the family farm in County Laois, Cathy felt drawn to Ireland from a very young age. She followed that gravitational pull to Dublin, where she earned a graduate degree in Irish literature and folklore. She also studied traditional music while she was there by attending sessions at O’Donohue’s on Merrion Row nearly every night.
Cathy retired early from her professional life in New York to take a deep dive into storytelling. Since then, she has told stories on two continents to audiences of all ages. She likes to share the layered wisdom of folktales of many cultures, but is especially drawn to the heroes, heroines and stories of her Irish ancestors. Now living in the woods outside Brunswick, Maine, she shares her home with Redmond, Conor and Molly, three very spoiled cats.

Robert Breen
Robert (Bobby) Breen was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, where he served for decades as a Boston firefighter. His poetry is deeply rooted in Irish-American heritage, working-class life, and the storytelling traditions of New England. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Boston, Breen honed his craft through Harvard University’s Summer Writing Program and has been published in The Harvard Summer Review. His work has earned numerous awards, including the Joy of the Pen competition and the Margaret F. Tripp Poetry Award. Breen’s writing reflects a lifelong friendship with Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney, who celebrated Breen’s fireman’s helmet in his poem “Helmet” and considered Breen’s work rich with personal voice and lyrical strength. He lives in Brunswick, Maine, with his wife, Karen, and continues to write about place, memory, and the endurance of ordinary people.

Julia Lane & Fred Gosbee
Julia Lane, singer, songwriter, and folklorist, has been playing the Celtic harp since 1989. Self-taught, she rapidly became a skilled and exciting player, winning the Senior Professional division at the New Hampshire Scottish Games Harp Competition in 1990 and 1991 and the International Folk Harp Competition at Stonehill College in 1992. Julia has done extensive research in folksong archives throughout New England and is currently transcribing songs from the Flanders Collection at Middleburg College, Vermont. This audio archive has over 3000 songs, 900 collected in Maine.
Fred Gosbee, singer, songwriter, and storyteller, plays classic and 12-string guitar, violin, viola and Irish flute. He learned many traditional songs from his family, who worked as lumbermen in the forests of New Brunswick and Maine. His original songs have been sung and recorded by other artists.Fred has engineered most of Castlebay’s recordings and has also built Julia’s harps and many other instruments.

Robert Breen Launches "The Light of Civil Day" - A Maine Irish Author Event
2025-06-27 18:30 - 21:00 | Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
Join us on Friday, June 27th for an evening of poetry and celebration as Robert Breen launches his new poetry publication The Light of Civil Day!
Our cocktail reception begins at 6:30 – enjoy hors d’oeuvres and beverages, and the beautiful harp music of renowned harpist Julia Lane. At 7:30, Bobby will take the stage, and share his work. This event is free, and open to all! Come join the celebration!
All of Bobby’s books will be available for purchase at the event, and Bobby will be signing! Don’t miss your chance to snag your signed copies, and help us celebrate Bobby’s incredible work!

About the Author:
Philosophy of Poet Robert Breen
Tragic be as it may.
Time does not heal,
it whispers
an epic narrative differently.
Warfare ought
not occur after Troy.

I envision a Wordsworthian viewpoint stretching to feel a spontaneous flood of powerful feelings, recalling that spirit of serenity found in everyday experiences. Unswerving to be inclusive in writing and speaking, a communal language, with a sense of inquisitiveness to find the familiar in catching the heart of episodes, occurrences, in those relationships coexisting between nature and humanity.

Robert (Bobby) Breen was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, where he served for decades as a Boston firefighter. His poetry is deeply rooted in Irish-American heritage, working-class life, and the storytelling traditions of New England. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Boston, Breen honed his craft through Harvard University’s Summer Writing Program and has been published in The Harvard Summer Review. His work has earned numerous awards, including the Joy of the Pen competition and the Margaret F. Tripp Poetry Award. Breen’s writing reflects a lifelong friendship with Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney, who celebrated Breen’s fireman’s helmet in his poem “Helmet” and considered Breen’s work rich with personal voice and lyrical strength. He lives in Brunswick, Maine, with his wife, Karen, and continues to write about place, memory, and the endurance of ordinary people.

