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Issue 2
July-Oct 2012
1
Contents Welcome
Welcome2
Irish in Brief
3
Irish In Britain News 4-5
Irish in Depth
6-7
Ireland Inspires
8-9
Irish in Business
10
Irish Voice
11
Irish in Conversation 12
Irish Individuals
13
Irish in Sport 14-15
This magazine is produced by:
Irish in Britain, 356 Holloway Road,
London, N7 6PA
Phone: 0207 697 4081
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.irishinbritain.org
Twitter: @irishinbritain
Facebook page: Irish in Britain
T
he Olympic Torch Relay has been in
almost every town and city in Britain
and we are proud to see Irish torch
bearers raising the profile of their
charity work and their local Irish community.
It’s all action across Britain over the coming
months and at Irish In Britain we have been
particularly busy in all our key areas of work,
keeping the Irish on all agendas - be it culture,
communications, health, wellbeing, equalities
and business. Our diverse membership
enriches our ideas, our debates and our many
developments and we welcome all our new and
renewing members this year.
The next edition will be published in
November 2012. If you are interested
in advertising or contributing to the
next edition please contact Anna
Franks ([email protected]) no
later than end of September 2012.
Whilst we are primarily focused on the
experiences and aspirations of the Irish in Britain,
as a community our ties to Ireland remain
strong. GAA and Comhaltas in Ireland work
hard to support activities here in Britain. The
Irish in Britain are keen to support initiatives
such as Derry-Londonderry 2013, the All-Ireland
Fleadh, and the Gathering. Business links have
always been key and in these difficult times are
as important as ever. The new Manchester Irish
World Heritage Centre demonstrates how Irish
community organisations are working together
with Irish businesses to showcase the best of
Irish architecture and materials.
Copyright statement: Opinions
expressed in this newsletter are not
necessarily those of Irish In Britain
and no responsibility is accepted for
advertising content.
We are always keen to make our voices heard
and with the Irish constitutional convention
currently underway we welcome your view so
keep in touch and let us know what you think.
Registered charity number 1092268
Company Number: 04013148
Jennie McShannon
CEO, Irish In Britain
2
IRISH IN
BRIEF
01
Politicians on both sides
of the Irish Sea have
united to urge Irish state
broadcaster RTÉ to rethink proposals to close
its London bureau. At the
British Irish Parliamentary
Assembly in May 2012
attendees agreed a Motion
expressing concern over
potential damage to British
Irish relations and snub to
the Irish community. Irish In
Britain continues to lead the
campaign to lobby against
the proposed closure.
Photo: Alex Coley
02
04
03
05
Irish In Britain applauds the
historic handshake between
the Queen and Martin
McGuinness. The Queen’s
visit to Ireland last year
broke new ground in the
relationship between Britain
and Ireland. This handshake
is another momentous step
towards a real and lasting
peace and reinforces the
building of relationships
amongst the different
parties in Northern Ireland.
Congratulations to the
Under 12-15 Céilí team from
Bradford Irish Club that
became British Champions
at the recent All Britain
Fleadh. The team will now
go forward to Fleadh Cheoil
na héireann in Cavan where
they will then compete
against the rest of the world.
Patrick Howley, Chair of
Bradford Irish Centre praised
the team noting “They are
really putting Bradford Irish
Club on the World map!”
A substantial study
researching the needs of
the Irish community in
London will be launched
this summer by London
Irish Centre in partnership
with Irish In Britain.
With over 850 people
contributing to the research
the report aims to provide
further evidence and
understanding to inform
support needs for the Irish
community in London.
In May 2012 Dáil Éireann
heard the Residential
Institutions Statutory
Fund Bill for the second
time. The bill sets out
the Government’s plan
to alter the way the state
compensates survivors of
institutional child-abuse.
The proposed Fund would
be €110m, paid by the
18 religious orders which
managed the institutions.
The Bill will now go to the
Seanad for consideration.
3
Irish In Britain
NEWS
Photo: Lorcan Doherty Photography
Irish In Britain announce City
of Culture partnership
Irish In Britain and Culture Company
2013, the body delivering DerryLondonderry’s City of Culture year,
have formed a new partnership to
involve the Irish in Britain in next
year’s celebrations in northwest
Ireland.
Almost 40….
2013 marks the 40th anniversary since
the launch of the Irish In Britain and as
part of the plans to celebrate we are
looking back over the history of the
organisation.
A researcher is currently collecting
material from past members at
Irish In Britain, and creating a small
archive of papers, photographs and
memorabilia. We are also interviewing
individuals to capture their memories.
