Did you know that throughout the month of March every year, Irish History Month takes place?
An initiative brought about by the Irish Arts Foundation, first celebrated in Leeds in 2007, it is now in its thirteenth year. Irish History Month exists to promote the many positive contributions that Irish people have made in Leeds and also to introduce new audiences to the vibrancy of Irish arts, heritage, culture and history.
Particular highlights this year include two talks that will focus on the experiences of the Irish men and women who left Ireland during the 1950’s and 1960’s; the journey and their memories of arriving in inner city industrial Leeds: ‘The Sheepscar Triangle’ at Leeds Central Library on Wednesday 13 March and ‘They Came, They Sewed, They Stayed’ at Kirkstall Abbey Visitor Centre on Friday 22 March.
A session of traditional Irish music hosted by local musicians takes place on the Kirkstall Flyboat at Granary Wharf mid- afternoon of Sunday 31 March. The previous morning on Saturday 30 the Leeds based Triskele Academy of Irish Dance will be performing at the monthly Kirkstall Abbey deli and street food market.
Throughout the month a recreation of the legendary Leeds public house, The(Old) Roscoe – demolished in 1982 to make way for the Sheepscar interchange project – will remain on display in the community corridor in Leeds City Museum and an educational and cultural exhibition ‘Timeline’ will be at the Community Hub on Dewsbury Road in Beeston.
In advance of Irish History Month, during February, a team of tutors from the Irish Arts Foundation has been working in a number of schools across Leeds to deliver workshops on Irish arts and culture.
The twentieth Leeds St Patrick’s Day Parade will take place in Leeds City Centre on Sunday 17th March, leaving Millennium Square at 11am.
This post was written by Des Hurley of the Irish Arts Foundation
Photo: St Patrick’s Day Parade Leeds 2014 by Tom Blackwell via Creative Commons
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