| Abstract: |
Sean A. Boland (1943-2000) was born in Manchester, England. At two years of age, his family moved to Gurteen, County Sligo,
Ireland. After his mother Margaret Boland died, he was adopted by his uncle and his wife, James, and Bridie Boland. This family
immigrated to Cleveland, Ohio, when Sean was twelve years old. Sean graduated from St. Joseph High School and married Bridget
Ginty, and together they had three children. Sean joined the Ohio Lottery Commission in 1974, working as an investigator,
marketing director, and lastly as a fiscal officer in the purchasing department. Sean was involved in the Irish community
during his short life. His uncle, Gus Boland, introduced him to Irish dancing, and together they organized an annual Cleveland
Feis. In later years, Sean was president of the Greater Cleveland Feis Society, and he is credited with making it the largest
such society in North America. Sean led the Cleveland Feis for seventeen years, and also served on the North American Feis
Commission as President and board member. He was the driving force behind the establishment of the Irish Music Academy of
Cleveland in 1993 and was an avid supporter of the Cleveland Branch of the Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann (Music, Language and
Dance of Ireland). Sean was a member of the Irish American Archives Society, the Irish Northern Aid Society, the Irish American
East Side, Inc., the West Side Irish American Club, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Comhaltas Ceoltiori Eireann, Cleveland
Branch, and the Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival Committee. In 1994, he was named Irish Person of the Year. During the last
ten years of his life, he made annual trips to Gurteen and became involved in establishing the Michael Coleman Heritage Center.
In Cleveland, Sean was instrumental in planning the Cleveland Memorial in the Flats, in memory of those who died in the Great
Famine. The collection consists of correspondence, a biographical sketch, a Liturgy, a memorial, an obituary, a souvenir
program and a tribute.
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