St Patricks Day 2020 by IrishPost

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ST PATRICK’S DAY 2020 A celebration of Ireland in London - March 13, 14 & 15 WOMEN IN SPORT LAURA TWOMEY LEADS ST PATRICK’S DAY PARADE AS GRAND MARSHAL

M U S I C, FOOD A N FUN FORD THE WH OL FAMILY! E

FILM FAVOURITES IRISH TALENT ON THE BIG SCREEN

CULTURE AND CRAIC HISTORY OF THE IRISH COMMUNITY IN LONDON

ST PATRICK AND FRIENDS SPOTLIGHT ON IRELAND’S PATRON SAINTS

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CELEBRATE CULTURE & COMMUNITY

IT’S ST PATRICK’S DAY IN LONDON & EVERYONE IS INVITED Prepare to party as Trafalgar Square turns a vibrant shade of emerald green for its annual St Patrick’s Day Festival. Now in its 18th year, the event is the largest celebration of Irish culture and community of its kind in London. The festival showcases the best of Irish arts, performance, culture, food and music in the heart of the UK’s capital. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has said that this year’s festivities will be the biggest and most inclusive yet, recognising their importance in the lives of London’s Irish community. As is customary, the festival will take place over three days from Friday 13 March to Sunday 15 March and culminate with a legendary celebration on Trafalgar Square and the St Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade, which starts at Piccadilly and ends at Whitehall, will be supported by community groups from across London and Ireland, and feature the return of the popular giant model of St Patrick. The main stage on Trafalgar Square this year - programmed by the London Irish Centre - will play host to world-class acts, KILA, Imelda May and some very special guests. In addition, there’ll be Irish dancing, community choirs and spoken word performances. This year for the first time ever, the event will feature two hours of family-friendly fun on the main stage from 12pm which includes a family singalong and a screening of short films for children. Truly something for everyone. Providing fuel for the festivities will be the Irish Food Market and a mouth-watering array of Irish fare,

from traditional breakfast rolls to Guinness-battered fish and chips to craft beer. As ever, London’s Irish community will be central to the celebrations with the Irish Cultural Centre, the London Irish LGBT+ Network, and the Council of Irish County Associations hosting stalls at Trafalgar Square. This year is the Federation of Irish Sports 20x20 campaign to improve coverage of women’s sport. London St Patrick’s Festival 2020 will celebrate sport – inspired by London being a host city for Euro 2020 - and ‘women in sport’ as its key theme by placing talented Irish sporting women at the forefront of the parade. The Mayor will be joined by Laura Twomey, Dublin camogie player and ambassador of the 20x20 campaign as Grand Marshal. Events across the three days also include an Irish Film Festival from Irish Film London running at Regent’s Street Cinema and a London-Irish music takeover of Camden market. On March 15 the market will host free, live Irish music with special sets from talented emerging artists as well as a pop-up bar open late screening Six Nation rugby matches. The festival is supported by sponsors Tourism Ireland, The Irish Post, Bord Bia, J Coffey, JB Riney, Culture Ireland, O’Donovan Waste Disposal Ltd and the Porterhouse.

PROGRAMME GUIDE Messages from the Mayor of London and Irish Ambassador to the UK Page 4

Meet the Parade Grand Marshal, Dublin camogie star Laura Toomey Page 21

The St Patrick’s Day Parade Page 6

The Trad Gathering Page 23

Map of the Parade route Page 8

Busking on the Undergound Page 24 An all-Irish London takeover Page 25

St Patrick – one man, global appeal Pages 10-11 What’s on at the Trafalgar Square concert Pages 12-13 Imelda May, the main stage star on her return to the scene Pages 14-15

Irish walking tours in London Page 27 Celebrate St Patrick’s at the cinema Pages 28-29 St Patrick…and friends Pages 32-33

Community at heart – Larry O’Leary, Chair of the St Patrick’s Festival Community Advisory Board Page 16

Food revolutionary Anna Haugh Pages 36-37

Irish in Britain a community history Pages 18-19

Make your own St Patrick’s Day cocktail Page 44

St Patrick – the facts Pages 40-41

St Patrick’s Festival guide is designed and produced by The Irish Post, 88 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 4BY www.irishpost.com

@theirishpost theirishpost Production: Ellie Klopfer Advertising: Marita Quigley, Oisin Kavanagh Editor: Fiona Audley Reporting: Mal Rogers

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A MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR OF LONDON, SADIQ KHAN I’d like to welcome you all to London to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. As the weekend approaches, I am excited that, once again, our capital will be hosting an amazing celebration of arts, culture, food and music from Ireland. I’m proud that every year our celebrations get better and better, and that 2020 will be our biggest celebration ever. It is hard to imagine London without its Irish community as for centuries Irish Londoners have contributed enormously to our city’s way of life. The sheer scale of our St Patrick’s Day celebrations reflects the importance of this relationship as Londoners of all backgrounds gather together to celebrate. I’m delighted to again be leading our world-renowned St Patrick’s Day parade as tens of thousands join together to turn our streets green with Irish bands, dance troupes and magnificent pageantry. I’m particularly pleased that this year’s theme will be women in sport and Dublin camogie player Laura Twomey will be our Grand Marshal. Together we will be celebrating the great impact sport can have on our communities as we back the Federation of Irish Sports 20x20 campaign to improve coverage of Women’s sport.

At Trafalgar Square, we will be hosting the best of Irish culture. Actor Siobhán McSweeney will welcome visitors, before a packed programme of singing and dancing. Next to the stage there will be a variety of stalls offering food, memorabilia and children workshops, as well as a culinary experience by world-renowned chef, Anna Haugh. Part of the reason why our St Patrick’s Day celebrations are so wonderful is because they don’t just stop at Trafalgar Square. Across the capital, there will be a series of events, including a takeover of Camden Market and a three-day film festival by Irish Film London. Once again, they will be showcasing Ireland’s most recent feature and short film releases on the big screen at London’s Regent Street Cinema. From drama to comedy – there will be something for everyone to enjoy. It really is a highlight of our cultural calendar, bringing Londoners of all backgrounds together to have fun and celebrate the warmth and fantastic craic Ireland is famous for. It shows again that London is open to all. I would like to wish you all a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day in London, in Ireland and around the world. Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh!

A MESSAGE FROM THE IRISH AMBASSADOR TO THE UK, ADRIAN O’NEILL I am delighted to wish a very happy St. Patrick’s Day 2020 to all of Ireland’s citizens and its many friends in the UK. For my wife Aisling and I, and all my team in the Irish Embassy in London, St. Patrick’s Day is a very special occasion and one we look forward to every year. It is a unique opportunity to visit Irish communities all over Britain, to meet old friends, make new ones and remind ourselves of the vibrancy and dynamism of our diverse Irish communities. The ties between the UK and Ireland remain strong. It was to Britain that many Irish people came for work, education, and other opportunities, both in years gone by and still today. The Irish contributed to building the British economy, its infrastructure, health service, arts community and positively contributed in various other ways to British society. At a time of significant change for the UK and its future relationship with the European Union, including with Ireland, it is essential that we continue to highlight and support those positive connections that bind our two countries together, and ensure that they will endure and prosper in the future.

