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‘Cuimhne’ – Irish memory loss initiative launches

Diaspora Voice – your say on Ireland’s Constitution

London Irish Exiles – a home from home

Irish in BritainCommunity / Culture / Sport / Business

Issue 4 March - June 13

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Welcome to our latest Irish in Britain magazine. The cultural whirl of St Patrick’s is upon us. It’s always great to be Irish and on St Patrick’s

everyone can join in the fun. Check out our Ireland Inspires website for all the different events happening across Britain. The traditional and the funky, whatever is going on for St Patrick’s we’ll have it listed.

As ever there are major things happening at FIS. The momentum for our Cuimhne (Queev’na) strategy is gathering pace. Working with our members and the wider community we are on our way to being the first ethnic community to be memory loss friendly. You may have seen our campaign with the Irish Post to raise much needed money to develop our training programme. Please donate whatever you can to help us see this project through.

Our 40th birthday this year is a real opportunity to reflect on major highlights for us and for the community over the last 40 years. We are also taking it as an opportunity to plan for the future so thanks to the 350 members and individuals from across the community who responded to our brand survey.

Finally if you haven’t been following the constitutional convention then it’s time to get with the programme! Each month the convention is debating and making recommendations on key issues relating to the community. You can read all about it on www.constitution.ie. To get involved in our listening programme ‘Diaspora Voice’ contact Martin Collins at FIS.

This magazine is produced by:

Federation of Irish Societies, 356 Holloway Road, London, N7 6PA Phone: 0207 697 4081 Email: info@irishinbritain.org Web: www.irishinbritain.org Twitter: @irishinbritain Facebook page: Irish in Britain

Registered charity number 1092268 Company Number: 4013148

The next edition will be published in July 2013. If you are interested in advertising or contributing to the next edition please contact Anna Franks (afranks@irishinbritain.org) no later than the first week of June 2013.

Copyright statement: Opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of FIS and no responsibility is accepted for advertising content.

Welcome 2Irish in Brief 3FIS News 4-5Cuimhne SpecialIrish in Depth 6-9 Irish in Business 10-11How you can help 12-13Ireland Inspires 14-15Irish Voice 16Irish Individuals 17Irish in Sport 18-19

Jennie McShannonCEO, Federation of Irish Societies

Contents Welcome

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New Ambassador for the UKWe are really sorry to learn that Ambassador Bobby McDonagh is leaving London this summer and moving to Rome where he has been assigned as part of the four yearly reshuffle of Irish ambassadors abroad. Bobby has always been a firm supporter of our work over the years. We look forward to welcoming the new Ambassador for the UK Dan Mulhall later on this year.

Census 2011 - The Irish HeadlinesThe initial figures on the Irish population in England and Wales have been released. Although figures show a decline of 110,717 in the total number registering their ethnicity as Irish we will not be able to fully understand these changes until we have seen more detailed information on age bands later in 2013.

Irish Network Stevenage TV successIrish Network Stevenage has announced the launch of a documentary capturing stories from the Irish community in the area. ‘Journey To The Streets Of Gold’ - The Irish Contribution to Stevenage, will be out on DVD and aired on Sky Channel 539, Virgin media 233 and freeview 87 later this year.

Dale Farm Travellers site – updateIrish Traveller Movement in Britain (ITMB) in partnership with Home Space Housing have been successful in securing planning permission for a Travellers site in Basildon which could become home to some of those evicted from Dale Farm. ITMB noted that Basildon Borough Council is currently confirming what its role will be in getting the site up and running.

State involvement confirmed in Magdalenes reportA new report from the Department of Justice and Equality has confirmed Irish government knowledge of what happened in Magdalene Laundries. Campaigning continues for an apology from the Irish Government and a compensation system for those affected. If you are an Irish Survivor living in Britain please visit our website www.irishsurvivorsinbritain.org to find out about support.

Photo: Louise Jefferson

IRISH IN BRIEF

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London St Patrick’s Day Parade - showcasing your storiesWe are delighted to have secured £50,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to run a project capturing the history of the London St Patrick’s Day Parade. We will be working with the London St Patrick’s Day Advisory Forum and the London Irish community to develop an oral history archive of the stories, memories and special moments from the Parade and festival from the 1960s to the present day. For more information contact Fiona Smith on 0207 697 4061 or email fsmith@irishinbritain.org Photo: Alex Coley

Happy Birthday to us!The Federation of Irish Societies (FIS) this year celebrates 40 years of bringing the Irish together in the only national network in Britain. The community has seen many significant changes over the last 40 years and we are proud to have been involved in some of the biggest moments and most important campaigns from getting the Irish ethnicity category onto the 2001 Census for the first time to the campaign for Justice for the Birmingham Six. Our loyal members and wider community support has been at the heart of all aspects of our work throughout. So thank you. We will be covering our 40 year history in a bit more detail in our next edition in July so watch this space!

