Here’s Birmingham Irish Heritage Group’s Chair Michael Walsh’s write-up on the last event, which was in the Paragon Hotel for a change:

In the Steps of Princess Helena

The Birmingham Irish Heritage Group treated its followers to an extra special evening, by holding its regular First Wednesday of the Month Event at a listed building.  Not just any listed building, but an historic and palatial Victorian Gothic building, which once had the distinction of being visited by Princess Helena Christina of Schleswig Holstein. This is an area of continental Europe, which was independent in the time of Princess Helena, but was later divided between Denmark and Germany.

She arrived to open the building in 1903, an event commemorated by an elegant marble plaque on a wall, just past the spacious and inviting reception area.  She visited as a mature and regal lady, and whatever the number of her entourage they would easily be accommodated by the high ceilinged and wide ground floor corridors, trod over a century later by followers of the Heritage Group.

This Heritage Group Event was hosted by the Paragon Hotel in Alcester Street, off High Street Deritend, and the service provided by the management certainly lived up to the dictionary definition of the word Paragon “Model of Excellence”, nothing was too much trouble for the staff. Had one of the granddaughters of Princess Helena decided to get married in this hotel, the arrival of the bride in a wonderful dress and train accompanied by numerous bridesmaids, would be enhanced by the high ceilinged imposing interiors of the building. The historic interiors have been preserved in such a fine manner that any modern day wedding would be seen as a truly regal event, in all photographs because of the beautiful and imposing background.

Michael Walsh, Birmingham Irish Heritage Group

The next Irish Heritage event is The 1916 Uprising and War of Independence – A personal journey of discovery by Peter Duffy.  It’s 7pm this Wednesday 1st July in the Munster room at The Irish Club.