South Shore Irish Heritage Trail

The South Shore Irish Heritage Trail is a journey into the past through nine scenic towns in coastal Massachusetts. These communities attracted Irish immigrants in large numbers. Their descendants comprise upwards of 40% of the South Shore’s population. Small wonder the region bears the nickname, “The Irish Riviera.”

In traveling the Trail from Weymouth to Plymouth, you will see places where the Irish lived, worked and built new lives in a country far distant from their homeland. There are monuments to the tragedies that marked their escape from famine and disease; evidence of the industries they built to sustain their lives and the seaside places where they found entertainment and relief from the heat of the city. To follow the South Shore Irish Heritage Trail is to walk in the footsteps of one of the many ethnic groups that helped build America.

The Trail extends through nine towns: Weymouth, Hingham, Hull, Cohasset, Scituate, Marshfield, Duxbury, Kingston, and Plymouth. Visitors can begin their visit at any point along the trail, follow it from its origin in Weymouth or even reverse the route and begin in Plymouth. Being located between Boston and Cape Cod makes the Trail an ideal beginning or ending to a Cape Cod vacation. Though family friendly and suitable for all ages, the trail can also be enjoyed by solo visitors or tour groups.