Lordy…I’ve not been to a gig at The Irish Centre for ages. It seems that they (whoever they are) are doing the old place up and, although it’s still a work in progress, it reminded me of just what a cracking venue it can be – a decent sized stage, a good view from wherever you stand and a bar (and staff) that delivers a lush, creamy pint of Guinness in your sticky mits in double quick time.
I hope the newly refurbished Irish Centre does better in its new guise as The Connaught Bar, the management are putting a real effort into injecting new life into it and history tells us it can be a great live music venue worthy of acts other than Little Jimmy and his ilk.
The Birmingham Irish Club, which has been given a much needed refurbishment and lick of paint, reopened on Monday as The Connaught Bar. It seems word got around beforehand because it was packed at lunchtime. The customers kept the new management (who also manage the Moseley Arms, Ravenhurst Street) on their toes with a rush of orders for pints of Guinness, Irish stew and pots of Barry’s Irish Tea.
Michael Walsh, Chair of the Birmingham Irish Heritage Group has sent me another little write-up of their last event to whet your appetite for this Wednesday evening’s talk by Peter Duffy- The 1916 Uprising and War of Independence – A personal Journey of Discovery (action starts at 7pm in The Irish Club).
Red Hand of O’Gara
The June Event of the Birmingham Irish Heritage Group carried a title which did not do justice to the depth of the presentation given by Alan Bairner PhD. The subject “Studying Irish Sport” whilst interesting in it’s self to many, revealed much about the underlying clash of identity in North East Ireland.
Alan demonstrated much authority on the subject having spent many years there engaged in field research and lecturing. Anybody who missed this event lost the opportunity to hear a very professional speaker, who in addition had the talent to engage with the crowd. After a prolonged session of interesting questions and contributions from the floor, a halt had to be called as we had run out of time. However we do hope to have Alan back in the not to distant future.
Birmingham Irish Heritage events commence at 7 pm on the first Wednesday of each month, but this was the first to be held in a palatial listed building. Not just any listed building, but one that had been visited over a century ago, by no less a personage than Princess Helena Christian of Schleswig- Holstein. Now I would hazard a guess that Schleswig-Holstein is not a name that rings a bell with many of our readers, even those who are supporters of the Heritage Group and I readily forgive them for that.
Even if it did ring a bell at one time and they had forgotten, they are in good company. Lord Palmerston the British Politian who held high office for much of the nineteenth century, is on record as having said about the mind numbing complexities of the problem.
“Only three people understood the Schleswig-Holstein Question. The first was Albert, the Prince consort and he is dead. The second is a German professor, and he is in an asylum. And the third was myself — and I have forgotten it.”
This answer did not do any harm to Lord Palmerston, for shortly afterwards he won an election. So there is hope for Gordon Brown, and indeed for the Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen, if either of them were to comment in relation to the financial meltdown that there were only three men who had the answer to it and:
Regrettably the first man was dead. The second man has become quite mad. And the third is myself – and I have forgotten it.
However such extraordinary answers would not cut any ice with the crowd at the Heritage Group Event, if their keen questioning of this months speaker was any guide. There were questions and contributions from John MacIntyre, Patricia Naylon, Charlie Neylon, John Costello and several others whose names are regrettably unknown to me. They were several contributions from the crowd on rugby player O’Gara meeting Queen Elizabeth as part of the Lions Team.
Each received a thorough reply from Alan based on his long experience seeing first hand the feelings generated by the separate sports of opposing communities in the six counties. The debate would have gone on for much longer had we not run out of time, but likely it continued in the well appointed lounge afterwards. Those who missed this exciting event can watch it on film, on the internet at digbeth.org thanks to the support of the operator of the Digbeth is Good Blog, Nicky Getgood. Type Irish Heritage into the search box half way down the screen on the right hand side and click GO.
Regarding the headline of this report, the picture shows that O’Gara’s hands were in his pockets and the red was on the faces of the others, but much too long for a headline. Anyway why spoil a snappy headline, with a pedantic adherence to trivial facts. Is O’Gara on his way to joining the hate figure of the British media “Hand of God” Diego Maradona.
Forget tennis or cricket – branch out a bit this summer and take up hurling, Gaelic handball or road bowling instead. Draw your inspiration from Alan Bairner’s presentation at to the Birmingham Irish Heritage GroupStudying Irish Sport tomorrow evening – Weds 3rd June at 7.00pm in the Paragon Hotel (a change of venue from the usual Irish Club this month). There’s no charge, and a free cup of tea and a biscuit in it for you.
A tenuous combination brought together by the talent of Vince Jordan and South Birmingham Comhaltas at the Birmingham Irish Heritage Group Event, upstairs at the Irish Club on the first Wednesday in April.
As recounted by Vince, Chief O’Neill was not as might be expected a Chieftain of the O’Neills of Ulster, but a Chief of Police in Chicago to whom Irish traditional musicians are indebted, for his magnificent collection of traditional music. Pat O’Neill is of course our own Pat a stalwart of Irish Community organisations in Birmingham over many years. Pat’s skills even extend to the playing of the bodhran much to the enjoyed by the large crowd attending this Heritage Event, also staged on the first Wednesday of every month.
Chief O’Neill not always a Police Chief, carried out his most valuable work on behalf Irish traditional music when he was a young patrolman. Whilst pounding a lonely beat in the early hours of the morning, he would hear the enchanting strains of traditional Irish music, coming from the window of some fellow exiles home. Moved by this, he then took the important step of locating the correct window, and when off duty in plain clothes he would visit, to make friends, listen again and write down the music.