It is a great reassurance to know that, while the UK officially left the European Union on 31 January, Irish citizens living here nevertheless maintain their existing rights under the Common Travel Area (CTA). Irish citizens in the UK can therefore continue to travel freely, live, work and access education, healthcare and social services in Britain, as they have in the past. The CTA protections also apply equally to British citizens living in Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day is a great occasion to be Irish and to join with family, friends and neighbours in celebrating Ireland, our people, culture and traditions. In the best tradition of Irish hospitality, I am sure that these celebrations will include many who, although not citizens, feel Irish by affinity and share our commitment to warm neighbourly relations between Ireland and the UK. I am very much looking forward to these positive and inclusive celebrations and want to extend my gratitude to all those involved in organising so many wonderful events across Britain. Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh go léir. I hope you all enjoy the forthcoming St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

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THE LONDON ST PATRICK’S DAY PARADE: SUNDAY, MARCH 15 A weekend of celebrations take place across the capital to mark St Patrick’s Day 2020, all leading up to the main event – the St Patrick’s Day Parade. The best of Irish arts, culture, food and music will all be on offer as Londoners and visitors to the city join together to celebrate the significant contribution Irish people have made to the capital. With Women in Sport the theme of this year’s St Patrick’s Day Festival, in support of the Federation of Irish Sports 20x20 campaign to improve coverage of women’s sport, the Grand Marshal for the world-renowned parade on Sunday will be Dublin camogie player Laura Twomey. The Festival culminates with the annual parade, which attracts more than 50,000 people to the streets of London for a colourful procession of Irish marching bands from the UK, US and Ireland, dance troupes and pageantry, including the Garda band from Dublin and the return of the popular Giant St Patrick. It starts at Hyde Park Corner, then travels through Piccadilly, St James’s Street, Pall Mall, Cockspur Street and Whitehall. At Trafalgar Square there will be a world-class line-up of Irish culture and music, in partnership with the London Irish Centre, compered by Derry Girls actor Siobhán McSweeney. There will be family concerts, storytelling,

children’s films and youth performances, as well as community choirs, schools, dance troops and collectives. There will also be performances by Imelda May, KILA and a singalong finale. Alongside the main stage, there will be food demonstrations from International Chef of the Year 2019, Anna Haugh, a replica Irish cottage, children’s workshops featuring camogie games, medal making and face painting, and a great selection of food and drinks stalls. Across the capital, there will be a further series of events throughout the weekend, including a takeover of Camden Market, busking on the Underground, free walking tours and a three-day film festival by Irish Film London. Gearing up for the big day, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m proud that every year our celebrations for St Patrick’s Day get better and better, and that 2020 will be our biggest yet. “I’m particularly pleased that this year the theme will be women in sport and that we will join together to celebrate the impact sport has on our communities and inspire the next generation of talent. “The Festival is a great way for Londoners and visitors to celebrate the way London’s Irish community have helped to shape life in our city – showing once again that London is open to all.”

PARADE ROUTE From 12 noon Hyde Park Corner > Piccadilly > St James’s St > Pall Mall > Cockspur Street > Whitehall

Images courtesy of Getty

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ST PATRICK – ONE MAN, GLOBAL APPEAL When the saint goes marching out Nobody can really be sure how or why St Patrick became one of the world’s saintly A-listers. Like many heavy hitters in the early Celtic Church, Patrick had little to do with the Papal authorities. He was born in Scotland, or perhaps Wales, and it’s possible that the Vatican was pretty much unaware of him — even though he was more than likely from a Roman family. St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Ireland were traditionally ecclesiastic. Places associated with the Apostle were particularly venerated sites of pilgrimage: Armagh, Down, the Hill of Tara, Croagh Patrick in Co. Mayo and Slemish in Co. Antrim — where St Patrick reputedly tended farm animals. Waterford, the oldest city in Ireland, will also celebrate enthusiastically. Largely as a result of local Franciscan friar

Luke Wadding, March 17 was declared a holy day of obligation within the Church. In 1625 he established the Irish College of St Isidore in Rome.

York’s first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade getting underway in 1762. On Tuesday, March 17 Fifth Avenue will do a grand job masquerading as Dublin.

Although this was for the education of Irish priests, strangely enough, St Isidore is today patron saint of the internet – St Web, so to speak.

2020 will mark the 65th St Patrick’s Day Parade in Chicago. It will be held on Saturday, March 14. On March 11 the Chicago River will be dyed green (as pictured above).

Dublin of course will mark the Apostle of Ireland’s Day in saintly style. Dublin’s St Patrick’s Day Festival this year runs for five days, March 13-17.

Patrick on parade The world’s first St Patrick’s Day parade took place in Boston in 1737 – the Charitable Irish Society of Boston were responsible, little suspecting that their idea would catch on throughout the world. The first celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day in New York City was held at the Crown and Thistle Tavern in 1756, with New

Britain’s large Irish population guarantees a memorable March 17. The St. Patrick’s Day Festival is London’s free celebration of the Irish contribution to life in the city. The centrepiece is the parade - marching bands, floats, and street theatre from both Ireland and the UK. Expect levels of craic & roll well in excess of sensible limits given the Patron Saint’s significant role in granting admission to the Hereafter – according to legend, God will allow St Patrick and not St Peter to judge the Irish on the Last Day. You have been warned...

A more subdued religious dimension attaches to proceedings down the road in the Loire valley. A legend persists that on making good his escape from Ireland, Patrick headed south where his (alleged) Uncle Martin of Tours was bishop. Churches in his name stand in Saint Patrice, Saint Patrice-de-Claids and Saint Patrice-du-Desert, tribute to the twenty years he is reputed to have lived here. Because of a miracle concerning fish and a blackthorn bush in the area of Brehemont-sur-Loire, he is now the patron saint of fishermen locally. Meanwhile in nearby Sandillon the local church contains the relic of St. Patrick’s pelvic bone (La relique de l’irlandais) brought to France by a villainous aristocrat trying to atone for a dastardly deed. It seems the local Comte murdered his chaplain, an Irishman, while he, the priest, was celebrating Mass.

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Consumed with remorse, le Comte went to Ireland in pursuit of penitence, and returned with a relic for the church.

Global greenness Their national anthem is God Save The Queen, and they celebrate St Patrick’s Day with a public holiday. No not Northern Ireland, but Montserrat. Much of the population of the Caribbean isle is of Irish descent. Their March 17 festival includes a commemoration of a slave uprising on St Patrick’s Day, 1768 - entirely appropriate as St Patrick was the first person in recorded history to speak out against slavery, having himself been a slave. All countries with a sizeable Irish population have their own St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Australia, Canada, Argentina, Italy and South Africa all mark the day with varying degrees of saintliness, but only Ireland and Nigeria have

given St. Patrick the job of official patron saint. The Apostle of Ireland was promoted to patron in Nigeria in 1961. On St Patrick’s Day, the collective Irish hair will be let down, not just in Ireland, but throughout the world. March 17 is without question the biggest celebration of a national day across the globe. From Antrim’s green hills to Moscow’s Red Square, the festivities will take place under the stewardship of the world’s most expert partygivers. Everyone is welcome – even if your DNA can claim no kinship with that elusive subterranean entity, Irish roots. Just remember, St Patrick had no Irish blood in his veins – but it didn’t stop him loving Ireland. IMAGES: (Top to bottom) The Colosseum in Rome goes green for St Patrick’s Day, Young revellers enjoy the St Patrick’s Day festivities in London, thousands line the streets for the annual St Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin

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ST PATRICK’S FESTIVAL CONCERT – ‘AN IRISH CELEBRATION TO REMEMBER’ This year’s festival concert in Trafalgar Square is shaping up to be the biggest and best. Programmed by the London Irish Centre (LIC), audiences can expect a diverse and eclectic celebration of all things Irish culture and community. The stage programme will run in three sections; Family, Community and Celebration. The Family morning, running from 12pm-1.30pm, will feature a family concert from KILA, live Irish storytelling, and music and dance for the family. This family section will end with speeches from special guests and dignitaries. From approximately 2pm, the stage will move to Community, hosting the very best community choirs, music and dance schools, cultural showcases and Irish stars of the West End. This will be an engaging and dynamic taste of the talent of the Irish in London. As afternoon moves to evening, the high energy Celebration begins, with a showcase of the very best new musicians and voices from Ireland. Things warms up further with headline sets from the legendary KILA, a special guest headliner, and finale singalong with Imelda May and other very special guests. With all of that and Derry Girls star Siobhán McSweeney on hand as

MC for the event, this is truly a celebration not to be missed. Looking ahead to the big day, Gary Dunne, Director of Culture at the LIC, said: “The London Irish Centre is delighted to be working with the Mayor of London on an electrifying programme of Irish culture and community on March 15th. “As the largest live showcase of Irish talent in Britain, the Trafalgar Square stage deserves the very best. From kids to céilí, family to film and emerging voices to established stars, London will host an Irish celebration to remember!” For the 2020 event the LIC are working with O’Donovan Waste Disposal as Stage Sponsors for the St Patrick’s Festival in London. The firm take on the role as part of their ongoing commitment to supporting Irish community and cultural celebrations in London, with Managing Director Jacqueline O’Donovan confirming: “As a London Irish company, we look for family and community sponsorships to link with our customers and to help build our brand. With a fantastic programme of entertainment planned, we are delighted to announce this partnership. We are looking forward to a very successful event with lots of family fun and a great day for the London community.”