About the Book
In The Light of Civil Day, Robert Breen—Boston firefighter, Irish-American poet, and observer of life’s quiet reckonings—delivers a collection of lyrical reflections on loss, love, endurance, and place. Grounded in the working-class streets of Boston and the coastal landscapes of Maine, these poems bear witness to the fragile moments of life and the deep human need for connection.
With the eye of a first responder and the heart of a storyteller, Breen explores both private grief and public tragedy. His poems, many previously published in respected journals, are informed by a lifetime of service, family heritage, and his friendship with literary legend Seamus Heaney. This collection speaks to readers who find grace in small details, reverence in ordinary moments, and resilience in the face of hardship. To learn more or purchase the book, click here!

Enjoy this example of Robert Breen’s work:
Skating
Your joy,
Our civility,
in harmony,
with sharing
a cooperation
to be amiable.
All in balance on a thin single blade.

We are also launching the newly printed Second Edition of Bobby’s magnificent collection, Shore Digger!
A moving collection of poetry by Boston firefighter Robert Breen, exploring Irish heritage, immigrant stories, and working-class life with lyrical grace and hard-earned wisdom. Inspired by his friendship with poet Seamus Heaney. To purchase Shore Digger, click here!

Can’t get enough? Us either! We are also carrying Bobby’s first chapbook, Undertow: A Tide Pool of Poems!
Robert Breen is the author of Undertow: A Tide Pool of Poems. His poems have been published in Harvard Summer Review, The Café Review, Boston Literary Magazine, and Communion Arts Journal. His correspondence with Seamus Heaney resides at Emory University’s Rose Library. His life journey has taken him from a Boston firefighter to a poet published by Harvard Summer Review and a lifelong friend of legendary Irish poet Seamus Heaney. He now lives in Maine. To purchase Undertow: A Tide Pool of Poems, click here!

Featured Musician:
Julia Lane – Celtic Harp, Song and Story
Julia Lane has had a lifelong passion for Celtic folk music and lore and is a self-taught player of the Celtic folk harp which she began in 1989. Her unique style has won three international competitions. Judge/harpist Kim Robertson praised her “innovative arrangements and energetic performance” and Irish harpist Dennis Doyle declared “she really captured the spirit of the music”. Her versatile solo performances include playing at the Maine state capitol rotunda to calm legislators as well as accompanying poets and fire-eating jugglers. Julia Lane is also an exceptional vocalist, “one of the Maine coast’s foremost voices”, whose voice has been called “lovely, vibrant, and haunting”, and compared favorably with Loreena McKennitt, Triona ni Dhonaill, and Judy Collins. Julia Lane’s performances include both original and traditional music and lyrics inspired by her Celtic heritage. Haunting ballads and spritely dance tunes are interspersed with legend and lore. She plays with her husband, Fred Gosbee as “Castlebay” performing at festivals, folk clubs, schools and arts centers, as well as on radio and television. They maintain a commitment to cultural education and have an ongoing exchange with folklorists and musicians worldwide. Castlebay’s historically informed entertaining presentations delight audiences from Cape Breton to Florida and in Ireland, England and Scotland. The duo has also created full theatrical musical renditions of historic stories which include both traditional and original music. Since 1985,Castlebay has recorded over 27 albums and have composed and recorded award-winning video soundtracks. After years of archival research, they have recently begun publishing a series of books containing transcriptions of traditional Anglo-Celtic songs sung in Maine with historical background information. The first, titled “Bygone Ballads of Maine Songs of Ships & Sailors” has received international attention. The second volume is due to be released in 2026 and will feature numerous Maine traditional songs with Irish sources.
For more information
website www.castlebay.net
phone 207-529-5438
email castlebay@castlebay.net

Irish Night at the Sea Dogs 2025
2025-06-20 17:00 - 21:00 | hadlock field
S O L D O U T !
General Admission Tickets are still available at the Sea Dogs box office.