As these exiles came from all over Ireland bringing their part of Ireland with them, in the form of traditional music, over a lifetime he able to build up a priceless collection of tunes. When he reached the rank of Police Chief, and was able to afford it, he performed a final service to Irish heritage at home and abroad, by having his collections published. We were treated to an enjoyable and varied rendition of tunes and taste of Irish music from “down under“, Vince having just returned from a successful tour of Australia.
About the only thing that could vie with such very enjoyable music, was a presentation of gifts to Mary Niblett, the long serving treasurer of the Heritage Group, who is returning to Ireland. It was acknowledged that she is the person who perhaps above all kept the Heritage Group solvent, and thus affords to bring speakers to over seventy events, during her period on the committee.
Mary’s successor as treasurer Kate MacManus and Anne Scott the event organiser, made a bright and vivacious presentation. The crowd, most of whom had been lucky enough to enjoy the fruits of Mary’s financial stewardship over the last seven years, spared no effort in their appreciative applause. Next month will see Peter Mulligan come all the way from Northampton to unveil a series of surprises at the Heritage Group Event at 7pm on the first Wednesday in May upstairs at the Irish Club in Deritend.
Where could you find such a fascinating and diverse combination, and in Birmingham of all places. Well it is part of the Heritage of Ireland, and all those who were lucky enough to have squeezed into the March Event of the Birmingham Irish Heritage Group, had all revealed to them by our visiting speaker Deirdre O’Byrne.
Her warm and engaging presentation on the disappearing Anglo Irish drew both a large crowd, and numerous thoughtful contributions from them, at the Event which commenced at 7pm on the first Wednesday in March. Among the many contributions from the audience was a well informed one from Leslie Blennerhassett, who comes from an Anglo Irish background. Though the name Blennerhassett may appear comparatively rare there is a well documented linage in Ireland stretching back many centuries.
Deirdre brought to life her view of the mystery of the local “Big House” when she was growing up, and her present admiration for their wonderful gardens which are now open to the Irish people. The enigma of the Anglo Irish was explored by both speaker and audience. This particular section of Irish society who have lived in Ireland for centuries and consider themselves Irish, and have indeed contributed so much to Irish culture through novels, poetry, and the arts, and in the preservation of the countries architecture and antiquities.
Yet they will observe the queen’s birthday and some have fought for Britain in both world wars. Some have even been given seats in the British House of Lords, perhaps no great honour when even the prince of darkness (Lord Mandelson) has received that honour.
The next Birmingham Irish Heritage Group will be ‘Vincent Jordan – Comhaltas Music and Talk’. It will be held at 7pm on Wednesday 1st of April in the Munster Room upstairs at the Irish Club Deritend Birmingham. All are welcome, free of charge, and tea and coffee are provided.
One part of the St Patrick’s Festival I did manage to make was this presentation by Ultan Cowley, bringing to life the world of the 20th century Irish navvy. Here’s some blurry highlights. It was insightful stuff that rang true for a lot of the many people there, some stories were quite sweet and touching but a lot shed light on what was a life of back-breaking hard work.
THIS WAS A SECRET WORLD OF ‘TUNNEL TIGERS’, ‘HEAVY DIGGERS’, AND ‘MCALPINE’S FUSILIERS’; OF ‘HEN HOUSES’, ‘COCK LODGERS’, AND ‘THE LANDLADIES’ BREAKFAST’; OF ‘PINCHER KIDDIES’, ‘LONG DISTANCE MEN’, AND ‘SHACKLING UP’; OF ‘DEAD MEN’, ‘WALKING PELTERS’, AND ‘MURPHY’S VOLUNTEERS’; OF ‘THE SHAMROCK’, ‘THE GALTYMORE’, ‘THE BUFFALO’ AND ‘THE CROWN’; OF EXILE AND ISOLATION AND LONELINESS AND DESPAIR.
EC Arts brings major public art to Digbeth – Artist Claire Farrell tells the world about the Digbeth public art project she’s involved with via the Custard Factory’s blog. ‘The final piece, she says, will be “181 linear meters spanning Mill Lane, Bradford St and Rea Street, standing at lowest point 2.2 meters per sculpture/haunch and rising to 6 meters tall” and is due to be finished next Autumn.’ You can also read the artist’s statement by Rob Colbourne & Stuart Mugridge, which is lots of serious writings about ‘Industriality’, ‘Movement and Flow’, ‘Transparency’ and ‘Colour and Finish’. Or you could just watch the telly film like me and see that it has much pretyy, being see-through with red flections.
No need to go beyong the Custard Factory for your Chistmas shopping. Go to World of Homoeopathy for gift vouchers or treatment vouchers for Reiki, Hair Analysis and Homoeopathic Consultations. Get some hand-made Xmas cards from Cinnamon Aitch and if you’re after something really special, order some seriously personalised Kings of Neon footwear from Looks Can Kill.
Fused Magazine – Eastside Projects – Fay Khan writes her thoughts about a visit to Eastside Projects, where everything is art, down to the door handle, which never I never realised before. ‘It felt invigorating to be joining an exhibition as it is being created, as its narrative is being written. This growth process allows a new aspect of exhibition creating to come to the fore, exposing all involved to the fact that no matter how much planning is carried out, no one can really read the final chapter until Eastside Projects has written it.’