TRAFALGAR SQUARE CONCERT SCHEDULE (timings and running order may change) FAMILY 12-2pm MC Siobhán McSweeney Irish Storytime on the Square - Kate Corkery & Olivia Armstrong Irish Family Cinema with Irish Film London KILA Family Concert The Trad Gathering COMMUNITY 2-4pm Gaelic Voices Choir Irish Stars of the West End with Irish Musical Youth Theatre Irish Pensioners Choir & Friends #IamIrish Showcase with MC Chickaboo, Amy True & Aoife Gumbs Irish Dance Showcase The Mary Wallopers – folk songs of the Irish in Britain New Irish Voices - Ciara Ni É & Farah Elle CELEBRATION 4-6pm Music from Ireland presents Erica Cody KILA Laura Whitmore Spoken Word & Special Guest Intro SPECIAL GUEST Headliners Imelda May The Big Irish Sing-Along Stage Sponsors for the St Patrick’s Festival Concert 2020

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KILA Hailed as one of Ireland’s most innovative and exciting bands. The eight members, mostly from Dublin, come from different musical backgrounds and share a passion to create great music with an ability to absorb influences from across the globe. With its roots in traditional Irish, it features a strong percussive like singing and gorgeous melodies driven by a serious rhythmical undercurrent. Kíla have created their own distinctive style of world music, which has won over audiences around the world through their nine recordings to date and their spectacular live performances.

GAELIC VOICES CHOIR Gaelic Voices Choir are a community choir who sing in the Irish language. The choir include people who are new to the language through to fluent speakers and many who do not have Irish heritage but want to sing! The group sing a mixture of songs - including old traditional songs right through to blues, pop and classical repertoire, some of which are their own translations. They sing in the Irish language, but are open to all people and provide phonetic lyrics for those who are not comfortable reading Irish script.

ERICA-CODY Based in Dublin, Ireland, Erica-Cody, AKA Erica Cody Kennedy Smith, is an alt-RnB singer, songwriter and producer who was introduced to music from a very young age, starting to write at the age of 7. Among the greats that inspired her, some of the 90s biggest RnB acts - from Jodeci to Aaliyah to Brandy – influenced the young teen.

KATE CORKERY Kate is a London-based Irish storyteller with an international reputation. She has travelled to the four corners of the world with her stories and delighted audiences of all ages far and wide. In London Kate runs a monthly storytelling club AROUND THE FIRE at The Irish Cultural Centre, Hammersmith as well leading workshops, teacher training courses and Storytelling in Education projects in schools. Kate is author of ‘Cork Folk Tales’- a collection of stories from her native county, two of which are included in the newly launched ‘Anthology of Irish Folk Tales’ published by The History Press.

THE MARY WALLOPERS The Mary Wallopers are a folk group from Dundalk, breathing new life into both well known & rare ballads. Travelling the length & breadth of the country singing & collecting songs, they exude a raw energy that could be described as the Clancy Brothers meet John Lydon. Stage Sponsors for the St Patrick’s Festival Concert 2020

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IMELDA MAY Dublin singer Imelda May is appearing at the St Patrick’s Day Concert in Trafalgar Square

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed myself,” she adds, “I just seem to have a huge amount of stuff that I’ve done.”

BY RACHAEL O’CONNOR

Following that period away from the scene, May has new music, new performances and even a book of poetry in the works for 2020.

AFTER a short period in “hiding” singer Imelda May has returned to the limelight in recent weeks.

“I’ve been writing poetry forever,” she says.

This weekend the ever-popular Dublin artist takes to the stage in London’s Trafalgar Square for the St Patrick’s Day Concert. As we prepare to celebrate the best of Irish community and culture on a global stage, May, who is eternally proud of her Irishness, claiming “for such a small country we have an abundance of creativity, we’re known for being poets and storytellers, and it’s a beautiful culture”, revealed what she has been up to. “I’ve kind of hidden myself away for the past couple of years and I’ve been working really hard,” she admits.

“I’m always writing, whether it’s music or poetry. And I have so much of it, I’m probably going to release a book. “I’ve been recording some of it as spoken word set to music, and I’ll probably release an EP or something like that.” Just last month May shared some of her new work at London’s Barbican Hall – where she took part in a one-night only, all-female event showcasing some of the best talent Ireland has to offer. She claims it was important for her to support an event designed to support Irish women.

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“I think especially in Irish culture it’s important, because something happened along the way in our culture where we became a patriarchal society, but before that it was quite matriarchal,” she says. May is quick to point out that’s she’s “not pushing for a matriarchal society”, though. “I think we should be aiming for a place where we all can learn from each other and work together and do something beautiful,” she says instead. “[But currently] you look around one day and realise that most of your books, whether it be in art, music or literature, it tends to be mostly from white men. “And there’s nothing wrong with white men. But you look at your collection of music or literature, or you go into a gallery or you go into libraries and that’s what you’re taught. And I’m not saying it shouldn’t be taught – because it definitely should – but we’ve only had half of the picture. And I’d like to know the other half.” “A lot of it we’ll never know,” she says, “because women weren’t encouraged to do it or weren’t able to do it.” “But I wonder how many women were at home writing that we never got to hear.” Such support for her fellow females ties in well with London’s St Patrick’s Day Festival 2020 – which has adopted the theme of Women in Sport. Catch Imelda May at the St Patrick’s Day Concert in Trafalgar Square on Sunday, March 15.

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COMMUNITY AT HEART Larry O’Leary is the Chair of the St Patrick’s Festival Community Advisory Board, which advises the Mayor of London’s office on all things Irish as they organise the annual celebration. He told Fiona Audley what we can expect from the 2020 event…

Hall on the content of the parade and festival. It is made up of members of the various Irish community groups both voluntary and professional. The Irish community in London is very diverse and our role is to ensure all facets of our community are represented.

What is the role of the St Patrick’s Festival Community Advisory Board?

How long have you been involved?

The Community Advisory Body (CAB) was set up a number of years ago to advise City

This is my first year as Chair, taking over from fellow Corkonian Catherina Casey, who was in the role for ten years and did exceptional work. I have been a member of the CAB for 12 years, representing ladies Gaelic sports of camogie and football through my club Fr Murphy’s and more recently the Council of Irish County Associations (CICA). Why is it important to have a CAB for this event? It goes back to the point of the diversity of the Irish community, for the CAB to be as fully representative as possible and advise City Hall on the make-up of the whole festival. The CAB have had regular meetings since September and have

found it great to work with Lottie and Fran from City Hall - there has been a great deal of youthful energy expended on this parade.

organisation, to take people from Camden all the way through the parade and back again on the day.

What can we expect from the St Patrick’s Day Festival 2020?

Elsewhere in the parade, the Cork Association will be wearing jerseys that commemorate 100 years since the death of two of their former Lord Mayors, Tomás Mac Curtain and Terence McSweeney.

The 2020 event really has the feel of a fantastic festival. The London Irish Centre, who were awarded the role of stage programming partner, and Hannah and Gary there, have put a great main stage show together, with acts such as Imelda May and Kíla and the likes of the Irish Pensioners Choir too. I’m also really looking forward to the singalong finale. The parade will see many groups displaying vibrant colours. My own club, the girls of Fr Murphy’s, will be at the front wearing specially commissioned jerseys and carrying the flags of all the provinces and counties.