Friday, June 20 | Game Time: 6:20 PM | Hadlock Field
Join us for a festive evening celebrating Irish culture and community at Irish Night at the Portland Sea Dogs! Enjoy an exciting matchup between the Portland Sea Dogs and the Akron RubberDucks, with a full evening of entertainment and Irish spirit. Celebrate community, heritage, and hometown baseball at Irish Night with the Sea Dogs!

Tickets:

$20 General Admission

$18 for Maine Irish Heritage Center and Irish American Club members

Event Highlights:

Jim Brady performing live outside the stadium from 5:00–6:00 PM

A spirited Parade of Flags kicks off the game pre-show

A special performance by Stillson School of Irish Dance

Fireworks Spectacular immediately following the game

⚾ First pitch at 6:20 PM – don’t miss a great night of baseball, music, dancing, and fireworks!

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Want to volunteer to carry a flag in the pre-game Parade of Flags?
Sign up here: https://volunteer.maineirish.com/

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IMPORTANT
Special pricing is available for members of the Irish Network which includes MIHC, IAC, GAA, Stillson School of Irish Dance, and the Portland Rugby Club. When you purchase discounted tickets, you will be asked for your affiliation. Please check your affiliation for each member of your group. If you do not indicate your membership status, you will be prevented from purchasing the discounted tickets. If you have questions or need to verify your membership, please contact the organization that you are affiliated with. We’re looking forward to seeing you at the game!!

Bloomsday at the Maine Irish Heritage Center
2025-06-14 18:30 - 20:30 | ME
Saturday, June 14th | 6:30 PM
Join us for a lively and literary evening as we celebrate Bloomsday—the annual tribute to James Joyce’s Ulysses—with a unique Building Crawl through the historic Maine Irish Heritage Center.
Wander through the former St. Dominic’s Church and encounter live performances by local artists, each offering a creative interpretation inspired by Joyce’s iconic novel. At each stop along the way, enjoy bespoke beverages crafted to pair perfectly with the performances.
Celebrate one of Ireland’s greatest literary figures in a setting steeped in Irish heritage and history.
This is an immersive cultural evening you won’t want to miss—whether you’re a lifelong Joyce fan or simply curious about this storied tradition.
Our Bespoke Beverage Menu!
Episode 14: The Oxen of the Sun
Rubycoloured Egos from the Second Constellation: A delightful, citrusy concoction of Ruby Red Grapefruit vodka, lemon, grapefruit juice, and a touch of sweetness
Episode 15: Circe
Circe’s Revival: An enticing pairing of Gin, Cointreau, Absinthe and lemon – topped with sparkling soda water for a refreshing sipper!
Episode 12: Cyclops
Guinness: An Irish classic for a reason! When someone looks at you and says “Pint?”, this is the pint they’re talking about. It’s rich, it’s creamy, it’s black, and it’s a staple for any Irish gathering!
Episode 8: Lestrygonians
Irish Coffee: Enjoy delicious coffee paired with Jameson Whiskey, optional Baileys Irish Cream, and whipped cream!
☕
All bespoke beverages will be available as full pours or as flight tasters! Pre-purchase a 4-drink flight tasting card in advance at a special price (the cost of 3) with your ticket. These beverages, and a limited selection of our standard offer beverages will also be available for individual purchase at the bar.

Our performers (in no particular order):
Katharine Doughty, Episode 14: The Oxen of the Sun
Katharine Doughty is a multi modal artist and performer. In 2017 she completed “In My Own Language” an 18 year series of self portraits and while receiving expressive arts certification at Tamalpa Institute, Kentfield, California and continuing to navigate metastatic breast cancer. Returning east 2021, she continues developing “Finding The Ocean” a 365 found object jewelry project and offers expressive arts and somatic therapies to individuals and groups. Katharine is a recipient of the 2024 Tanne Foundation award.

