Ireland Inspires
Irish Voices: A Community Celebration
We have launched Irish Voices – Click here to get involved
Collecting and telling the stories of the London St. Patrick’s Day Parade over the last number of years has offered so much more than the chance to record the memories of this one day of annual celebration. It has been an invaluable insight into how and why these types of celebrations hold such meaning for our diaspora communities across Britain and globally. These celebration are the chance to experience what it means to be a community today, to show pride in our strong connections, to support our vulnerable and to showcase to the world the deep and rich diversity of who the Irish are today.
Explore the whole project, including over 40 oral histories, 200 curated themes, a film, a map, a timeline, a learning resource and much, much more at www.irishinbritain.org/irishvoices
“there is just so many people here, no one can move! It was rammed…huge numbers of people had come to Trafalgar Square, all the way down Whitehall you could see people lining the streets with their green balloons and wearing their green hats, it was like a sea of green.” Jude Woodward
Uncovering Irish Voices
Start by listening to our AUDIO SNAPSHOT, a 30 min collection of some of the voices and stories that contributed to the project. Or watch our Irish Voices ANIMATED FILM, made by young people and artists from East London. Explore our THEMES COLLECTIONS, over 200 curated telling the stories of change, community, culture and politics that influenced the parade over 5 decades. Discover the Irish Voices MAP and TIMELINE for a trip through the important places and histories of the London St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Ireland Inspires
“I remember arriving in 1969… and low and behold he produced this banner and he said, ‘here young fella, carry that banner!’ That was my first involvement in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and I have been involved ever since.” Tom McAsey
“All these different people, sharing what we had, sharing our day with us” Tom Monaghan
“There is a lot of music. A lot of shouting! We’d shout Up Tipp a lot, wouldn’t we!” Alice Power
“You don’t have to be an Irish accent like me to celebrate and that is a nice diversity, it’s nice to see others involved now.” Denis Power
“We weren’t English…we were the real McCoy, all the way from Ireland–home–grown, and we literally had to re–educate people to a position of being more tolerant of us. We used to have Gay Ceilis…and it was great because we could be ourselves in the Irish Centre and there was no hassle. We came together so we could create that space.” Terry Stewart
“Agnes O’Connell was a very feisty lady. She has these girls, she was very strict, she had them well drilled! Everyone loved her, she was always a part of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. She really stick’s out in my mind, she was a central part of the parade, her and her band.” Mel McNally
Growing up in London, we would wear a little sprig of withered shamrock on our lapels going to school sent over from Uncle Mick living in Galway. And my Dad got the biggest share, he being the real Irishman from County Monaghan and we were the mini Irish men in our little piece of shamrock.” Maire Clerkin