The Birmingham St. Patrick’s Festival Committee are holding a community meeting at the Irish Centre on Thursday 4th February at 7pm in order to discuss all their plans for this year’s Birmingham St Patrick’s Festival and Parade, which this year is on the weekend of 13th March. This is your opportunity to meet with the committee, make your own festival suggestions and share ideas!
The Birmingham St Patrick’s Festival is the biggest community event in the city, and we really depend on community feedback/involvement to ensure we can curate a great festival. Please make every effort to attend and encourage others to do so.
As always, the enlightening fun will be followed by free refreshments. It’s in the Munster Room, upstairs in The Irish Club on Digbeth High Street. All welcome – no charge.
Irish Heritage on Tuesday 2nd December had a distinctly festive feel, with a special Christmas quiz. Here’s Chair Michael Walsh’s take on the fun:
Ann Robinson Misses Heritage Quiz
Manx 5 pence with Manx Gaelic inscription
The Christmas Quiz of the Birmingham Irish Heritage Group survived the absence of Ann Robison. Not just any Ann Robinson but Ann Robinson Queen of the BBC TV Quiz, The Weakest Link and undoubtedly a star of the current trend of “humiliation television” shows. You know the sort of programme where a very powerful person degrades and humiliates people who are in a very weak position, and can’t wait to tell them “Your Fired” or “Your Going Home” or “Good Bye” thus smashing their dreams.
Well! at least they have not reverted to throwing Christians to the lions on live TV just yet. Now to be fair to Ann Robinson she did not promise to conduct the heritage quiz or even attend, but even somebody as exalted as her is still a member of the general public, so she could have come along. As is widely known the general public is invited to all Birmingham Irish Heritage Group Events which are held at 7pm on the first Wednesday of each month, upstairs in the Irish Centre, High Street, Digbeth, Birmingham.
However the Heritage Group survived the absence of Ann and her place was more than adequately filled by the Vice Chairman of the Group, John Macintyre. He conducted a lively, humorous and interesting quiz, without resorting to humiliation, and in fact he ensured that everybody had a good time, just by force of personality and great preparation. He did all this without a production staff and without even a single facelift, or makeup, unless there is something he is keeping from us.
Questions were generally of Irish Interest but with a good proportion of general knowledge, across music, films, sport and current affairs. It made for a keen contest between the several teams formed by people on the spot as they arrived. Individuals also got the opportunity to shine by being the first to jump up and correctly answer special questions to win spot prizes. Final victory went to an all ladies team, not that there was any kind segregation going on, just a group of friends.
One Pound Edge inscription - PLEIDIOL WYF I'M GWLAD
They are to be greatly congratulated have won against very knowledgeable opposition, capable of answering really obscure questions such as on the existence or not, of Welsh and Manx Gaelic inscriptions on modern British coins. The other teams also received well deserved prizes followed by a fine buffet provided by the Heritage Group and ordered from the Irish Centre. Then everybody enjoyed live music from Anthony Drury accordion, Kieran Clifford fiddle and Sue Shortland-Webb fiddle, and although they did not end with “Will Ye No Come Back Again” we do all want them back again.
Remember all are welcome free of charge, just come along to the next Birmingham Irish Heritage Group Event, upstairs at the Irish Centre at 7pm on Wednesday 6th of January 2010.
Here’s a report by John Macintyre on the last Birmingham Irish Heritage Group’s last meeting, at which Adam Lyons told the Story of the Wild Geese. I unfortunately didn’t arrive until the questions and answers at the end, but I did manage to get a short Audioboo chat with Adam afterwards, which you can listen to. I also managed to take some photos of the display boards there, which I thought were pretty interesting.
The next Irish Heritage meeting is this coming Wednesday 2nd December and is a special Christmas quiz and buffet – get down to the Munster Room at The Irish Centre for 7pm for food and prizes!
Story of the Wild Geese
Young aviator Adam Lyons enthralled nearly fifty patrons with the story of Wild Geese, at the November Event of The Birmingham Irish Heritage Group. If you missed this interesting evening followed by great conversation, do remember everybody is welcome free of charge upstairs in the new luxurious Irish Centre at these heritage Events, on the first Wednesday of every month at 7 pm.