Jared Mongeau, Episode 15: Circe
Jared Mongeau (he/him) is an actor, physical comedian, and musician. His career began in the circus, touring with the historic Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey as a clown. He is an MFA graduate of Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre in California, which took him to Bali, Indonesia, to study traditional mask carving and performance. As a musician, he has toured through 16 European countries, playing accordion from shipping containers in Berlin and dive bars in Amsterdam to headlining on London’s West End. Locally, he has appeared in productions with Portland Stage, Good Theater, Portland Theater Festival, Mad Horse Theater Co., Camden Shakespeare Festival, The Theater Project, Zuggurat Theatre Ensemble, Portland Shakespeare Co., and the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine. His award-winning original work has been presented by PortFringe, Mad Horse Theatre Co., and the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine, as well as the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, the largest theater festival in North America, and for the United States Association of Fringe Festivals.

Daniel Gunn and Dr. Eric Brown, Episode 12: Cyclops
Daniel Gunn (right) is Professor Emeritus at the University of Maine at Farmington, where he taught a seminar on Joyce in the Honors program for many years. He lives in New Sharon.
Eric Brown (Left) is Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Maine Farmington and current Executive Director of the Maine Irish Heritage Center. His publications include essays on Irish poetry, the books Milton on Film, Insect Poetics, and Shakespeare in Performance, and recent poems appearing or forthcoming in Scientific American, Enchanted Living, Rust & Moth, The Galway Review, and elsewhere. He lives in South Portland.
“Escape from the Cyclops’s Cave”

Daniel Gunn and Eric Brown will read a brief excerpt from the “Cyclops” episode of Ulysses, featuring Leopold Bloom, the Citizen, the Dunsink Observatory, a dog, a milkwhite dolphin, a biscuit tin, “a violent atmospheric perturbation of cyclonic character,” and “all of the ragamuffins and sluts of the nation.”

AIRE Theater, Featuring Tony Reilly, Episode 8: Lestrygonians
Tony Reilly. has been seen in Desperate Measures, A Funny Thing Happened…, Frost/Nixon, Moonlight and Magnolias, and An Inspector Calls at the Good Theater. He has been the artistic director of AIRE since it was conceived in 1997. He has directed and acted in many of AIRE’s productions, including The Seafarer, The Lonesome West, Faith Healer, A Couple of Blaguards and Outside Mullingar. At Mad Horse, he was seen in The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Titus Andronicus and Grey Gardens . And at Portland Stage he was seen in Ma Rainey’s Black Bo*om, Much Ado.. and Bart Sher’s Romeo and Juliet. In New York, Tony studied at the Juilliard School; he was a member of the American Globe Theater and worked with The Irish Repertory in Grandchild of Kings (directed by Hal Prince) and The Hasty Heart.

Maine Irish Reads "Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story" by Bono
2025-06-12 19:30 - 21:00 | Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
“Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story” is a compelling memoir by Bono, the frontman of the legendary rock band U2. Released in November 2022, the book intertwines personal anecdotes and reflections with insights drawn from the band’s music, featuring forty pivotal songs that have shaped his life and career. Through heartfelt storytelling, Bono explores themes of love, loss, faith, and activism, offering readers an intimate glimpse into his journey as an artist, a humanitarian, and a husband and father. The narrative is both a celebration of his musical legacy and a poignant examination of the experiences that have informed his identity over the decades.