Of course, this is a three-day festival, so along with everything on offer on parade day there will be plenty more happening over the course of the weekend – including Irish film screenings, courtesy of Irish Film London, Busking on the Underground, and much more. The Festival is celebrating 18 years in 2020, why do you think St Patrick’s Day remains such a popular celebration in London each year?

Having the Garda Síochána Band, the colourful Irish dancers and, for this year, a big contingent from Latin America carrying banners celebrating the role of Irish people in their independence struggles, will surely make this a parade to remember.

Everyone wants to be Irish on St Patrick’s Day and it falls at the best time of the year, with Cheltenham racing and the Six Nations rugby on around the same time, everyone just wants to celebrate.

Also, Club Rossie/Roscommon GAA have very kindly loaned their luxury team bus to the CICA

with flags at the parade in 2018

IMAGES: Top Left: Some of the Fr Murphy’s girls Top Right: The 2019 Fr Murphy’s parade jersey being launched on board the Irish Navy ship James Joyce, which was berthed in London.

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FAITH AND A FULL IRISH The Council of Irish County Associations (CICA) will host a St Patrick’s Day Mass at the London Irish Centre at 8.30am on Sunday, March 15. An annual event, the service which takes place in the McNamara Hall at the Camden Square venue – is followed by a full Irish breakfast. The breakfast features Clonakilty black pudding and offers vegan options too, with produce kindly donated by Clonakilty Black Pudding.

“We are most grateful to Club Rossie/ Roscommon GAA and Ballymore for putting their luxury team coach at our disposal and for getting people to the parade, who otherwise would be unable to participate,” CICA Chairman Larry O’Leary said. The CICA organisation is part of the Community Advisory Board which advises the Mayor of London’s office on the plans for its annual St Patrick’s Day Festival.

After breakfast a coach will leave the centre to bring 48 people who are older or disabled and as so less able to make their own way to the St Patrick’s Parade in London.

That role is an important one to the association, as Mr O’Leary explains: “If there is one day that epitomizes the spirit and purpose of CICA London, then it has to be St Patrick’s Parade Day, through the streets of London.

For 2020 that transport is sponsored by Roscommon GAA, Club Rossie and Ballymore.

“We help organise and direct a fabulous carnival occasion. A wonderful pageant of colour

and culture that exudes pride, passion and a whole lot of fun. “It is a day that London turns the colours Irish.” Regarding the work that goes into it, he added: “Behind the scenes, is a year’s worth of hard work, organisation and preparation. “We thank from our hearts, all the endeavour and hard work of volunteers and the representations of each individual county of Ireland that participates in the parade and of the thousands of spectators whom flock to the carnival.”

Tickets for the Full Irish Breakfast at the London Irish Centre cost £6 and are available from the London Irish Centre or by emailing cica.london18@gmail.com.

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IRISH IN BRITAIN – A COMMUNITY HISTORY For millennia Irish people have been criss-crossing the Irish Sea. In St Patrick’s time, the precious cargo was the Gospel, ferried from Ireland to various parts of Britain and further afield. Christianity had been kept alive in the great teaching monasteries that Patrick set up in Ireland. Meanwhile the rest of Europe — facing the collapse of the Roman Empire — entered the Dark Ages. Subsequently Irish missionaries such as St Colmcille and St Colman headed for Britain to reintroduce the Christian message and sent their scholars on to spread the Word throughout the continent.

Anglo-Saxon dialect — and helped kick-start the long process of turning an obscure Germanic tongue into a world language. Across the centuries contact between Ireland and Britain continued. The process of immigration began as long ago as the Middle Ages, with a steady trickle of exiles making the journey to British shores.

This even had an effect on the English language.

Within a few hundred years some of those Irish travellers had become elevated members of British society — Swift, Sheridan, O’Casey, Stoker and Shaw are only a few of the writers who made Britain their home across the centuries; Oscar Wilde was even made welcome at Her Majesty’s Pleasure in Reading Gaol.

St Aidan, one of the early scholars and missionaries, is credited with having helped introduce Latin into the north of England in the 7th century — while St Augustine was doing the same job in the south of the country. This was a momentous step for the fledgling English language — then just an

Others did spectacularly well — Arthur Wellesley from Dublin became British prime minister, after defeating Napoleon at Waterloo. As the Duke of Wellington, he became one of the most famous Irishmen in Britain, probably until the arrival of Eamonn Holmes.

MASS EMIGRATION For the majority of Irish people who headed for Britain, hard labour was their lot. In the north of Ireland there was a long tradition of catching the boat in Derry or Belfast and heading to the farmlands of southern Scotland for potato gathering (“tattie howking”) or general farm work. In the 19th century mass emigration from Ireland to Britain really got underway. The Great Famine of the 1840s resulted in millions of people leaving Ireland and heading to America, Australia — and of course British towns and cities. This first large wave of emigrants to Britain coincided with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Irish immigrants found themselves transplanted from a rural landscape into the grime and dirt of mills, factories and foundries. Men from Antrim, Derry and Donegal became the backbone of mining communities in the coalfields of Scotland. Towns like Coatbridge

in Lanark or Dundee in Fife soon had huge Irish populations. Cardinal Thomas Winning, who died in 2001, was the son of a Co. Donegal man who had settled with his wife in the west of Scotland. The cardinal was a traditionalist and at one time the most senior Catholic prelate in Britain. Although pooh-poohing the idea himself, he was often spoken of as a possible successor to Pope John Paul II, to whom he was a close friend and advisor. The cardinal’s Donegal father had worked in the coalmines of Lanark, and after losing his job turned to making boiled sweets, selling them door to door. Flexibility has always been the watchword of the Irish immigrant. By the end of the 19th century Irishmen from all over the island were helping to build Britain’s railways and canal system — ‘the Navigation’, and so the term ‘navvies’ entered the lexicon. The Great Famine and the Industrial Revolution were key factors in immigration to Britain, as indeed was the First World

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War. Over 200,000 Irishmen served with the British Army, drawn from both sides of the religious and political divide. Most Irish people, regardless of political affiliation, broadly supported the British war effort. But by the end of hostilities the climate in Ireland had changed. Veterans returning to nationalist areas met, at best, grudging acceptance. But more often than not they were greeted with open hostility, even physical violence. Many demobbed men, seeing the writing on the wall, did not settle again in Ireland but headed for England. Their descendants are part of today’s Diaspora in Britain. It was after the Second World War that mass immigration from Ireland began to accelerate. Britain had been devastated by the war and its infrastructure needed to be rebuilt. Ireland, although neutral during the war, was now close to being a subsistence economy. A mass movement of labour ‘across the water’ began. In Ireland it was almost accepted that there was no option — somebody stayed home, kept the place, and everyone else had to leave. In 1948 the Atlee government introduced the National Health Service in the UK. This revolutionary welfare system eventually grew into one of the largest employers in the world (today it’s the fifth biggest employer). Irish nurses soon found that their services were required ASAP. Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London soon had very substantial Irish populations. Irish communities sprung up and kept the traditions of home alive. In Glasgow, the Irish people who worked on the building sites, on the roads, in the coalmines or hospitals, founded Celtic FC — the only soccer club that thinks it’s a GAA club, as the saying goes. Meanwhile in London, this enforced emigration had one strange, and very welcome result: the Irish musical session was invented. From the late 1940s onwards dance halls became more and more showbandorientated, and the céilí bands (drums, accordion, piano) virtually disbanded. Thus the immigrants were deprived of an important connection with home. Those from rural areas who were used to hearing traditional music now had to find an alternative. Most lived in digs or rooming houses; sessions in front of the fire was not an

option. So they set up shop in local pubs in London - the first time Irish music was ever played in such establishments, and the first time that a variety of instruments such as accordion, fiddle, tenor banjo, flute were played together ensemble. Irish music up to this point had been a solo tradition; but now the Irish session (or seisún) was born. For the first time it was being played in public not just as an accompaniment for dancing, but for the sheer joy of performing and listening to the music.