If you have any photographs or
memories of your involvement with
Irish In Britain please get in contact
with Ann Gould on 0207 833 1226 or
email your memories and images to
[email protected].
4
Jennie McShannon, CEO of Irish In
Britain noted: “We are delighted to
be working with Derry-Londonderry
2013 during such an exciting and
historic time for the city and this
partnership comes at a timely point.
With our extensive links across the
diverse Irish community in Britain we
will be really pushing the message
that this is a cultural opportunity of a
lifetime and one not to be missed. It
also gives us an opportunity to profile
our Reconciliation Project which
will work with communities and
arts organisations in Birmingham,
Glasgow and Derry to celebrate
the impact of the peace process
on relationships between different
cultures and communities.”
Support Irish In Britain!
In a time of cuts it is essential that
we continue to explore new ways
of funding our work to ensure
our sustainability. In the run up to
our 40th year we have launched a
campaign to encourage individuals
to donate to Irish In Britain. Your one
donation will help us support over 100
Irish organisations working across the
community providing welfare services,
community centres, cultural activity
and sports.
We are suggesting a donation of £2
a month (£24 a year) – the price of a
cup of tea and you will get a range of
benefits including regular e-bulletins,
this magazine delivered to your door
and invites to special events. And
don’t forget your donation goes a long
way to supporting Irish groups across
Britain! You can donate online at
www.irishinbritain.org or call
0207 833 1226.
Irish Inclusion
Irish In Britain is currently working
on a significant piece of work
investigating Irish inclusion in Joint
Strategic Needs Assessments (JSNAs)
- key strategic documents that inform
the commissioning of local services
relating to health and wellbeing.
This piece of work will enable us to
identify which areas in Britain lack
consideration of Irish-specific needs
in their JSNAs and work with them
to encourage consideration of Irish
specific issues in service planning.
Alternative Perspectives
In July 2012 we ran a successful
national conference in partnership
with London Irish Centre,
Voice4Change and The Afiya Trust.
Following on from the conference we
have agreed to work alongside leaders
in race equality in Britain with regards
to the Race Equality and Equality
Delivery Systems agenda and will be
taking this forward with urgency after
the Government’s summer recess.
Irish Survivors in Britain –
Website launch
As part of a wider project funded
by St. Stephen’s Green Trust, Irish
In Britain has been working with
Survivors groups across Britain to
develop a national website.
The website, which aims to benefit
Survivors and inform service
providers, goes live in July www.irishsurvivorsinbritain.org
A series of events are being planned
for the Autumn to bring together
Survivors to share how local networks
have enabled them to move forward
and update people on the Statutory
Fund. If you would like to attend these
events or want to know more about
the support groups please contact
Helen White on 0121 622 4169 or
email [email protected]
5
IRISH IN
DEPTH
New path ahead for the GAA
in Britain
Séan Hackett, Vice-President of the
British Provincial Council shares with us
the new vision for the GAA in Britain…..
2012 can best be described as the
year of change in the GAA.
A New Council
In Ireland Liam O’Neill took over as
the new President of the organisation
beginning his three year term by
becoming the first president to be
elected unanimously. Ulster Council
became twinned with Britain as our
partner province replacing Connacht
Council. At home here in Britain Paul
Foley (Gloucestershire) became the
new Central Council Delegate for
Britain alongside John Lacey who
represents London. Brendie Brien
(London) was inaugurated as the new
president of the GAA in Britain and
Seán Hackett (Lancashire) became the
new vice president.
6
2012 hasn’t just been about change
of personnel it is also the year
in which the GAA in Britain has
launched its Five Year Strategic
Review.
The review sets out a new course for
the GAA in Britain and it sets some
ambitious milestones to be achieved
by 2015.
The GAA in Britain seek to replace
the role of Provincial Secretary with
a full time Director of Games. The
Director of Games will not just take
over the administrative tasks of the
current secretary, Tadhg Meehan, but
will also be responsible for ensuring
the GAA in Britain implements the
current Strategic Review Plan and
charts a path for the GAA in Britain in
the years ahead.
Working together
For the first time the GAA in Britain
is focusing on activities other than
Men’s Football and Hurling. The
review speaks of joining the Ladies
Football, Camogie, Men’s Football
and Hurling boards under one
umbrella in the coming years. The
GAA hope to develop the codes
alongside each other and to obtain
Sport England, Scotland and Wales
accreditation which will open up a
new forum of funding for the GAA.