Jack Cashman's "An Irishman's Story Of Survival": A Maine Irish Author Event
2025-06-01 14:00 - 16:00 | Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
Sunday, June 1st
2:00pm
Join us for an engaging afternoon with Maine author Jack Cashman, including readings from his novel “An Irishman’s Story of Survival”, Audience Q&A, and book signings!
About the Author:

Jack Cashman’s career has put him in a number of roles, although the title of “Amazon Best Selling Author” is a relatively new one. Coming from a background of small business ownership, real estate, and insurance, Cashman was first elected to serve in the Maine House of Representatives in 1982. After five terms in office and some time away from state government, he returned to public service in 2003 in a variety of roles with the administration of Maine Governor John Baldacci. Cashman’s first book, An Irish Immigrant Story, was published in 2018 as a historical novel based on the story of his own family’s journey from Ireland to the United States during the time of the Potato Famine. Cashman’s unique background of business owner, elected office-holder, and government official combine with his creative mind to bring together a collection of stories unlike any author working today. Jack has spent nearly all of his life in Maine, and currently lives in Hampden with his wife of nearly 50 years, Betty. They are the proud parents of two sons and grandparents of five granddaughters.
Learn more at https://jackcashman.com/
About the Book:

Every life is a tapestry of challenges. Amidst the torrent of trials that threaten to engulf one’s spirit, there stands the unyielding souls who, with a spark of defiance in their eyes, dare to face the tempest and emerge on the other side. They are the survivors, the dauntless hearts who tread the rocky path with an unwavering resolve.
Kevin O’Donnell is a beacon of such indomitable spirit, grappling with life’s relentless waves that seek to subdue him. In the turbulent era of mid-20th century, the world could be a harsh, unforgiving place for a young Irish lad. Yet, within Kevin lies a burning desire to carve out his niche, to transcend the barriers that life hurls his way and grasp the reins of a fulfilling existence.
Can his resolute will and earnest endeavor outshine the adversities that loom? Can he navigate the maelstrom and anchor himself to the shores of a prosperous life? Traverse the chapters of his journey within these pages, and unveil the saga of a young man’s undying spirit amidst the trials of time. Through Kevin’s eyes, explore a testament to the enduring human spirit that resonates with every beating heart that refuses to yield to life’s storms.
The winner of a Bookfest award in historical fiction and an International Impact Book award, this novel is not one to skip!

Vivid Motion's Grania: Tea and History
2025-05-11 13:30 - 17:00 | Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
Join us un Sunday, May 11th for Vivid Motion Dance’s production of Grania: Pirate Queen. The Maine Irish Heritage Center will be present during house open and intermission with tea, soda bread, and some historical conversations!
Maine Irish members get $5 off advanced tickets – email events@maineirish for the code!
About the Event:
Grania: Pirate Queen
Co-directed by Scott Potter and Ali Odlin, Vivid Motion Dance is bringing back the tale of Grania “Grace” O’ Malley (Gráinne Ní Mháille), a woman born from a seafaring western Irish clan who becomes the most feared pirate captain of the Irish seas. Grania and her people fight the lengthening shadow of the English Empire, eventually coming face to face with the formidable Queen Elizabeth. Is she Grania’s greatest rival or greatest friend? Find out this spring!
Shows May 9 -11, 2025 at The Hill Arts
Fri 7:30pm; Sat 2:30pm & 7:30pm; Sun 2:30pm
Tickets: Advance $25 Adult, $10 Under 12 | Door $30 Adult, $15 Under 12
Get tickets here: https://thehillarts.ticketspice.com/grania-pirate-queen-presented-by-vivid-motion-dance

Jennifer Elwell Comeau's ' A Moon in All Things': A Maine Irish Author Event
2025-05-10 19:30 - 21:30 | Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
Saturday, May 10th
7:30pm
An Evening of Storytelling, Reading, and Music from the Debut Novel with Songs A Moon in All Things

Jennifer Elwell Comeau’s debut novel, set in 1820s County Galway Ireland has been called, “atmospheric and beguiling” by Kirkus Reviews. Join author and singer-songwriter Jennifer for an engaging evening of reading, storytelling, travelogue and music. Hear the origin story of A Moon in All Things and be inspired by Jennifer’s own story of journeying from “Engineer to Enchantment.”
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/t-VJBWPOwoA?si=X2vQBuC7dI6MlY0R
ABOUT ‘A MOON IN ALL THINGS’

On the wild coast of 1820s Ireland, sixteen-year-old Morrigan Lane hears the sea’s call—and her ancestors’ voices. Born a seeker in the mystical lands of her Celtic heritage, Morrigan dreams of adventure, breaking free from the restrictions of village life and sailing beyond the horizon.