Adam explained that they were founded in November 1691 by Jacobite Patrick Sarsfield who was permitted to leave Ireland with 12,000 troops, after the treaty of Limerick. This was agreed by Dutch King William Third who had deposed his father in law James Second (Jacobus 2) and defeated the Jacobites in Ireland at Derry, Enniskillen, Boyne, Aughrim and Limerick. The name came from the Wild Geese on the River Shannon flying south for the winter. Most Irishmen sought military service with the Monarchs of France, Austria, Russia and Austria who were the most powerful in 17th Century Europe.
The death of the 39 year old Spanish King Carlos Second, led to the 17 year old Grandson of Louis Fourteenth of France ruling Spain for 46 years as Felipe Fifth. However the Austrian Emperor did not recocgnise Felipe V and started the War of the Spanish Succession in 1701.
Villeroy’s French Army in Italy in 1701 comprised four Irish Regiments- Duke of Berwick’s (James 2nds Natural son), Lord Gamoy’s, Colonel Bourk’s, Colonel Dillon’s plus Colonel Sheldon’s squadrons. They fought at Chiari in 1701 and in 1702 at Cremona where Irishman Captain Francis McDonnell of the Austrian Army captured Villeroy, but refused to be bribed by the French, The Austrians tried to bribe the Bourkes and Dillons at the River Po gate, they refused suffering 350 casualties, but saved the French Position.
Louis Fourteenth of France personally rewarded Major Daniel O’Mahoney (who was knighted by the Old Pretender James Third, and increased the pay of all Irish Regiments for bravery.
The Wild Geese fought at Luzzara in 1702, but sadly were deployed to subjugate the French Protestant Camisards in 1703 and 1705. French Protestant Huguenots had been protected by the Treaty of Nantes in 1598 by Henri of Navarre a former Protestant who converted to Catholicism in 1589 to gain the French Throne. However his grandson Louis Fourteenth repealed this in 1685 and persecuted the Huguenots.
The Duke of Berwick’s Brother in Law, John Spencer Churchill became Duke of Marlborough following his exploits of 1704; his Anglo Dutch Austrian forces saved Vienna when Irishman Cadogan marched 250 miles in 20 days pulling cannons. Later at Blenheim Marlborough won an epic victory, although Charles O’Brien was praised by Louis Fourteenth for covering the subsequent retreat, against the Anglo Dutch Austrian forces of Prince Eugene of Savoy. Dubliner Captain Richard Molesworth gave Marlborough his horse and saved his life.
At the French Defeat at Ramillies in 1706, Charles O’Brien (Lord Clare) bravely defeated parts of the Dutch, Scots and English forces, but then lost his life. Ramillies was the place Dublin woman Catherine Welsh posing as Mr Christian Welsh in order to find her husband, was injured, she later served very bravely that year at Menin in Belgium and Tournai in 1709 where she hit a French windmill with a cannon shot. Adam Lyons enthralled the audience, recounting the remarkable deeds that this Dublin woman performed under several names- Hugh Jones, Christian Davies, Christian Welsh. She was finally rewarded as a Chelsea Pensioner under the name of Mother Ross and given a British Pension.
The Wild Geese performed bravely at Oudenaaarde and Malplaquet in 1709 where the 0’Donnell cavalry were heroic, and Colonel Robert Parker in the British Service wrote his account of this battle, where the two Royal Regiments of Ireland fought against each other under the French and British Crowns. This was described excellently by Adam, who also explained that Daniel Defoe mentioned Mother Ross/Christine Welsh.
Our speaker said that Lord Berwick perished at Phillisburg serving the French, and that the Irish Duke of Ormonde first served the Anglo-Dutch but switched to the French in 1715, and that all sides treated the Wild Geese less favourably than their own nationals. The War of the Spanish Succession finished in 1713 with the Treaty of Utrecht. Both Queen Anne of England and Louis Fourteenth died in 1714, although Felipe Fifth ruled Spain until 1746, he later switched sides and fought against his younger cousin Louis Fifteenth of France.