There is also mention of change to
the current club structures so that all
clubs become Community Amateur
Sports Clubs (CASCs) so that the GAA
can take advantage of Tax benefits
and Gift Aid.
Developing our assets
The Strategic Review also seeks to
develop a business case for the use
of the current GAA capital assets,
mainly pitches for non-GAA activities,
a step which breaks with the GAA’s
long standing tradition of only using
GAA grounds for GAA activities.
Photo: Finbar Gibbons
New wave of players
The report addresses a number of
issues, one of which is emigration.
Emigration to Britain has been on
the up since 2007 and the GAA clubs
in Britain are seeing their club ranks
swell. The report predicts that the
new wave of emigrants will be the
next generation of Irish who settle in
Britain and their children will emerge
as clubs underage players in fifteen
to twenty years time.
It is clear that considerable thought
has been given to the path ahead
for the GAA in the coming years and
there is a clear sense of purpose in
the Strategic Review which makes
for exciting times ahead for the GAA
in Britain.
A copy of the Strategic Review and
Report can be downloaded from the
GAA website: www.britain.gaa.ie
If you want to keep up to date with
the GAA in Britain follow on Twitter
@BPCGAA or join their facebook
page at British GAA.
7
Photo: Finbar Gibbons
Photo: Gavin Freeborn
I’m inspired, are you?
www.irelandinspires.me.uk
As July becomes August, supporters and fans right across Britain will be getting behind
their Olympic and Paralympic teams and keeping their fingers crossed for a few gold
medals as this ‘summer like no other’ happens across Britain.
Whilst getting behind our Irish athletes will be at the forefront of our Ireland Inspires
campaign this summer, the superstars this year won’t just be on the running track or in
the boxing ring. The London Games have encouraged a nation to get creative and arts
and cultural activities are happening in every town and city throughout 2012 - and the
Irish are certainly playing their part!
8
Irish artists and performers have, for
centuries, crossed the water to pursue
their calling and develop their careers
in Britain. From world renowned artists
of the past such as Francis Bacon and
Oscar Wilde, to iconic contemporary Irish
designers Orla Kiely and Philip Treacy,
right through to rising stars - Britain has
always offered Irish creatives inspiration,
provocation, chance and opportunity.
Photo: Alex Coley
2012 has already been a fantastic year
for Irish arts and culture in Britain. We
had Irish performances on the biggest
stages in the country, with a major
retrospective of the playwright Tom
Murphy at the Hampstead Theatre in
London in June, Prodijig winning votes
and hearts on Got To Dance, and Irish
communities in Britain raising their voice
through community events celebrating
our contribution to the Olympic year.
August and September brings us eight
weeks packed full of Irish cultural
activities to get involved with. From
actress Fiona Shaw’s amazing nationwide
Peacecamp 2012 project, to artist John
Gerrard‘s, cinematic installation at
Oxford’s Old Power Station - the Irish
contribution is as artistic and as diverse
as the diaspora itself!
And it doesn’t end there. September
will see Culture Night celebrated once
again, with its London leg sure to impress
as much as 2011. October will also be a
huge month for Irish culture in Britain
as the London Peace Proms will be
performed by the Cross Border Orchestra
at the Royal Albert Hall. The Orchestra
will be joined by a 1,000 voice choir from
schools right across Britain to be part
of this unique celebration of worldwide
peace and reconciliation. We’ll also be
hosting some of our own inspiring events
and we will be keeping you updated
on all of these and more through our
monthly e-bulletin, on our website and
our Facebook and twitter pages!
This year will be a unique chance to
demonstrate just how much Ireland
contributes to the creative and cultural
life here, and to showcase Ireland as the
source and inspiration for thousands
of artists and performers living and
working throughout Britain.
Get involved with the Ireland
Inspires campaign
Right throughout 2012 we will be
supporting and celebrating Irish culture
in lots of exciting ways right across our
community and by getting on board
with the campaign you can help us do
that. Sign up to be the first to hear about
updates from the Inspired team! Join us
now at www.irelandinspires.me.uk!
If you’re running a cultural project
let us know about it. Contact the
Campaign Co-ordinator Fiona Smith, at
[email protected]
9
IRISH IN
BUSINESS
T
Ahe London Irish
Business Society (LIBS)
is a society established
in December 2009 to
provide a forum for Irish
business professionals to
network and share ideas.
We caught up with Vice
Chair John Lagan to find out about
the Society. John said, “The majority
of our 2,500 members are based in
London however it is open to all.