SUCCESS STORIES The Irish workforce, whether in Camden Town or Cambuslang, steadily worked its way up from labourers to the top floor of management, and into every commercial, artistic or industrial endeavour. Today Irish people occupy elevated positions in every corner of society from entertainment to construction, and from academia to transport. Only this month, in March, Willie Walsh stood down as CEO of International Airlines Group — one of the world’s largest airline groups which includes British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus. On a different track, Trainline — one of the biggest independent digital rail and coach ticketing platforms in Europe, is run by Dublin woman Clare Gilmartin, the CEO. And there is a man from Ireland who is responsible for a stink many of you will smell every day in Britain. David Hanrahan is managing director of Robinson Brothers, the people who make the gas smelly. Natural gas, you see, is odourless, and would work quite well without any smell. But if a leak occurred, you’d not know it was there, seeping into every crevice, ready to explode… Step forward Robinson Brothers, a chemical firm in West Bromwich. They add a substance called mercaptan, aka methanethiol, to the gas. And an Irishman, David Hanrahan, is in charge of all that gas, being piped down tunnels —undoubtedly dug with the help of Irishmen of previous generations. Isn’t that a gas? IMAGES: (Top to bottom) Many Irish emigrants found work in Britain’s mining industry; Oscar Wilde is one of Ireland’s best-known emigrants; Mass emigration brought the traditional Irish session to Britain; St Patrick’s Day parades can now be found in cities and towns across Britain; Irishman Willie Walsh was responsible for one of the world’s largest airlines; Dubliner Clare Gilmartin, who is the CEO of Trainline

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CE LE BR ATE

ST PAT R I CK' S FE ST I VA L 13 – 15 March 2020

London

Ireland

Celebrate London’s emerald heart with music, dance, film, food and legendary entertainment across the city, and a celebration in Trafalgar Square on 15 March. london.gov.uk/St-Patricks

#StPatsDayLDN

#LondonIsOpen

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LAURA TWOMEY GRAND MARSHAL OF THE ST PATRICK’S DAY PARADE Women in sport is the theme for the Mayor of London’s St Patrick’s Festival 2020, so who better to lead the city’s world-renowned parade than Dublin camogie player Laura Twomey. The Festival theme supports the Federation of Irish Sports’ 20x20 campaign, which aims to improve coverage of women’s sport and create a shift in the perception of girls and women in sport in Ireland. It is a campaign for which Laura - an experienced camogie player and the co-captain of the Dublin Senior Camogie team - is an ambassador. A native of the North Dublin seaside town, Portmarnock, sport has always been a huge part of Laura’s family life. Her parents, Ger and Niall Twomey, have had a massive inﬂuence on her camogie career and always encouraged her to participate in any type of physical activity as a young girl. Laura began her sporting career on the tennis courts but soon fell in love with camogie after she started playing in primary school.

She has proudly represented her club, Naomh Mearnóg, since the young age of eight, won a Leinster Schools title with Portmarnock Community School in 2008, and in 2009 was a key member of the Naomh Mearnóg team that won the Dublin Senior Championship title for the first time. Laura has also won championship titles with her club at Under 16 and Junior B levels. Having joined the Dublin camogie development squad at the age of 14, Laura began training in the iconic phoenix park camogie pitches, with a burning desire to represent Dublin at Senior level. Laura made her senior Dublin debut against Kilkenny in the championship at the age of 16 in her own club grounds. She has impressed at Senior inter-county level and progressed through the ranks to become one of the most skilful and fearless defenders in the game. She has been the co-captain of the Dublin camogie senior team for the last two years and

guided her team to their first All-Ireland Semi-Final appearance in 27 years in 2017. Laura’s passion for physical activity and sport has been central to playing and coaching camogie over the last decade and she is a keen advocate of women and girls in sport.

ABOUT 20×20 The 20×20 initiative is about creating a cultural shift in the perception of girls and women in sport in Ireland. “By increasing visibility of women’s sport, it will become a greater part of who we are and what we follow,” its founders explain. “There is already so much to celebrate when it comes to women’s sport in Ireland, but there isn’t enough noise. The initiative seeks to change the subliminal bias in the Irish psyche that exists around girls and boys, or women and men, when it comes to sport.” They add: “The name of the initiative is shorthand for 20% by 2020, these are the targets we have set: 20% more media coverage of women in sport by the end of 2020. 20% more female participation whether at

player, coach, referee or administration level by the end of 2020. 20% more attendance at women’s games and events by the end of 2020. “This isn’t a ‘women for women’ initiative, it’s ‘all of society for all of society’. If sport is good, which we know it to be, then more sport is better. If we all play, we all win. “20×20 is asking all sections of Irish society to show their stripes and pledge one small action to increase the visibility of women’s sport in Ireland because if she can’t see it, she can’t be it. Jump to our ‘Show Your Stripes’ page to find out how.” The 20×20 concept was originated and developed by Along Came A Spider, a firm passionate about creating ideas with purpose. They partnered with The Federation Of Irish Sport and, with its support, all of Ireland’s leading sporting organisations have come together to pledge their active participation in the initiative, which is now a national movement. For further information visit 20x20.ie 21

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Fill your heart with the stuff that keeps it beating.

Diamond Hill, County Galway St Pats 2020.indd 22

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THE TRAD GATHERING Performing on the main stage in Trafalgar Square at the St Patrick’s Day Festival. The Trad Gathering, jointly commissioned by the BBC Proms and Return to Camden Town Festival, brought together 60 of the most talented and accomplished young traditional Irish musicians from across London, St Alban’s, Cambridge and further afield to work on a 15-minute piece arranged by the internationally renowned band The London Lasses and Pete Quinn and called ‘Lasses Remixed’.

Led by band members Karen Ryan and Pete Quinn, rehearsals culminated in the performance of the piece in Kensington Gardens as part of BBC Proms Folk Day in July 2008, followed by a performance at the 10th Return to Camden Town Festival and a guest appearance at Music for Youth’s Schools Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. In 2009, Return to Camden Town Festival commissioned the highly regarded Leitrim composer, Charlie Lennon to write a suite of music

specifically for the group. Entitled ‘Recollections of Camden Town’ the suite contains tunes dedicated to some of the high profile musicians on the London Irish music scene in the 1950s and 60s. It was premiered at the 2009 Return to Camden Town Festival and was performed again at the 60th Anniversary Celebrations of the Festival of Britain in the Royal Festival Hall in 2011. To date, projects by The Trad Gathering have involved

students recommended by their teachers from the London Irish Music School (taught by Colette Keaveney), Meitheal Cheoil (taught by Kathy Walton and Karen Ryan), Sharon Kelly Music School, St Alban’s Comhaltas Group (taught by John Devine), Cambridge Comhaltas, East London Comhaltas (taught by Maureen and Sinéad Linane), Feith an Cheoil (taught by Eilish Byrne Whelehan), Marian Gill’s School of Music, Gael Music (taught by Luke Daniels) and the Mulkere Academy of Irish Music.

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BUSKING ON THE UNDERGROUND If you’re making your way across the capital to enjoy some of the many St Patrick’s themed festivities on offer in the city on Saturday, March 14 keep an ear out for some Irish tunes while you are on the Underground. The London Underground (LU) Busking Scheme is a hit with performers and the travelling public – with passengers enjoying more than 100,000 hours of live music, performed every year by professional, talented buskers. So, in honour of Ireland’s national day a number of Irish musicians have been invited to take their place in some of the licensed busking spots found around the LU network to share their talents with residents and visitors to the capital.

BUSKING ON THE UNDERGROUND Location: Westminster, Southwark and Tottenham Court Road Tube Stations Cost: Free Date: Saturday, March 14 (throughout the day)

Did you know? Licensed buskers have a unique audience of around 3.5 million Tube passengers every day. Many passengers show their appreciation by dropping a few coins in the hat, knowing that the buskers are licensed and legitimate because they perform on one of their branded pitches. The London Underground Busking Scheme has attracted international media interest and some buskers are regularly booked for events and recording sessions - some have even gone on to perform in front of royalty or work with established musicians ranging from Simply Red to principals of the English National Opera. The lure of performing on the Tube has also attracted some big names: Ed Sheeran, Jessie J, Bob Geldof and Katherine Jenkins have all played on the Underground’s stage.

