Lowell,
MA. The Tsongas Industrial History Center presents
a performance by Sharon Kennedy as
mill girl Mary Margaret O’Connell. Ms. Kennedy’s 90-minute solo performance
relates the epic story of Mary Margaret O’Connell and her struggles in the new
and growing industrial city of mid-19th century Lowell. Highlights of Mary Margaret O’Connell’s life
include: her parents’ immigration from County Cork, Ireland; her father’s work
with the Lowell canals; the house her father built; her mother’s work in the big
Yankee houses; the childhood sicknesses endured and survived; her own toil as a
weaver in the mills; her school years at St. Patrick’s Church; and the
day-to-day life of the Irish in the “Acre” section of Lowell.
This performance is free
to all and the performance content relates to the Massachusetts educational
curriculum standards. A buffet supper prior to the performance along with a
chance to chat with friends and colleagues is available for $28.00, advance
reservations required.
The TsongasIndustrialHistoryCenter is a program of the University Of Massachusetts Lowell Graduate School Of Education.
In cooperation with Lowell National Historical Park, the Tsongas Industrial
History Center serves as the educational branch of the park providing
innovative educational programming to local and regional schools. This performance is made possible with the
support of the Mogan Cultural Center.
Mark
your calendar for December 2, 2008 at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum, 115 John
Street, Lowell, MA. Dinner at 5:30 –
6:30 pm ($28.00, reservations are required by November 24, 2008). Performance
at 6:30 pm.
Did You Know?
The population of Lowell grew dramatically during the years of industrial expansion-rising from about 2,500 in 1826 to more than 33,000 in 1850, when Lowell was the second largest city in Massachusetts.