Generating an income for Irish support servicesAre you providing a lunch club to members of your local Irish community? Do older Irish people rely on your support? Are you struggling to fund your weekly lunch club or the activities that you organise?

Why not consider getting some basic awareness training on how to generate an income for your work. We are providing training and advice to Irish organisations wanting to generate an income from direct payments. Not sure what that is? Call Rita Corrigan, Development Manager at FIS on 0121 622 4169 and see if this might work for you and your local lunch club.

NEWSFederation of Irish Societies

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Irish Clubs and Centres Irish Clubs and Centres have been at the heart of our community for many years and we have a dedicated officer John Gradwell (left) who supports Clubs and Centres with advice on business models, procurement, licensing and other Club-related issues. If you would like to know how John might help your Club or Centre please contact him on 07962 567232 or email jgradwell@irishinbritain.org

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Consultation with members on modernising our governanceFIS Chief Officer, Jennie McShannon on behalf of the Board, has commenced a process of in-depth consultation with members about potential changes to our governing documents. An excellent meeting of members took place in February where options were discussed and debated and this has resulted in a consensus from members about the best way forward. Jennie will be taking the most favoured option to the wider membership over the coming weeks and hopes to secure widespread agreement in advance of the EGM on 22nd June in Birmingham. If you would like to feed your thoughts in directly please contact Jennie / jmcshannon@irishinbritain.org

Reviewing our brandThanks to all our members and people from across the community who gave us such a huge response to our brand survey. We are now crunching the data and trying to ascertain your views on what works and what changes we ought to consider going forward into the next 40 years. We’ll let you know the collective response once we have reviewed your comments more fully.

Sign up for e-bulletinAs part of our 40th year celebrations we are inviting people who would like to be kept up-to-date with our work and the work of our members more regularly to sign up to our e-bulletin. Circulated every six weeks it is a fantastic snapshot of what is happening around our community in Britain. To subscribe please just email Anna Franks at afranks@irishinbritain.org

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WHO’S BACKING THE CAMPAIGN?

The Irish Post has joined us in partnership to help raise awareness about memory loss. Together we have launched a campaign to raise £20,000 to train 50 volunteers to help within our community.

The Ireland Fund of Great Britain (IFGB) has funded the initial training programme with a grant of £6,600. The Ireland Fund’s award will go towards providing specific training to providers of Irish lunch clubs. IFGB Executive Director Sheila Bailey said: “The Cuimhne initiative and in particular the training element absolutely aligns with the IFGB’s mission to support the Irish

Cuimhne (pronounced queev’na) is the Irish word for ‘memory’ and in this edition we throw the spotlight on our year long initiative to raise awareness of memory loss (age related forgetfulness, dementia and alzheimers) within the Irish community in Britain.

Irish Memory Loss Alliance

From individuals to Irish businesses and welfare providers our aspiration is to become the first ethnic community in Britain that can say we are ‘Memory Loss Friendly’. We have chosen the term memory loss as we know there is a stigma related to the term dementia within our community and we recognise the unique and differing ways in which people are affected by, and cope with memory loss. Central to our plan is to support family carers as well as individuals who may have some form of memory loss.

SPOTLIGHT ON

CUIMHNE

IRISH IN DEPTH

Photo: Mal McNally / Irish Post

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Because we know there is a need to raise awareness and improve support for our community.

• According to the 2011 Census the Irish are the one of the largest ethnic groups in Britain and the 2001 Census highlighted that we are disproportionately older than any other group including White British.

• We have heard from families about how upsetting it is to watch a loved one struggle to remember things.

• We have heard from family carers about how they can become isolated from their community and that respite from their caring responsibilities would help them feel more supported.

Why are we doing this?• We have been told by welfare

providers and Irish luncheon clubs about an increase in Irish people with memory loss accessing their services, as well as older Irish people who stop coming to their day clubs once memory loss sets in because they may be embarrassed or have difficulties travelling.

• We have heard about older Irish people who have no families and become isolated and alone at a very confusing and frightening time.

Now is the time for our community to pull together and take action to respond to this crisis. Let’s ensure our elders and their families have the support and care that they need at their most vulnerable time.

community in Britain and will ensure that our older community retain a healthy and active life for as long as possible.”

Tommy Moran of Moran and Bewleys Hotels has sponsored a volunteer and pledged to train all of his staff in memory loss and dementia awareness so individuals and families can feel confident in the knowledge that staff understand their needs. Read more about Tommy’s pledge of support on page 10.