The purpose of the society is to
foster networking amongst the
business community and this is
facilitated by bringing members
together by hosting topical events
throughout the year.
The Society’s inaugural event
featured a discussion of the
‘Potential Impacts of NAMA’ with
Fine Gael Leader, T.D. Enda Kenny.
LIBS most recent event featured a
panel discussion on Ireland’s future
with the Eurozone with the panel
including George Lee, Vincent
Boland, T.D. Stephen Donnelly
and Joe Lynam. The Society is
also running a series with Senior
Irish Business Leaders and recent
speakers have included Willie Walsh
and Peter Sutherland.
We have an exciting agenda of
upcoming events in the Autumn
and are continuing to look for new
members. Membership is free and
you can sign up online and the
Society would be delighted to hear
from you if you have any questions,
or indeed if you have ideas for
future events.”
Visit the LIBS website today
www.li-bs.co.uk or if you have
any questions email them to
londonirishbusinesssociety@
gmail.com
10
H
ow do community
leaders avoid getting
squeezed off the
agenda as elections
loom and candidates
battle it out along
party lines? In the
2010 General Election, Irish In Britain
drew up its own Irish community
manifesto and selected target areas
for Question Time debates where
politicians could be quizzed by
potential voters on where they stood.
But when media coverage puts
personalities over political debate
it’s difficult for communities to get a
hearing. In the recent London Mayoral
battle Irish In Britain Chief Executive
Jennie McShannon was determined
for the Irish to have a say. In an open
letter to all candidates she expressed
both our pride and concerns about
living in London. Identifying critical
issues for the community, she
challenged the candidates to put
Irish arts and culture at the centre of
London life; to collect and use Irish
Census data to promote equality; to
take an enlightened approach towards
the plight of Gypsies and Travellers
and commit to regular dialogue with
the Irish community leaders.
Photo: Alessandro Costa
IRISH
VOICE
Martin Collins, Irish In Britain
Parliamentary Officer
Irish In Britain was impressed by the
responses of all candidates. “This
has been a great success”, Jennie
McShannon said, “but it isn’t just
about London: We want the Irish to
have a voice in political life in all the
big cities and elections provide prime
time audience.
Don’t forget if you are a local group
you can make your point to politicians
during party conference season:
• Liberal Democrats - 22-26
September, Brighton
• Labour Party - 30 September 4 October, Manchester
• Conservative Party - 8-11
October, Birmingham
Also note the 45th plenary conference
of the British Irish Parliamentary
Assembly will be held in Glasgow
from 21-23 October.
11
IRISH IN
Photo: Jenny Lindfors
CONVERSATION
Jenny Lindfors is an Irish musician.
She is about to embark on a tour
across Britain so we caught up with
her to find out more.
When did you realise you wanted to
make music your career?
I really felt like I had no choice in
becoming a musician. I have memories
of feeling destined to step into that role
around the age of three. As my craft
progressed, I concluded that I simply
had an artistic disposition all along, and
to deny myself that would have meant
that I would have been quite unhappy.
Did being a musician have an
influence on why you left Ireland?
Absolutely. Having released my debut
album ‘When the Night Time Comes’
independently in 2007 it attracted the
attention of a London-based manager
who began to book me as a support
act on UK tours. The following year,
the album was re-released in the UK,
so I decided to move to London.
12
You are a part of the Seanchai Nua*
collective, is it important to make this
connection with other Irish artists?
When I moved to London, I went
through an almighty time of
confusion. It was a bit of a culture
shock. My journey through this
naturally became a big part of the
subject matter of new songs, and
the idea of engaging and sharing
with other artists having a similar
experience was too good to pass up.
Does being Irish in Britain inspire you?
It really does now, but for a long
time I felt very uninspired. When I
first moved, I suffered from writers
block but when I came through that
initial adjustment phase, I felt able
to then reflect and tell those stories
of homesickness and isolation. For
example ‘Bridge of Tears’ is about the
day I left Ireland, by boat to Holyhead.
That was four years ago, and I only
had the strength to write about it at
the beginning of this year! I also feel
a much deeper love for my home and
that is something I could never have
felt while I lived there. I feel that I now
have a story to tell.
Listen to Jenny’s music and find out
about up and coming tour dates at
www.jennylindfors.com. ‘Step to the
right’ EP available now on iTunes.
IRISH
INDIVIDUALS
An Irish star...