But Morrigan finds herself pulled into a mysterious journey when a haunting vision of the Irish sea god beckons her into his shadowy world. Against the backdrop of Ireland’s rugged cliffs and ancient stone circles, she must navigate myth and reality, confronting age-old traditions, family secrets, and the fierce expectations placed upon her. A Moon in All Things is a spellbinding tale of Celtic magic, forbidden dreams, and the resilience of the human spirit. Fans of The Frozen River’s Martha Ballard will enjoy Comeau’s Morrigan Lane, who is fiercely devoted to discovering her healing gifts while those in power call them “dangerous.”
PRAISE FOR ‘A MOON IN ALL THINGS’
“Atmospheric and beguiling … In this fantasy novel, Comeau uses the Irish setting … and tales of the Otherworld and Tuatha dé Danann to craft an ethereal, fablelike narrative. Morrigan, … friends, family, and fellow villagers, come alive … fitting perfectly into the picturesque village … Morrigan’s frustration with the imposed limits on her gender adds a fascinating dimension to the spooky tale..”—Kirkus Indie Reviews
“Tears, sighs, fabulous!”—Geralyn White Dreyfous, Academy Award-winning film producer
“Atmospheric, subtle, and captivating”—Foreward Reviews, Clarion
“A writer should be able to ‘dance with a pen’ according to Nietzsche. If we accept this as a test for a writer, then Jennifer Comeau passes with flying colors her first time out of the gate with A Moon in All Things. This work is not formulaic magic realism, but rather reality as magic. This is a generous, warm-hearted, and very well researched novel and the reader will want more.”  – Tom Bancroft, former book critic.
“An excellent and thoroughly enjoyable read. I felt fully immersed in Comeau’s story world and loved the details of sea life and old Irish culture that are inherent to the piece…the map of the village was wonderful. …This is fantastic work.” —Ink & Insights Competition (Score: 246/250)
“Jennifer E Comeau has crafted a brilliantly written book of magic and healing that I could barely put down. In a time when we sorely need to wake up to the healing properties of plants and spirits of the land, this book will inspire many to open up to the invisible realms around us who are calling us back Home to the wise ways. I am certain that this novel will become a classic along the lines of The Mists of Avalon.”– Mare Cromwell, author of The Great Mother Bible, and Gaia Mystic
“Comeau delivers a beautifully crafted historical fantasy infused with lyricism and Celtic magic. [The] heroine’s viewpoint is consistently engrossing, allowing readers full access to her internal life, as well as a vicarious connection to the natural world that so informs her character.” – Booklife Prize

