The Coventry Irish Society won £60,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for their Oral History Project. The project will run for 18 months and will document the contribution of the Irish Community in Coventry focusing on migrants that arrived after the Second World War up to 1960s.
The fund means the charity can hold a high–profile exhibition at the Herbert Art Gallery in March 2018 during the St Patrick’s Day Festival. The exhibits will include filmed interviews, photographs and written materials.
Commenting on the award, Coventry Irish Society manager Simon McCarthy said:
“We are delighted to have received this National Lottery funding. The Irish community is proud of its heritage and legacy within the city and we see this project as a celebration of the magnificent contribution the Irish have made to the cultural, social and political life of Coventry.”
This substantial project will allow present and future generations to learn about the Irish community’s contribution to Coventry and celebrate it as part of the city’s diverse communities.
The charity will be distributing materials to schools and universities for educational purposes. There will also be archived materials available at the Herbert Art Gallery, creating a lasting legacy for this lesser known aspect of Coventry’s heritage. This is a prominent piece of work as Coventry bids to become the ‘City of Culture’ in 2021. A website will be published for the project also.
The Society is delighted to have also received partnership funding for the project from Cork City Council, ‘Deeley Construction’ and the Arts Council.