Stories of Impact

From awards and recognition to community impact, read about 37+ years of building bridges between Boston and Ireland.

Council to honour Billy Higgins

Council to honour Billy Higgins

The Tip O’Neill Irish Diaspora Awards return for 2024 to the Inishowen Gateway Hotel in Buncrana on this Friday, 27th September, from 7pm. One of the awardees for 2024 is Boston native Billy Higgins....

Tommy O'Neill Congratulates Billy Higgins

Tommy O'Neill Congratulates Billy Higgins

Tom O’Neill, former Lt. Governor of Massachusetts and the son of Tip O’Neill, attended the ceremonies with his wife Shelly. "On behalf of the O’Neill family it is an honor to continue our support of...

South Boston's Billy Higgins Receives Prestigious Tip O'Neill Irish Diaspora Award in Ireland

South Boston's Billy Higgins Receives Prestigious Tip O'Neill Irish Diaspora Award in Ireland

Congratulations to Billy Higgins of South Boston, who was one of three recipients honored with the Tip O'Neill Irish Diaspora Award in Buncrana, County Donegal in September. Named for US Speaker of...

Billy Higgins is final awardee for Donegal's Tip O'Neill Diaspora honour - Donegal Daily

Billy Higgins is final awardee for Donegal's Tip O'Neill Diaspora honour - Donegal Daily

Billy Higgins has been named as the final awardee for Donegal’s Tip O’Neill Irish Diaspora Awards for 2024. The awards return for 2024 to the Inishowen Gateway Hotel in Buncrana on Friday, 27th...

Boston-based community leader, Billy Higgins, returned to Letterkenny earlier this month to present a cheque to Ballaghaderg Pre-School for 10,000 dollars.

Boston-based community leader, Billy Higgins, returned to Letterkenny earlier this month to present a cheque to Ballaghaderg Pre-School for 10,000 dollars.

Mr. Higgins, who is well-known for his charitable work, has been a long-time supporter of Ballaghaderg Pre-School which caters for children with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities and...

Donegal County Council welcomes Billy Higgins of South Boston

Donegal County Council welcomes Billy Higgins of South Boston

Donegal County Council welcomed friend of the county Billy Higgins to County House, Lifford, Tuesday 3rd May 2022. Billy Higgins of South Boston, a community leader who is renowned for helping...

Southill Children's Fund Receives 2019 Boston Award

Southill Children's Fund Receives 2019 Boston Award

Boston Award Program Honors the AchievementBOSTON November 20, 2019 -- Southill Children's Fund has been selected for the 2019 Boston Award in the Non-Profit Organization category by the Boston Award...

Future of Ballaghderg Pre-School Secured

Future of Ballaghderg Pre-School Secured

Boston based charity helps raise €40,000 for Letterkenny school FUTURE OF BALLAGHDERG PRE-SCHOOL SECURED The future of a Letterkenny pre-school has been secured. It's thanks to repeated fund-ing...

Billy Higgins expands his charitable work in Boston and Ireland

Billy Higgins expands his charitable work in Boston and Ireland

Billy Higgins expands his charitable work in Boston and Ireland in the name of love for kids who enjoy the benefitsBOSTON — Billy Higgins of South Boston returned from Ire-land recently warmed by the...

Fundraiser - To Benefit the Ballaghderg Special Needs Pre-School

Fundraiser - To Benefit the Ballaghderg Special Needs Pre-School

A Letter sent to Billy Higgins in April 2016Dear Mr.Higgins,As the parent of a child who attends Ballaghderg Special Needs Preschool in Letterkenny, County Donegal I felt compelled to write you to...

An Irish Tribute Held in Boston – Bill Higgins Honored

An Irish Tribute Held in Boston – Bill Higgins Honored

BY RAY FLYNN The Golden Bridges Award Luncheon is one of Boston’s great events, which we all look forward to every year. It took place this year at the World Trade Center on Thursday, October 8th....

HSE Media Release HSE Welcomes donation to the patient social fund at Ballaghderg Preshchool

HSE Media Release HSE Welcomes donation to the patient social fund at Ballaghderg Preshchool

July 21, 2016 On Tuesday the 19th of July a presentation of a cheques to the value of $10,000 and €5,000 was made to the patient Social fund at Ballaghderg preschool Letterkenny.The HSE preschool at...