“Captivated by lucid prose and an irresistible tale of high stakes and true love, I started reading A Moon in All Things in the morning, continued into the afternoon and evening, and finished it in a weekend with a grateful sigh. This book will enthrall any reader who has wrestled with following her own path. As a coming-of-age tale that dives deeply into questions of home, tradition, and calling, it will stay with me for a long, long time.” —Jena Schwartz, writing coach and author, Why I was Late for Our Meeting. Don’t Miss This
“You nailed it.” – Annaliese Jakimides, poet, essayist, copy editor
“This book brims with life, magic, and a flow back to the forces of nature we have forsaken. Oh my.” – Ellen Kleiner, former publishing editor
“A luscious novel that invokes the beauty of Ireland. Comeau’s vivid characters are steeped in the mystical qualities of Celtic traditions…an invitation to a deeper connection with nature within and without.”—Ellen Dee Davidson, author, The Miracle Forest and Sacred Forest Bathing.
ABOUT JENNIFER ELWELL COMEAU
Jennifer Comeau is a creative force who seeks to inspire people to live in service to a more beautiful world. Her debut historical novel with original songs (2025), A Moon in All Things, has been called “atmospheric and beguiling” by Kirkus Reviews. This coming-of-age tale is filled with Celtic mysticism yet grounded in the everyday lives of an 1820s fishing village in Ireland. Her 5 star-awarded children’s book, The Inside of ME (2024), is a profound reminder of the magic that happens on the inside when we go outside.
Her poems and essays are published in four anthologies, including A Dangerous New World: Maine Voices on the Climate Crisis (2019), and No Ordinary Words: The Real Life Wisdom of Women (2022). With two albums of original music, Jenn carries a song in her heart for the natural world. She partners with OzGREEN to facilitate the award-winning YOUth LEADing The World program in the southern hemisphere and works with restoration organizations like TreeSisters and Climate Change & Consciousness. Locally in Maine, she runs a Wild Wonder Forest Bathing business.
Learn More: www.jennifercomeau.com

Maine Irish Reads "Trespasses" by Louise Kennedy
2025-05-08 19:30 - 21:00 | Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy is a haunting, intimate portrait of ordinary lives upended by political violence. Set in 1975 near Belfast, the novel follows Cushla Lavery, a young Catholic woman living a quiet life split between her family’s pub and her job as a schoolteacher. But in a town riven by sectarian hatred, nothing stays quiet for long.
When Cushla falls into a reckless affair with Michael Agnew — an older, married Protestant barrister — she crosses invisible lines that mark every street, every conversation, every choice. As their relationship deepens, so does the threat of exposure — not only to gossip and scandal but to real and devastating violence.
With sharp wit, aching tenderness, and a fierce moral clarity, Trespasses captures the claustrophobia of life during The Troubles — where love itself becomes an act of defiance. Louise Kennedy’s extraordinary debut is a powerful reminder that even in a divided world, moments of connection can be both beautiful and profoundly dangerous.

Spring Volunteer Orientation
2025-05-08 09:00 - 11:00 | Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
Thursday, May 8th
9am-11am
Whether you’re a seasoned volunteer or brand new to the MIHC family, this is a great chance to connect, learn, and get inspired. Our wonderful staff, along with several of our amazing veteran volunteers, will be introducing ourselves and making ourselves available to answer any questions you may have. We’ll also be sharing all the ways you can get involved—from giving tours of our historic building to helping with events, creating displays, diving into Irish history research, and even pitching in on facilities projects.

Come learn how your time and talents can help bring Maine’s Irish heritage to life!

We’ll have tea, coffee, good company, and plenty of opportunities to ask questions and get to know each other. We can’t wait to see you there.

RSVPs are appreciated — follow the link below to let us know you’re coming.

Caoilinn Hughes: "The Alternatives" - A Maine Irish Author Event
2025-04-24 19:00 - 21:00 | Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St, Portland, ME, 04102, United States
Thursday, April 24th
7:00pm
Join us for an incredible evening with award-winning author Caoilinn Hughes! With readings, a special performance, and an author Q&A, this is a night certainly not to be missed!
Books will be available for sale at the event through our incredible partners, Print: A Bookstore

The event will feature a staged reading of a portion of The Alternatives featuring performances by Caoilinn Hughes herself, as well as local guest actors Allison McCall, Marie Stewart Harmon and Lauren Stockless! Watch this incredible story come to life in front of your eyes!

