Celebrating 70 years of the London Irish Centre

The London Irish Centre "provides an inclusive space for the Irish community"

London has the largest Irish-born population of any place outside of Ireland, and at its heart is the London Irish Centre in Camden.

Established in 1955 by a group from the Irish Priests Committee, the founders were worried about ill-prepared immigrants arriving in post-World War II London. Today, it still continues to support the diaspora and their offspring.

Initially the group bought 50 Camden Square - chosen for its proximity to Euston where the train from Holyhead arrived - for £3,887.10. Later, it bought number 51 for £2,700.

Famous faces have passed through the doors over the years including Bing Crosby who visited in 1968 to discuss an appearance at a fundraising concert.

The centre has often offered meals to those in need

In 1984 Shane MacGowan and the Pogues shot a video there. Nowadays, musician Ed Sheeran and broadcaster Dermot O'Leary are patrons and are both involved with fundraising for the centre.

Irish language classes, dancing, and music events are some of the cultural offerings. These run alongside community programmes regarding health and wellbeing advice, free walks, support groups and digital skills sessions.

Community groups host events there: this year the Republic of Ireland Soccer Supporters Club London celebrated their 40th anniversary at the centre.

Maeve Heath, 86, the centre's longest-standing volunteer, helps in the community cafe, where there is a warm welcome for everyone.

Broadcaster Dermot O'Leary with Maeve Heath, who arrived from Dublin in the early 1960s

She said: "There is no discrimination against anyone. We had a young lad come in recently from Dublin, he looked lost, he said he was starving.

"We fed and helped him, my heart went out to him. He has been in touch recently saying he was offered a job and is settled and he thanked us for helping him."

Maeve faced discrimination herself when she first arrived from Dublin in the early 1960s.

She added: "When I first came over and was looking for a room, the first place I saw had a note in the window saying, 'No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish'. That upset me.

"I thought how could these people be so horrible? What is wrong with us? Like back then we may have been poor, but we were honest people."

The London Irish Centre held a vigil for musician Sinéad O'Connor in 2023

CEO Séamus MacCormaic said the hub is as important today as it was back in the 1950s. He said: "Many young people who have come over are facing challenges with housing or work particularly in the creative industries.

"We are a gathering point, a focal point for the Irish in Britain, in times of celebration for sporting fixtures and events, but also to remember those maybe when they pass on.

"We held the first tributes after Sinead O'Connor passed and also when Shane MacGowan passed.

"People look to the centre as a place to gather and support, it is like a home from home," Mr MacCormaic said.

"We have a holistic approach, totally person-centred. We turn nobody away and try to help everybody, so it really is a microcosm of Ireland or those who have an affinity with Ireland."

"What's the craic back home?"

Tara Viscardi moved to London in 2018 from Kerry, to start her masters at the Royal College of Music. She was told about the centre through people in Ireland who had lived in London.

She said: "I think it's so important to have a place like this for the Irish in London. It provides an inclusive space for the Irish community where there is something for everyone.

"Whether you're a young person who has just arrived in the city and want to engage with their vibrant cultural and events programme, or an older person who has lived and worked here your whole life and now needs a bit of company through their wonderful befriender programme.

"I'm very fortunate to have got to know amazing people through my time as a befriender and, as a harpist, launched my debut album at the center in 2024. So it's an important part of my life in London.

"In March this year, the LIC asked me to perform at No. 10 Downing Street for the first St Patrick's reception to be held there and that was a special evening where the Irish community in the UK was celebrated."

For 70 years, new arrivals in the capital have been welcomed

Redevelopment plans are in the pipeline for the centre so it can move forward and serve the community for the next 70 years.

"Places like the London Irish Centre and the Irish Cultural Centre Hammersmith are an integral part of the fabric of London's Irish community," Ms Viscardi said.