Yesterday marked the inaugural “Dublin Day” locally, as proclaimed by the Board of Selectmen, bringing together 570 people with deep roots in Norwood’s historic Dublin neighborhood for a festive and emotional reunion.
Celebrating the “Dublin” Neighborhood and Heritage
Centering west of Washington Street around the junctions of Nahatan Street with Fulton and Prospect Streets near the old Shattuck School area, Norwood’s Dublin neighborhood dates back over a century. Originally settled largely by immigrants from County Galway, Ireland—who adopted the Irish capital’s name for the area—the neighborhood evolved over the decades through later migration and intermarriage into a rich, mixed ethnic tradition.
The day’s festivities blended community pride with joyful nostalgia:
- Afternoon Activities: Celebrants gathered at the Shattuck School grounds for an open-air band concert and traditional Irish step-dancing.
- Evening Banquet: The celebration moved to Concannon’s Village for cocktails, dinner, and dancing. Reunion co-chairman Edward J. King marveled at the turnout—noting that the committee easily could have sold another 500 or 600 tickets—and remarked, “You’ve never seen a happier group of people… Just old friends and neighbors—they may have been very successful but they’re just enjoying one another—that’s what they’re here for.”
- Out-of-Town Attendees: Former Dubliners traveled from across New England as well as from as far away as Michigan, Minnesota, and Florida, including Sister “Peg” (sister of Dr. Roy Lydon), who traveled from Jamaica.
Honoring Parents, Grandparents, and Shared Memories
Co-chairman Alice Folan Erker reflected on the deeper emotional resonance of the gathering, stating, “Mostly, I think, we’re honoring our parents and grandparents and the life we had up there in Dublin.”
With immediate demands from attendees insisting, “We’ve got to do it again,” the event successfully fulfilled its program’s mission: “to recall the Dublin that exists only in the archives of our hearts and our memories.”
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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Nearly 600 former residents gather for Norwood’s first “Dublin Day” reunion, celebrating the century-old neighborhood’s rich heritage, music, and shared memories.
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