About The Book
“A bold, beautiful, complex novel, and I can’t wait to read what Hughes writes next. She, too, is an unstoppable force.” —New York Times Book Review
“A tale about sisterhood, a novel of ideas, a chronicle of our collective follies, a requiem for our agonizing species, The Alternatives unfolds in a prose full of gorgeous surprises and glows with intelligence, compassion, and beauty.” —Hernan Diaz
From the writer Anthony Doerr calls “a massive talent,” the story of four brilliant Irish sisters, orphaned in childhood, who scramble to reconnect when the oldest disappears into the Irish countryside
The Flattery sisters were plunged prematurely into adulthood when their parents died in tragic circumstances. Now in their thirties—all single, all with PhDs—they are each attempting to do meaningful work in a rapidly foundering world. The four lead disparate, distanced lives, from classrooms in Connecticut to ritzy catering gigs in London’s Notting Hill, until one day their oldest sister, a geologist haunted by a terrible awareness of the earth’s future, abruptly vanishes from her work and home. Together for the first time in years, the Flatterys descend on the Irish countryside in search of a sister who doesn’t want to be found. Sheltered in a derelict bungalow, they reach into their common past, confronting both old wounds and a desperately uncertain future. Warm, fiercely witty, and unexpectedly hopeful, The Alternatives is an unforgettable portrait of a family perched on our collective precipice, told by one of Ireland’s most gifted storytellers.

Learn more at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/723051/the-alternatives-by-caoilinn-hughes/

About the Author

Caoilinn Hughes is the author of Orchid & the Wasp, which won the Collyer Bristow Prize and was longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award, and The Wild Laughter,whichwon the Royal Society of Literature’s Encore Award and was longlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize. She was recently the Oscar Wilde Centre Writer Fellow at Trinity College Dublin, and is now a Cullman Fellow at New York Public Library.
Photo: © Robin Christian

Meet the Artists!
Allison McCall (she/her) is a theatre artist, theatre educator, Food Network enthusiast, and book worm. She has been a proud member of Mad Horse Theatre Co. (MHTC) since 2015, having recently stepped into the role of Artistic Director in 2024. By day, she is the Theatre Company Coordinator of Maddy’s Theatre at the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine (CMTM). Recent credits include: Women Laughing Alone With Salad (Tori), Tumacho (Catalina), Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Emily), POTUS…Keep Him Alive (Jean), When We Were Young and Unafraid (Mary Anne) with MHTC; Charlotte’s Web (Charlotte) and Corduroy (Corduroy U/S) at CMTM; Waiting for Alice (playwright); Come Home (writer/director) for Damnationland 2024. Other local credits include Good Theater, Fenix Theatre Co., PortFringe, etc. Allison holds a BA in Theatre (Acting Concentration) and Art History from Muhlenberg College and studied Performance Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London. She has a codependent miniature schnauzer named Ichabod. Currently reading: Elphie by Gregory McGuire. @sonnymccall421

Marie Stewart Harmon (@smallstew) has been performing professionally in Maine for over a decade as an actor, improviser, model, voice actor, occasional murderer or detective for your mystery parties. She is a proud company member of @madhorsetheatre since 2014; most recent credits include Julia in Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance, Prudence in TUMACHO, and Dusty in POTUS or you may see her at the Box Office. Coming up next is Grumbo’s Big Night for @portfringe2025, follow @grrrumbo if you like gross little weirdos. While she isn’t creating theatre she can be found supporting Maine’s creative makers with her family’s business, @lisamariesmadeinmaine. Thanks for the love and support from her dubbers. Always.

Lauren Stockless (she/her) is excited to be participating in this reading! She graduated from Colby College with a BA in Theatre & Dance/English Literature, and then earned a MSc in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Edinburgh. Lauren is a proud company member with Mad Horse Theater Company, and is heavily involved in local theater as a director, dramaturg, and actor. Some past favorite shows include: Women Laughing Alone with Salad (Director, Mad Horse), POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive (Director, Mad Horse), The Thin Place (Co-director, Portland Theater Festival), White (Jane, Mad Horse), Pass Over (Production Stage Manager, Portland Theater Festival), Twelfth Night (Director, Edinburgh University Shakespeare Company), and You Got Older (Jenny, Mad Horse). Lauren is also the Events and Marketing Coordinator for the Maine Irish Heritage Center!