The London Irish Construction Network has pledged to sponsor volunteers after inviting FIS to speak about Cuimhne at their recent networking event of Construction businesses.

Even Prime Minister David Cameron has sent a letter of support for the campaign.

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WHERE DO I GO fOR HELP?If you are worried about your memory or that of a family member or friend you should first see a GP. The GP will talk about the symptoms and they will normally carry out a physical examination and may do some tests designed to test memory.

If you are diagnosed with dementia there are a number of Irish support organisations that can help as well as the national charities such as Alzheimer’s UK. www.alzheimers.org.uk

What is dementia and memory loss?

IRISH INDEPTH

SPOTLIGHT ON

CUIMHNE

WHAT IS DEMENTIA?Dementia is a group of related symptoms associated with an ongoing decline of the brain and its abilities. There are a number of different types of dementia including Alzheimer’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and vascular dementia.

WHAT ARE THE SyMPTOMS?Symptoms can include loss of memory, communication problems, mood changes, loss of appetite and confusion. In most cases dementia cannot be cured and the symptoms gradually get worse over time. However, if diagnosed early there are a number of effective treatments which can improve a person’s quality of life.

Every person will have an individual experience of living with dementia but if you or anyone you know is experiencing any of the following symptoms listed on the opposite page it is important to seek help.

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Spotting the signs - do you...

We are also working hard to raise awareness at a political level about the Irish community and their dementia needs. Dr Mary Tilki, Chair of the Federation of Irish Societies (right) and a leading academic in Irish health, has been invited to speak about Cuimhne at the next All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on dementia.

Baroness Sally Greengross OBE, Chair of the APPG on Dementia, said: ‘With the APPG on dementia focusing on ensuring high quality dementia support is available to all, it’s a great time to see the Federation of Irish Societies bringing dedicated volunteers together to improve the lives of Irish people with dementia in Britain.’

Dr Tilki noted: “We are delighted to receive this invite. Since the APPG’s last meeting the group has recognised the need to look at dementia within BME groups. We want to ensure the Irish are involved in that investigation and their response allows us to do that by making a presentation to them on how memory loss and dementia affects the Irish community in Britain.”

Photo: Kris Howes

• struggle to remember recent events, although you can easily recall things that happened in the past;

• find it hard to follow conversations or programs on TV;

• forget the names of friends or everyday objects;

• cannot recall things you have heard, seen or read;

• notice that you repeat yourself or lose the thread of what you are saying;

• have problems thinking and reasoning;

• feel anxious, depressed or angry about your forgetfulness;

• find that other people start to comment on your forgetfulness; or

• feel confused even when in a familiar environment?

People are often embarrassed or afraid to seek help about memory problems. However, it is really important people seek help as quickly as possible. There are a number of treatable conditions that can cause memory problems and if an individual does have dementia a formal diagnosis will get access to the support and information they need.

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“Moran & Bewleys Hotels owns and operates ten 3 and 4 star hotels across Ireland and the UK including two Moran Hotels in London. Most notably, from an Irish perspective, is The Crown Moran Hotel in Cricklewood. We’ve always viewed our business from a family perspective and aim to give the welcome you’d expect yourself or a family member to get when you arrive ‘home’; I think that’s why we latched on so early to the idea of Cuimhne.

A GENERATIONAL BONDIn our family there has always been a strong bond across the generations. My siblings and I grew up fortunate enough to know and spend time with 3 of our 4 grandparents. Two of these lived into their 80’s while the real Matriarch of my family – Kathy Moran, passed away just last year at aged 94. She had a keen mind and strong sense of fun. It was always a pleasure to have her around and we were all enriched through her stories and interest in us as individuals. We were blessed.

Photo: Moran Hotels

Moran Hotels backs Cuimhne. We caught up with Tommy Moran, CEO, to tell us why he thinks this campaign is important...

SPOTLIGHT ON

CUIMHNEIRISH INBUSINESS

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A MEETING POINTThe Crown, Cricklewood, has been a meeting point and focus for celebrations for generations of Irish families in London. It continues to provide an Irish base in London for people gathering for all sorts of events or simply for a catch up. I enjoy watching the reactions of more elderly guests as they return, relive and share their memories of the place. Our position within the community perhaps makes it easier for us to understand and extend the notion that the commercial benefit from targeting families should also include families comprising of more than just mum, dad and two kids.

It makes good business sense to acknowledge the needs of older clientele and their carers are sometimes different to our younger guests but no less important and no less rewarding. Cuimhne is helping us be more inclusive of the wider family needs and in particular those of older clientele with memory loss issues.