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AN ALL-IRISH LONDON TAKEOVER Enjoy live music, culture, an Irish potato liquor pop up and Irish street food mash up at Camden Market as part of the Mayor of London’s Official St Patrick’s Festival On Saturday, March 14, London’s iconic Camden Market will experience a market-wide Irish takeover. Celebrations will include the annual FREE Camden Live Irish Music Trail, a pop-up cocktail bar from new Irish potato spirits brand Muff Liquor Company, Irish street food mash ups and a free screening of the Ireland Vs France 6 Nations Rugby match. Returning for its fourth year, the Camden Live Irish Music Trail will showcase an entirely Londonbased, Irish line up of rising stars, all performing FREE live acoustic gigs in six locations across the Market. The music trail is part of the London Mayor’s official St Patrick’s Festival and supports the Market’s ongoing commitment to nurturing emerging talent and celebrates its international culture within.

IRISH LIQUOR POP UP New Irish distillers, Muff Liquor Company from Muff County Donegal, will be hosting their first UK liquor pop-up in Camden Market on March 14 and 15. Taking over the Market’s central bar, they’ll be serving their award-winning, Irish Gin and

Vodka, made from potatoes, a specially curated menu of Irish cocktails and drinks and - true Irish spirit – they’ll be screening the Ireland vs France Six Nations game (Sat, March 14, 8pm).

IRISH STREET FOOD SPECIALS Across the Market there will be international mash ups of street food with Irish twists. Young Vegans will be serving up a Vegan Steak and Guinness Pie with Mash, minted peas and boozy gravy (£9) and a Sweet and Salty Chocolate Guinness Pie (£4). Yorkshire Burrito’s signature roast, rolling in their Yorkshire pudding wraps, will feature Irish roast salt beef and colcannon, and Oh My Dog’s The O’Dogerty will be back on the menu, offering its signature hot dog topped with Shamrock Mustard, County Mayo Mayo, Green Pickle Relish and Crispy Tayto Flakes. Chin Chin Labs will be whipping up a ‘Lucky Four Leaf Clover’ ice cream (a unique combo of floral extracts and clover) on top of a fluff y chocolate potato cake swimming in chocolate stout sauce whilst over at the Cereal Killer Café, the Lucky Charms Superbowl w/freeze dried marshmallows, Lucky Charms ice cream and marshmallow milk is a dessert fit for leprechauns.

CAMDEN LIVE IRISH MUSIC TRAIL Artists due to appear in Camden Market’s fourth Irish Music Trail: AISLINN LOGAN - Aislinn Logan was introduced to the Irish music scene in Late 2017 following a slew of singles including ‘Spree’ and ‘Fair Game’, both of which helped establish the young multiinstrumentalist, songwriter and vocalist as an 80s orientated synth pop artist. Raised in Belfast and based in London, her writing often tackles societal issues, balancing candour with shimmering synth pop and melding disparate sounds into a cohesive whole. BLUE AMERICANS - Electro-pop duo Kriss Platt and Daniel Morgan Ball. Previously, the pair were in a band called More Than Conquerors however when the band ended, the two began collaborating on songs and Blue Americans was formed. The name comes from a brand of American cigarettes (Blue American Spirit Cigarettes). Blue Americans find the Northern Irish pair exploring completely new territory; both sonically and lyrically. LUKE CAREY – At just 24-yearsold, Carey merges contemporary and upbeat vocals with a classic acoustic style, drawing inspiration from the likes of Jamie T, Ed Sheeran, Eminem and Damien Rice.

A talented lyricist, he writes with honest, razor-sharp observation and wit. After setting himself the challenge of playing 100 gigs in 100 days he stormed the music scene with a Top 10 entry in the iTunes chart. He now continues his rise through the charts with his mix of laid-back guitar pop, sliced with rapid fire lyrics of his unique and uplifting street poetry. SAMPLE ANSWER - Using his guitar as his strongest tool, 22-year-old Sample Answer took his skills from the street to the stage and worked hard to make a name for himself. Combining diverse influences ranging from The Beatles and Bob Dylan to Jay-Z and Tyler The Creator, Sample Answer melds hip-hop, classic pop song-writing and authentic urban storytelling with his own unique flair. HAYLEY SOLAS – Although her hometown is Co. Kildare in Ireland, this Irish folk singer/songwriter is based in North London. VIDEO BLUE - Video Blue is a project by Dundalk native Jim O’Donoghue Martin. Embracing ambient electronica and guitar driven alt-pop; his music is a highly personal rolling document of his life. Images: (Left to right) Aislinn Logan, Blue Americans, Hayley Solas, Luke Carey, Sample Answer, Video Blue

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Happy St Patrick s Day

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IRISH WALKING TOURS Tony McDonnell has been a London tourist guide for more than 20 years, and claims it is still the “best job imaginable”. He regularly conducts tours around the Irish elements of London’s past – and present – and so is excited to be bringing his Irish Walking Tours back for the St Patrick’s Day Festival 2020. “If you never been on the walk it’s a sound introduction to Irish London, particularly for the great names of Ireland’s past,” he said.

Theme of the walk: Where the String Broke If you were: getting the start, going to the dance, looking for a doss, drinking in the pub or just having the craic, then Camden Town was your only man. Explore the Irish links with ballrooms, pubs, churches, hostels and the characters that made this amazing part of London Ireland’s Own for so many years. Lumpers, singers, writers and navvies will all feature this vibrant and important story.

“Visit sights around Fleet St associated with Yeats, Wolf-Tone or Parnell. Learn of Dr Johnson the closet Irish nationalist or Michael Collins taking a night class on the Strand.”

Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15

Why not join Tony and learn all about the capital’s Irish connections for free this St Patrick’s Day weekend?

Theme of the walk: Conquering England

ITINERARY Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15 Time: 10:30am Location: Starts at Camden Town tube station (Kentish Town Road Exit)

Time: 2pm Location: Starts at the War Memorial outside of Euston Station Three of Ireland’s greatest writers all came to the same place at the same time to make their names - London.

occupying a cell in a London Police Station.

Visit where W.B. Yeats lived for 23 years.

Saunter through Bloomsbury, Covent Garden and Soho and hear tales of these remarkable Irishmen in the city that helped to make them but which each in turn conquered and made their own.

Discover a “brown paper parcel” in the reading room of the British Museum and note a distinguished Irish gentleman

Booking details: Walks are free but booking is required - please email tonymcdonnellbbg@hotmail.com to book.

A tale of three brilliant immigrants and their lives and careers in the metropolis.

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CELEBRATE ST PATRICK’S AT THE CINEMA For something a little more relaxed this St Patrick’s weekend, join the Irish Film London team at Regent Street Cinema for a movie or two. Irish Film London (IFL) is the official film partner of the Mayor of London’s St Patrick’s Day Festival. Now in its tenth year, IFL returns to the Regent Street Cinema in central London with an exciting programme of features, exclusive Q&As, children and family events and a selection of original short Irish films.

The film festival opens Friday, March 13, with Calm with Horses, the acclaimed screen debut of director Nick Rowland, produced by Michael Fassbender. It stars Cosmo Jarvis (Peaky Blinders, Lady Macbeth), Barry Keoghan (The Eternals, Dunkirk) and Niamh Algar (The Virtues, Pure). This gripping thriller is set in rural Ireland where former boxer ‘Arm’ (Jarvis) becomes the feared enforcer of the drug dealing Devers family, which trying to be a good

father to his autistic son, Jack. The screening is followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. On Sunday, March 15, Oscar-nominated director and IFL Patron Lenny Abrahamson will hold a Q&A session, discussing his recent work, including a sneak preview of scenes from his much-anticipated TV series Normal People. Lenny directs the BBC and Hulu series, adapted from Sally Rooney’s acclaimed novel.