South Boston's Billy Higgins is Honored for his Quiet Leadership and for Forging Ties Between Limerick and Boston

South Boston's Billy Higgins is Honored for his Quiet Leadership and for Forging Ties Between Limerick and Boston

Billy Higgins of South Boston, a community leader who is renowned for helping people, organizations and neighborhoods in need, is himself being honored with the Quiet Leadership Award from the Pinch...

Recent Visit to Southill Junior School

Recent Visit to Southill Junior School

View a photo gallery from our recent visit to Limerick Ireland on March 17th 2014 with Boston City Council President, Bill Linehan. We presented a check to the Southill Junior School.

Boston boost for Limerick school

Boston boost for Limerick school

Following this, he said he would never forget them. And for the last 27 years, he has returned to Ireland each year to present the community with the efforts of his fundraising through the year. The...

Southill Children s Fund donated a generous cheque of $10,000 to the Southill Junior School

Southill Children s Fund donated a generous cheque of $10,000 to the Southill Junior School

The funds are specifically used for personnel cost incurred in running the after school clubs. The clubs run three afternoons for the younger children and four afternoons for the 6 to 8 year olds. It...

Recent Visit to Ireland

Recent Visit to Ireland

December 12, 2011- We presented a check for $10,000 to help the Southill Junior School in funding after school clubs to help improve the quality of the activities and employ personel with appropriate...

Showing there s a way out

Showing there s a way out

South Boston businessman helping kids of LimerickWhen money was needed for air fare to bring 60 kids and a priest from Limerick, Ireland, to Boston for three weeks next July, Billy Higgins didn't...

They wrecked our home and left us with nothing

They wrecked our home and left us with nothing

Where once there was joy: derelict houses in O'Malley Park, Southill. A Limerick Leader reader below, who owned a house there (not one of those pictured) and who was forced to leave the area,...

About the founder

About the founder

Foto by Keith WisemanIT HAS been 21 years since Billy Higgins first set foot in Limerick and since then his name has become inextricably linked to the development of Southill.The friendliness and...

Southill Junior School, Limerick

Southill Junior School, Limerick

Southill Junior School 2nd Class SOUTHILL Junior School was established in 1972 and caters for children from Junior infants up to second class. It is located in Southill and is attended by many local...

Adare, Southill and Boston all singing form same hymm sheet

Adare, Southill and Boston all singing form same hymm sheet

At the center of this musical triangle are Billy Higgins, Boston businessman and Tracy Boylan Fitzgerald, teacher, musician and director of the Holy Trinity Abbey choir in Adare. Their connection...

Billy Higgins puts together an Irish Golf Classic you can't Beat

Billy Higgins puts together an Irish Golf Classic you can't Beat

South Boston's Billy Higgins continues his efforts to support young people in Limerick, Ireland through the Southill Children's fund which was formed in 1985. At that time, Higgins had gone to...

Trauma of Southill kids as bad as in war zone

Trauma of Southill kids as bad as in war zone

Fr Pat Hogan, PP, Southill introduces President Mary McAlesse, at the launch Southill Ballinacurra Weston Regeneration at the LEDP in January of this year. Also pictured are, from left: John...

People need help now not later, says Boston activist

People need help now not later, says Boston activist

"When I first came to Southill in 1985, Ireland was a different country. There was 35 per cent unemployment in Limerick and 60 per cent unemployment in Southill. But there were families who we met...

Grandmothers despair at being forced from Southill

Grandmothers despair at being forced from Southill

And she estimates hers is one of around 20 to 30 established Southill families to have suffered this fate over the past three years. Criminals have targeted homeowners by making offers of as little...

Adare choir ‘on song’ for US trip

Adare choir ‘on song’ for US trip

Choir members will pay their own fare and raised money for other expenses through concerts, table quizzes and a golf classic, according to director, Tracey Fitzgerald. “It’s the first time the choir...

Holy Trinity Abbey Choir to perform in Boston

Holy Trinity Abbey Choir to perform in Boston

Limerick, Ireland and South Boston have a special bond – singing. That bond started in the 1980’swhen the first troupe of young Irish singers came to South Boston from their Southill community. One...

The South Boston to Southill, Ireland, Connection

The South Boston to Southill, Ireland, Connection

The children of Southill have benefited from the commitment of South Boston's Billy Higgins Southie's Billy Higgins Has Built a Charitable Bridge Between the Communities Retired South Boston...

BILLY HIGGINS - One Man in the Name of Love

BILLY HIGGINS - One Man in the Name of Love

As over one hundred Southill children settle back into life in Limerick again after a unique three weeks spent in Boston, Liz Ryan reviews their American tour and takes an affectionate look at the...

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