St Patrick's club, Abbey St.

Upstairs Bar. Jim Stretton wearing the St.Patrick's tug of war shirt.

Doug McCarthy with the pool cue, Mick Shearer in the background,right, with the dark shirt and Patsy Feeney in the foreground, white shirt.

I have recently met Pete Kinsey, an Englishman who followed the Irish showband music scene and was a member of St Patrick's club from 1975-1986. It is from Pete that I have the amazing roll call of names below. Thanks to Pete for all the memories and to Jim Stretton for the fabulous photos!

More of Pete's story later. Please let me know if you know and remember any of the following Irish in Leicester...

Eamon McGovern	Secretary	Former accountant. Born Belturbet, Cavan. Best male Irish friend, sadly died 1985. Lived in Campbell St
Kevin and Marion Smyth		Born Navan, lived in Duncan Rd area.
Patsy and Ann Smyth		Leicester born daughters of Kevin and Marion. Patsy married Jonjo Shearer, son of Bill.
Bill and John Shearer		Brothers from Castlecomer. County Kilkenny. Lived in New Parks.
Jonjo Shearer	Bar Steward
Martin Fogerty		Born Wexford
Joe Mcentaggart		Born Duleek, County Meath.
Benny Mceneary	Entertainment Secretary
Jim	Entertainment Secretary	From Drogheda
Gloria Sherry (Smyth)	Showband singer	born Monaghan, neice of Marion and Kevin. Lives with husband Donal in Monaghan Town.
Other Irish friends
Camelia Keane (stage name Kim Keane). Born 1952, from Limerick, singer with Joe Loss.
Tony Evans, and Wild Honey. Persuaded Pete to visit Ireland in the first place.
Carole Wallace (Carol Clarke) lead singer with New Blues (1976-1983) born May 8 1958 in Bettystown, County Meath. Now living in Drogheda.
John McManus, drummer with New Blues, the Cotton Mill Boys. Born Dublin, formerly engaged to Carole Wallace.

 

Jimmy and Benny McEneaney

If you'd like to be involved contact us on 0116 276 9186 or pop in to:
The Emerald Centre, Gipsy Lane, Leicester. LE5 OTB

We're now also on Twitter: follow me on  @irishleicester

Click here to view a map of The Irish in Leicester.

A busy week...

This week:

• I met with Pete Kinsey, an Leicester man who embraced the Irish showband culture in the 70s and has followed it ever since. Do the names New Blues, The Cotton Mill Boys and The Nevada ring any bells? Pete has fond memories of showbands and of St. Patrick's Club, Abbey St.and the good friends who worked there.
• I started to write up a story from Royal East St and St Patrick's school.
• I visited the Corby Heritage Centre to film " Migrant Stories"  with Colin Hyde, for the Midlands Oral History Project. We spent Friday listening to the wonderful stories of new comers to Corby: this time from Scotland, Walsall and London, all with similar tales of needing to move for work, the loss of leaving family behind and the struggle to make a new life for themselves. This was part of my own training in film and sound and I hope to be making movie stars of my own dear, dear Irish ladies and gentelmen soon.
• And finally this week we were in the Leicester Mercury. The new Mr. Leicester, Austin Ruddy, was kind enough to make us the lead feature on Friday night. He is of Irish stock himself so I'm hoping to be telling his story  here too one day soon. 

More details of all this in the week to come.

If you'd like to be involved contact us on 0116 276 9186 or pop in to:
The Emerald Centre, Gipsy Lane, Leicester. LE5 OTB
We're now also on Twitter: follow me on  @irishleicester

Click here to view a map of The Irish in Leicester.