Set in modern Dublin, Normal People is a romantic love story about two teenagers who try to work through an awkward, tangled set of circumstances. It stars Daisy Edgar-Jones (Cold Feet) and newcomer Paul Mescal. The three-day IFL line-up includes two programmes of original Irish short films (Friday 13 & Sunday 15 March). Among the highlights is The Blocks, an animated film exploring the effect of addiction on family life and made by artist Gareth Gowran

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working with women from the Rialto Community Drug Team family support group, Step by Step. Day in The Sun is a moving tale of friendship, GAA sports and dementia and won the Audience Award for Best Short at the Clones Film Festival.

characters from the film. Kelly O’Connor, Irish Film London Founder, said: “St.

ST PATRICK’S DAY FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

Patrick’s Day, traditionally

Friday 13th March, 17.30: Programme One of Irish short films

the time when everyone

Friday 13th March, 19.30:: Calm with Horses

wants to celebrate Ireland and her culture, is the perfect opportunity to showcase Irish film to a wide audience.

In Twin, Ava spends her 21st birthday exploring the grief felt by the death of her twin sister and her attempts to overcome it.

Irish Film London is here to

The festival also includes a Saturday afternoon family film that will delight audiences, young and old, followed by a craft-based intergenerational workshop, which will bring to life the

For tickets and more info

make the most of that chance for Irish screen talent to shine here in the UK.”

visit irishfilmlondon.com. Follow @irishfilmlondon on Twitter and Instagram, and @irishfilmfestivallondon

Saturday 14th March, 14.00: Family film selection Saturday 14th March, 16.00: Kids/families workshop (Green Room) Sunday 15th March, 12noon to 16.00: Trafalgar Square celebration of St Patrick’s Day (Irish Film London will have a stall and will be showing short films on the big outdoor screen) Sunday 15th March, 17.30: Lenny Abrahamson and Normal People, Talk & Taster Sunday 15th March, 18:45: Irish Film London Drinks Reception Sunday 15th March, 19.30: Programme Two of Irish short films

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ST PATRICK…AND FRIENDS A trio of saints all represent Ireland as patrons It’s one of those great quiz questions: which of Ireland’s three patron saints is the odd one out? The answer is Patrick — he’s the only one who wasn’t born in Ireland. Brigid was born in what is now Co. Louth, and Colmcille in Donegal.

ended his days there, with the Chapel of St. Patrick still existing as part of Glastonbury Abbey. But the Irish monks who founded Glastonbury have form in this sort of thing. Long aware that religion and showbusiness go hand in hand, they were expert at concocting legends. Both King Arthur and his knights, and the story of the Holy Grail were largely the creation of these guys.

Like much of Patrick’s life, we aren’t sure where he was born. The likeliest place seems to be Scotland, but Wales and Somerset have also been cited as possibilities.

Although all three of Ireland’s saints are reputedly buried in Downpatrick, the large simple granite slab that marks their grave bears only Patrick’s name.

The one thing we can be reasonably sure of is that all three saints are buried in Co. Down — in the grounds of Down Cathedral in Downpatrick.

But it seems unlikely that any of the bones occupy that particular tomb. Because, rather incongruously, the site was picked out and erected at the beginning of the 20th century by the Belfast Naturalists’ Field Club. Despite this curious piece of history, it’s likely Ireland’s three saints are buried somewhere in these grounds. The best guess by archaeologists so far is by the main entrance to the cathedral. So watch where you’re putting your feet — you’re on holy ground.

According to an ancient Latin distich:

“In burgo Duno tumulo Tumulantur in uno Brigida, Patricius, atque Columba pius” (In Down three saints one grave do fill - Brigid, Patrick and Colmcille) Of course, legends about all three of these saints have grown over the centuries, but their remains in all likelihood do lie here in the grounds of the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in Downpatrick —as Down Cathedral is pleased to call itself on formal occasions. One criterion historians use to test a ‘fact’ is whether any other versions of that accepted fact exist. In this case the answer is more or less no. Throughout the history of Christianity in Ireland the ownership of such venerated relics would have been much sought after; but there seems to be no serious dissension that the three saints are buried in Downpatrick. Glastonbury has spurious claims that Patrick

Apart from being a saintly last resting place, Down Cathedral has had something of a tumultuous history: it has been serially destroyed by earthquake, pillaged by the Danes, burnt by the Scots, pulled down by the English, and battered by the elements as it lay in ruins for the best part of 200 years. Nowadays it is hard to imagine a more peaceful place, with views across the River Quoile valley to the ancient Cistercian Abbey of Inch — recently acting as a film set in Game of Thrones. To the south lies the Mountains of Mourne (ditto Game of Thrones). It’s a fitting place for Ireland’s three patron saints to be buried.

A pilgrimage to St Patrick’s grave in Downpatrick takes place every year on his feast day

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Saintly CVs St Patrick According to the autobiographical Confessio of Patrick, when he was about 16 Patrick was captured by Irish pirates from his home in Britain and taken as a slave to Ireland. He is believed to have tended pigs or sheep in Co. Antrim. After half a dozen years in the livestock sector he escaped and returned to his family in Britain. After becoming a Christian evangalist, he revisited Ireland. Legend has it that in a vision a voice called to him saying, “We beg you, holy boy, to come and walk again among us.” So he upped sticks, crossed the Irish Sea, and landed at a place near Downpatrick called Saul. He then set out to convert the pagan Celts of Ireland to Christianity. That’s the official story. But there might be an alternative version. One Cambridge University academic put forward reasonable grounds to question the ‘vision account’. Instead he proposed that Patrick may have been a tax collector for the Romans in Britain. But not fancying the job at all, he decided to skip across to Ireland. You can see his point. Taxing malcontented Welsh or Scottish can’t have been much fun. “OK, that means you owe us £IV per sack of deep-fried stuff; so that’s £XXVII in total. Pay up, Jimmy.”

St Colmcille Colmcille, also known as Columba, was a missionary from Donegal and is credited with bringing the Gospel to Scotland. One of the heavy hitters in the early Christian church, he founded the great abbey of Iona, a centre of Gaelic monasticism and learning for three centuries. On a more practical level, he greatly helped Scottish tourism. The earliest report of any monster in the vicinity of Loch Ness appears in The Life of St. Columba (Colmcille) by Adomnán, written in the 7th century. It seems Colmcille, staying near the loch with his companions, came across locals burying a man. They explained he’d been attacked by a “water beast” that had mauled him and dragged him under. Hearing this, Colmcille stunned the Picts by sending one of his followers to swim in the loch. The monster duly appeared, but Colmcille made the sign of the cross and commanded: “Go no further. Do not touch the man.” The beast fled in terror. This certainly helped Colmcille’s reputation in Scotland no end. Another thing helped too: he also introduced hurling to the native population. According to legend they took to the game eagerly, and renamed it shinty.