After the Presentation, everyone enjoyed complimentary beverages. Birmingham Irish Heritage Events are held upstairs at the Irish Centre on the first Wednesday of every month at 7pm. Visitors very welcome, Admission + Refreshments Free.
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.
At the tail-end of Ken Loach’s film The Wind That Shakes The Barley, Cillian Murphy’s character Damian rebels against the terms of the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty and joins the Anti-Treaty IRA. His involvement pits him against his brother Teddy, who later finds himself giving the order to Damian’s firing squad.
This case of ‘brother against brother’ was by no means unusual during the Irish Civil War, a deeply contentious period often omitted in the teaching of Irish history.
The poignant lecture was well received, and the lively Q&A session afterwards showed the subject still ignites debate and some discomfort today.
The Irish Heritage Forum meets on the evening of the first Wednesday of each month at the Birmingham Irish Club. Next month is their Annual General Meeting.
Tuesday – okay so there is some rest for the wicked. After a hard day’s work at ACE dance and music, I’ll get to spend the evening at home, which I’ll undoubtedly spend blogging.
Wednesday – The Irish Heritage Group conduct their monthly meeting at The Irish Club. I keep intending to go to this and never make it, so now I’ll say I will on the internet to make it happen. I will, I will, I will. By the way, if you fancy becoming the Irish Heritage Group’s new Chief Executive, you’ve got until this Friday to hand your application in.
Thursday – The preview of the new Andy Warhol exhibition at the Ikon Eastside The Eternal Now: Warhol and Film ’63-’68 is at 7.00pm-9.00pm. The exhibition carries on until 19th October.
Friday – Melinda Schwakhofer comes back to Birmingham to do Digbeth. Sounds like she fancies a visit to The Spotted Dog to check out John Tighe’s junk record-player collection.
St Patrick’s Day Festival Update – Notes from Spaghetti Gazetti about the St Patrick’s Day Festival meeting in The Irish Club last Thursday evening, which featured feedback from the 2008 parade and plans and hopes for the 2009 event.
Pete Ashton’s pics from Birmingham Flickrmeet in Digbeth – Pete Ashton went on Birmingham Flickrmeet’s tour of Digbeth yesterday, here’s his pics along with a link to the group thread. Looks wet but fun, sorry to have missed it.
Eastside’s set for a phallic spaceship – Pettifer’s design for a Vertical Theme Park in Birmingham: ‘a stunning city centre leisure tower combining observation platforms, family and adrenaline rides, extreme activities, and a 21st century entertainment centre.’
Digbeth has the best dancefloors – Ben Neal picks up on The Guardian’s ruling that The Custard Factory and The Rainbow are amongst the greatest dancefloors, which is strange as one’s an emptied pool and the other’s an old boozing pub so they’re not exactly purpose-built for the job.
Thanks to Christopher on About Brum for flagging this up. Professor Carl Chinn’s series about immigrant communities in Birmingham is being repeated on Radio 4 this week, with the option to listen through iPlayer available over the following few days. He interviews old and newcomers to Birmingham from local cultural community centres.
Interviewees in the Chinese Community Centre on Bradford St remember finding Brummie accents ‘scary’ (can’t say I blame them) and the report from the Polish Centre on Bordesley Street stiffened my resolve to eat dinner there at some point.
By far the most interesting was his piece about Birmingham Irish Club on Digbeth High St. ‘Old school’ Minstrel Music manager John Fitzgerald recalls the days when The Custard Factory made custard and worked in Fort Dunlop. He is nostalgic for the centre’s history as a haven the Irish community, whereas the young ‘new blood’ general manager Jason Hemming is keen to capitilise on other communities’ use of the centre. John and others have ‘reserved views’ about Jason’s management. Can the centre, soon to be rebuilt as part of the Irish Quarter’s regeneration, stay true to its roots whilst diversifying and keep the old customers happy whilst catering to new ones?
The Birmingham St. Patrick’s Festival Committee are holding a community meeting at the Irish Centre on Thursday 4th February at 7pm in order to discuss all their plans for this year’s Birmingham St Patrick’s Festival and Parade, which this year is on the weekend of 13th March. This is your opportunity to meet with the committee, make your own festival suggestions and share ideas!
