The Sentient Handkerchief

Handkerchief Installation: Irish Exile/Migration: Mothers and
Daughters by Sarah Strong . 2012 . copyright

You may have read a previous blog post, Mothers and Daughters , about the work of artist, Sarah Strong. Well, I went down to London yesterday for a viewing of her installation, The Sentient Handkerchief. It was held in the warm and welcoming offices of mind yourself  in Islington which works to improve the well being of the Irish community in London.

I had already received a photo of my handkerchief  but I still didn't know what the complete piece of work would look like. Everytime I have mentioned this project to people I have filled up and got emotional - I didn't disappoint last night either!

Sarah Strong and her husband, John.

I got there early and was thrilled to see the final piece: 15 handkerchieves, 12 mother/daughter photos interspersed with 3 photos of willow trees. I have to admit I was very proud to see my Mum up there on the top row but that significance is clearly mine not Sarah's! The evening was well attended but sadly only two other "handkerchief girls " were able to make it: several lived abroad, others had family commitments etc. but it was lovely to meet those other two and to swap stories. As varied as our experiences were, we had all loved and lost our Mothers.

Thank you so much Sarah.

 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 or join The Irish in Leicester group on Facebook.

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

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.

St.Pat's Club, Abbey St.

St Pat's Club, Abbey St. Leicester.

Sometimes you don't need any more details than a time and a place and a name. This photo was taken in 1966 at St.Pat's Club, Abbey St.

Left to right:
Bernard Greally, Paddy Mullroy, Jim Mullroy, Bill Greally, Christie Cummins and Jimmy Joyce.

Who knows their story?

More on St. Pat's...


 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 or join The Irish in Leicester group on Facebook.

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

Harrison Rd

I've had a fantastically quick response from the new friends I made at the Holy Cross lunch club on Tuesday. These two photos were taken at St.Patrick's School, Harrison Rd, around 1956/7 and were given to me by Susan Quilter, top left of the netball team with the lovely bow in her hair.

Surely some of you, your parents, friends and family are in these photos too. I would love to hear from you if you are!

The school netball team. St Patrick's School, Harrison Rd, 1956/7
Susan Quilter, Shirley Russell, Monica Reid.
Front row Ann Robinson,Pat Bailey, Janet Irwin, Judith Shell and Susan Fox..

This photo includes Mr Brennan centre stage. He was Deputy Head at the time, and went on to be Headmaster at English Martyrs.

St Patrick's School, Harrison Rd, 1956/7.

For more about St. Patrick's school and club and its role in the life of The Irish in Leicester see :

Garden St,  St. Patrick's school, Royal East St., Wharf St, St. Patrick's club, Abbey St  

 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 or join The Irish in Leicester group on Facebook.

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

Holy Cross

A huge thank you to the Holy Cross lunch club for their hospitality and warm welcome today.

I gave a short talk to the group about the blog earlier today and came away with some new contacts and some more Claddaghs! I look forward to hearing more from these particular ladies...


Brenda Cutts



Susan Quilter

 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 or join The Irish in Leicester group on Facebook.

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

Ever connecting links

I've written about this before I know but one of the things that continues to come through during my conversations with our Irish Elders is the link with others: the link with family and friends who were already here and the link with those who came later, either to visit or to stay. 

The first two pictures here are of my own family. The first one, taken in the back yard of Upper Conduit St, shows me and my Mum and Dad, with my maternal Grandmother. 

Mother, my Dad, Paddy, my Mum,Sarah and me, around 1959.

My Grandmother was called Mother by everybody.who knew her and had raised 10 children of her own. Despite being the eldest, after an older sister Hannah had sadly died of TB, my Mum was not the first of her 8 sisters to marry and have children. I don't know if this was the first time Mother had been over to see her in Leicester (she had 3 daughters already over in England who were married and had children) but it's certainly the only picture of me and her at such an early age. 

The second picture is of Annie, one my Mum's sisters. This is clearly a few years later and the baby is now my sister Sandra. The taller young girl in the middle is my cousin May Holt, who lived around the corner in Porter St. Her Mum, Greta, was my Dad's sister and the reason my parents came to Leicester in the first place. There often seemed to be people around or "over" and I wonder how many of them used the house as their first port of call in Leicester.

Sarah Callaghan, Annie Hill, May Holt, Lynda and Sandra Callaghan at Upper Conduit St.

Lastly here is a photo that really sums up the connections and strong links of many Irish families away from home...

From Brendan Grady

 Me & mum plus her relatives, Patsy & Genevieve McDowell with their 2 kids, (They emigrated to Australia in '70's). Plus also Kathleen Burns who was married to my Mum's cousin John Burns (from Liverpool) - John took most of the pics at this time {John and his brother Billy (rip) and sister Rose (rip) were brought up with my mother at their Grandma's in Forkhill Armagh during the 2nd WW , so they were always close.

 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 or join The Irish in Leicester group on Facebook.

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

Eamon Morton RIP

Eamon Morton

 I have only had the pleasure of knowing Eamon Morton for about a year and a half and a nicer, gentler man you could not hope to find. He and his wife Patricia  lived on Hobart St when they first came over and I was lucky enough to get to know the kindness, the sense of humour and, of course, the accordion that he was famed for. 

Today is a very sad day.

Eamon entertaining at the Emerald Centre Gala Day, Summer 2012.

 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 or join The Irish in Leicester group on Facebook.

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

Sound familiar?

I am really enjoying listening to Stuart Maconie’s Radio 2 series: The People’s Songs. The most recent episode tells the story My Boy Lollipop - The Caribbean Comes to Britain and I’m listening to it right now. Those early Jamaican immigrants talk of:

Coming to somewhere better

Leaving family behind

Going to friends and family who came over first

People not understanding your accent

Missing your loved ones

Enjoying new freedoms

Experiencing prejudice

Being turned away from accommodation

Bringing new food, music and dancing.

Wanting your children to succeed and do well in the new country

Making new friends

Sound familiar?

 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 or join The Irish in Leicester group on Facebook.

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