St Brigid As it happens, the Irish had a pre-Christian pagan goddess also called Brigid. She was associated with healing, fertility, poetry and learning. Multi-tasking, and then some. St Brigid (the Christian one) then moved into her slot — this was a common enough Christian move. The Christian Brigid accordingly took over some of her predecessor’s duties. In particular, she retained her springtime duties of bestowing blessings on the crops and livestock. Now, facts about Brigid are notoriously hard to come by, but it seems she was born maybe around 453AD at Faughart, Co. Louth. She set up her first convent with ‘seven other virgins’ according to legend. She subsequently founded the famous Convent of Cill-Dara, ‘the church of the oak’ where Kildare cathedral now stands. On her death she was buried in her abbey in Kildare but was later reinterred in Downpatrick. IMAGES: (Top to bottom) A statue of St Patrick, St Patrick’s grave, St Colmcille, St Brigid, Down Cathedral, Downpatrick

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THE HOME OF IRISH MUSIC IN LONDON

15th March

MUSIC: FAMILY TRAD SESSION

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MUSIC: LEGEND OF LUKE KELLY

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ST PATRICK’S DAY CONCERT: GOATS DON’T SHAVE WITH SUPPORT FROM ALAN BURKE

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FOOD REVOLUTIONARY Irish chef Anna Haugh, owner of Chelsea’s Myrtle Restaurant, will be giving food demonstrations in Trafalgar Square during the St Patrick’s Festival on Sunday, March 15. If you’re feeling peckish while enjoying the St Patrick’s festivities in London this weekend, be sure to stop by Anna Haugh’s stall. The Dubliner, who has been working as a professional chef

for more than 20 years, under the likes of Gordon Ramsay, Philip Howard and Shane Osborne, opened her first solo venture, Myrtle Restaurant, in 2019. From its Chelsea base she is seen to be leading something of a food revolution in the capital – bringing an undeniably Irish twist to modern European cooking. And Anna will be bringing that culinary flair to the masses this weekend as she gives

food demonstrations on Trafalgar Square for St Patrick’s Festival revellers.

old Irish recipes, lightened and modernised, or by using fantastic Irish produce.

The chef Born in Tallaght, Dublin, Anna is the chef patron of recently opened Myrtle Restaurant in Chelsea, London.

Anna trained in some of London’s best kitchens with many great chefs, and led Gordon Ramsay’s London House as Head Chef before embarking on her solo career.

Anna has been cooking for more than 20 years and is dedicated to bringing good Irish food to the capital – introducing a sophisticated taste of Ireland either through

She is a regular on Saturday Kitchen and Sunday Brunch and has recorded three series of the BBC’s Royal Recipes with Michael Burke and Paul Ainsworth.

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Anna will be one of the new chefs on the relaunch of Ready Steady Cook, hosted by Rylan Clarke-Neal, which is out this spring.

dining atmosphere.

The restaurant

spaghetti served with a sweet

Located in Chelsea, Myrtle Restaurant offers modern European cooking with an Irish influence using the finest Irish produce and prides itself on presenting sophisticated yet informal dishes in a relaxed

Myrtle offers a menu full of modernised Irish dishes from the Clonakilty black pudding wrapped in potato and buttery bramley apple puree and pecans, to the rich and succulent slow braised Irish beef stuffed Boxty dumpling and the Carrageen chocolate mousse with dark chocolate Irish mist.

Everything in the restaurant is hand-picked by Anna – so there is a touch of Ireland throughout. The dining room is a warm mix of blues and greens with some dusty pink and the pictures are of sketches of the Ha’penny bridge in Dublin, town houses and of Irish streetlamps. The champagne goblets are from Galway Crystal and the water goblets are made in Mullingar by Mullingar Pewter.

Anna’s cousin Daniel Haugh joined the Myrtle team as restaurant manager in October 2019. At Myrtle the service is warm and informative - Anna and Daniel want the customers to feel a warm welcome and attention to what each customer needs. For further information or bookings visit www.myrtlerestaurant.com 37

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ST PATRICK — THE FACTS Ireland’s first ever St Patrick’s Day parade took place in Dublin. But it was more of a military affair, reviewed by the Minister of Defence. This was in many ways ironic — not least because St Patrick managed to convert Ireland to Christianity without shedding any blood; an almost unique achievement. The St Patrick’s Day tradition of presenting Irish shamrock to the White House started back in 1952 during President Harry Truman’s time in office. However, Truman was not actually in Washington at the time and the then-Irish ambassador John Joseph Hearne simply dropped a box of shamrock off at the White House before heading off to his own celebrations. Patrick is the middle name of Elvis Costello, Danny La Rue, Morrissey, Eric Clapton, William Roache (Ken Barlow from Corrie) and Jimmy Page. All have some Irish links. The popularity of Patrick as an Irish name owes much to two Irish historical figures, Patrick

Sarsfield and Padraig Pearse. St. Patrick’s Day cannot coincide with Easter Day - but it can occur on the same day as Palm Sunday. This last occurred in 1940, and before that in 1799. St. Malachy in the 12th century (or his forger in the 16th) stated that there will be peace in Ireland only ‘when the palm and the shamrock grow together.’ Which is a pity, because Palm Sunday and St. Patrick’s Day will not coincide again until the year 2399. March 17 was largely a day of religious observance until the 20th century, when the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act 1903, passed by the British Parliament, was introduced by the Irish MP James O’Mara. However, it seems unlikely that James had today’s celebrations of pagan abandon in mind. Not long after he introduced the not-sodesperately popular law which required that pubs be closed on March 17, a provision which held sway until the 1970s. Ireland became just about the only country to embrace

Christianity without bloodshed or martyrdom. Well, almost without bloodshed. While baptising Aengus, King of Cashel, in 445, St. Patrick unwittingly stuck the spike of his crozier through his new convert’s foot. When later asked why he had not cried out, Aengus replied that he thought it was all part of the ceremony. Or so legend would have it. St. Patrick shares his feast day with St. Joseph of Arimathea, the patron saint of tin workers, St Gertrude and St Ambrose. So not a lot of saintly competition there. St Patrick’s Day in Ireland only got going in 1903. The Times of London reported on the first public St Patrick’s Day celebrations. The newspaper noted that public houses were closed and ‘The day was accordingly distinguished by a very welcome, very general, and most unusual sobriety’. Between 13million – 20million pints of Guinness are expected to be drunk worldwide on St Patrick’s Day.

There are reckoned to be more sports clubs named after St Patrick than any other saint. The link between Dublin, New York; Melbourne; Karachi and Armagh? They all have a St Patrick’s Cathedral. In fact Armagh has two — and you can probably guess the reason. Tipperary man M.J. O’Reilly was arrested for making poitin in Libya in 1977. He escaped prison and a public flogging when he somehow convinced the court that he had been engaged in a religious ritual in honour of St. Patrick. The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies was set up by Eamon de Valera in the 1940s. The institute not only included Irish academics, but also several eminent Jewish and Eastern European philosophers fleeing the Nazis. They debated the topic of Ireland’s national saint in the most intellectual high-brow terms, and finally came to the startling conclusion that there were in fact two St. Patricks. As Flann O’Brien commented, it was

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the Dublin Institute’s singular achievement to prove that there was no God but two St. Patricks. The top speed of snakes is eight mph - so Patrick would have had quite a job driving them out of the country. Indeed, if the legend is true, maybe there’s a rusty oul’ Celtic bicycle somewhere which could become a religious relic . . . From the Department of Wet Blankets : chances are that there haven’t been snakes in Ireland since the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. So don’t bother looking for that bike. The same is true of Iceland; Boswell states that it was Dr Johnson’s party piece to recite the whole of the 72nd chapter of Niels Horrebow’s The Natural History of Iceland, “Concerning Snakes”, which, in its English translation, consists of one sentence: “No snakes of any kind are to be met with throughout the whole island.” Exactly the same could be written about Ireland. St Patrick’s Church of Ireland, Stream Street, Newry, is an extremely significant building in these parts – it is almost certainly the very first Protestant church in Ireland, and one of the oldest churches in Ireland of any faith still in use. 41

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ST PATRICK’S COCKTAIL RECIPE THE MUFF MAN INGREDIENTS

METHOD

50ml Muff Gin

Add 50ml Muff Gin to a shaker, followed by 25ml of Elderflower syrup.

25ml Elderflower Syrup 25ml Lime Juice 4/5 Mint Leaves Top with a splash of tonic Sprig of rosemary and lime wheel garnish

Squeeze the contents of half a lime to the mixture and shake vigorously. Add crushed ice and mint leaves to a glass and add the contents of the shaker. Top it up with your favourite tonic and garnish with a sprig of aromatic rosemary and a zesty lime wheel.

Recipe courtesy of the Donegal-based Muff Liquor Company, founded by Laura Bonner, which is hosting a pop-up Irish bar as part of the Irish Takeover at Camden Market on March 14 and 15

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