To abseil 185ft down the Hexagon
Tower in Manchester at 70 years
of age is not something everyone
can claim but Cissy Breen from Co.
Kerry is a special individual who
has committed much of her life to
supporting the Irish community
within Manchester.
Cissy was born in Co.Kerry but
moved to Manchester in 1954.
During her life in Britain Cissy has
dedicated herself to helping others –
not only through her charitable work
but also in her profession as a child
minder for 21 years with Salford
Social Services. Alongside raising a
family of 5 children Cissy has also
been a foster carer and looked after
people in the community.
Not only has Cissy given her time
and energy to supporting charities
but her fundraising has seen her
raise much needed money for local
charities. Her abseil raised £1200 for
Bury Hospice and as Chairperson for
the Kerry Association in Manchester
they have raised over £35,000 for
The Christie Cancer Hospital.
At 74 Cissy still works part-time
saying ‘it gets you out and meeting
people’. Not many people like Cissy
come along in a lifetime - but when
they do, we, as a community, are
proud to say she is part of the Irish
community in Britain.
To hear Cissy talk about her work in
the community is quite humbling.
She does not seek praise but
recognition has come her way with
numerous awards including an
award from the Council of County
Associations in Manchester and
most recently the Lord Mayor’s
Citizens Award.
13
IRISH IN
SPORT
So Ireland may not have done as
well as we hoped in Euro 2012
but with the Olympics and the AllIreland Championships coming up,
it’s a bumper summer for Irish sport.
This edition Finbar Gibbons takes
a look back at some of the most
memorable sporting moments in
years gone by. Maybe you can add
your own – email them to fsmith@
irishinbritan.org.
THE EUROS
Let’s face it, due to our poor
qualifying record, we haven’t got
many instances of glory to pick out
from European Championships.
However, one which is up there with
the greatest in any Irish sport is Ray
Houghton’s winner against England
at Euro ’88. Few expected Ireland
to get anything out of the game but
Ireland had some very good players
in the likes of Houghton, Ronnie
Whelan and Paul McGrath. And so it
was, with one nudge of Houghton’s
head, the Republic humbled their
illustrious neighbours.
GAA
Picking iconic moments from GAA
competitions is tricky; with 32
counties involved, it tends to get
challenging so we’ve picked one
moment from recent history for
each province.
Photo: Finbar Gibbons
14
From Ulster it’s hard to look beyond
the ultimate underdog story; Armagh
v Kerry in the 2002 All-Ireland SFC
Final. Facing The Kingdom, 32-time
champions at that point, many
Members of the Irish Paralympic team ready for this summers games
thought that Armagh’s lack of ‘final
experience’ might let them down.
2002 was to be different though
with Armagh trailing by 4 points at
half-time they roared back in the
55th minute when Oisin McConville
crashed the ball passed Declan
O’Keefe into the Kerry goal going onto
claim victory.
couple of finals but have fallen well
short, defeated heavily by Kerry on
both occasions. 2011 was a good year
for Mayo as they humbled All-Ireland
Champions, Cork, after a stirring
second-half performance. Alas, Kerry
proved to be their nemesis once again
in the next round, but beating Cork was
a huge achievement for the Mayo men.
In Leinster it’s an easy choice: so
long the butt of national jokes, so
often ‘their year’, Dublin were sure to
choke once more against Kerry in the
2011 football final. Having dragged
themselves back into the match,
Dublin won a free-kick in the second
minute of injury-time. Without a hint
of nerves Stephen Cluxton the Dublin
goalkeeper stepped up, placed the ball
on the ground, surveyed his target and
rifled a sweet strike soaring through
the posts towards a delirious Hill 16.
To Munster and to 2010. While
Tipperary’s senior panel boasted
an abundance of talent, in the AllIreland Final they faced the Kilkenny
machine and the returning (King)
Henry Shefflin. For The Cats, it was the
chance to win five All-Ireland titles in
a row - something which no county
had ever done. Tipp had other ideas,
blasting 4 goals past PJ Ryan.
Galway’s win in 2001 is the last time
anyone from Connacht has won either
Sam or Liam. Mayo have reached a
Some amazing sporting moments
but watch this space for some more
sporting highlights to come from the
Olympics and Paralympics. Hopefully
some Gold medals will be coming our
way very soon!
15
HIBERNIAN ASSOCIATES
Legal advice you can trust.
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For further information please contact
Patrick Walsh on 0207 333 1909
or e-mail us at [email protected]
www.hibernianassociates.co.uk
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to you by:
www.irishinbritain.org
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