A HOME fROM HOMEWe do a very healthy trade in regular local guests and of course many of these are of advanced years. Our bars double up as the living rooms for many of these people. We are in the position of spending more time with many than their own families, doctors or health professionals so by virtue of this have a social responsibility to know how to react positively and in a helpful manner should any show signs of memory loss.

The training that the Federation of Irish Societies is developing for us will help us to identify and recognise memory loss. We are being taught how to speak clearly and with patience. We’re taught how to frame our questions, using a guest’s name, to help them to express what product or service they want while helping them to handle their money. We are even learning how best to react should a guest forget to pay.

A HELPING HANDA hotel, while intended to be welcoming, can be intimidating. Presented with an imposing building and perhaps a staff member from another generation, or cultural background, it’s easy for the best of us to be thrown a little. Where a guest is also dealing with memory loss and confusion it can lead to fear. Our responsibility as hoteliers and as members of this community is to recognise wherever a guest is uncomfortable and offer to help.

Becoming involved in Cuimhne has benefits across our entire customer base. The techniques and approaches can and will be used to enhance the guest experience of all our guests and that can only be a good thing for us from a commercial aspect.”

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Training people to support our community is an essential part of the strategy to ensure that our most vulnerable are cared for and benefit from the most up-to-date strategies and approaches in memory loss and dementia care....

BUT – we need to raise £20,000 to deliver this training with 50 volunteers across Britain.

Maybe you run a GAA club, music event or Irish group where you could make a collection? Maybe you are involved in a church group that might be interested in running a coffee morning to support the fundraising? Maybe you have a loved one or friend experiencing memory loss symptoms right now and would like to make a personal donation?

Every penny helps – even £5 will make a difference.

You can donate:• Online: www.irishinbritain.org/cuimhne_donate.php• Send a cheque payable to ‘Federation of Irish Societies’, 356 Holloway

Road, London N7 6PA• Or call 0207 697 4081 and ask for Charlotte Curran to donate over the phone. Let’s ensure we work together to help our older family and friends at the very point when an Irish approach and an Irish understanding creates comfort and security.

How can I help?

Donate!

IRISH INDEPTHCuimhne can only happen with your support and there are many ways you can get involved.

SPOTLIGHT ON

CUIMHNE

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Volunteer for trainingAre you interested in registering to be trained as a volunteer? The training is all free and you will be supported by dementia experts throughout.

Josie McBrien was one of the first volunteers to sign up and said: “This campaign and volunteering is so important...I hope that many more people sign up as volunteers and I truly hope the money can be raised to train every one of us up to provide that service professionally and efficiently.”

WHO THE TRAINING IS fOR?• Volunteers working in existing Irish

elder luncheon clubs

• Individuals interested in working in the community as volunteers to support people with memory loss/dementia - maybe retired nurses, social care students or people working in health education.

• Staff already working in Irish welfare organisations across Britain who are increasingly supporting more people and families experiencing memory loss or dementia.

WHAT THE TRAINING INVOLVES:Training will be delivered at different levels according to the needs and awareness of individuals and organisations.

Level 1: Basic awareness, challenging stereotypes, increased confidence in interacting with people with memory loss and understanding/empathising with the needs of carers.

Level 2: Aimed at organisations/ individuals with some level of knowledge in identifying symptoms, confidence in discussing memory loss both in the environment in which they work and directly with individuals. The training will focus on referrals for assessment, improved communication, and developing relevant activities.

Level 3: Aimed at workers employed within the Irish welfare service. Training will consider the diagnosis of memory loss/dementia, referrals to memory clinics or specialist help, person centred care and the support of family carers.

To find out more and register for the training contact Charlotte Curran: 0207 697 4081 / ccurran@irishinbritain.org

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Tell your storyMaybe you or a loved one or friend has been affected by memory loss or dementia and would be happy to share your story. Sharing your story and your experiences can help many people to not feel so alone.

Contact Charlotte Curran (left) if you are happy to share your story: 0207 697 4081 / ccurran@irishinbritain.org

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2013 marks the 40th year of the federation of Irish Societies and from the retired teacher in Glasgow to the upcoming dancer in East London we believe that each and every one of us represent the Irish community in Britain and contribute to the story we have been telling over the last 40 years.

To kick off our anniversary celebrations we have launched a photography project to capture the diverse Irish community in Britain today. We want to capture ‘400 faces for 40 years’ and we will be starting our collection at St. Patrick’s Day events in London, Manchester and Birmingham. ‘400 faces for 40 years’, will see us collect photographs of the Irish right across Britain who represent the communities and organisations we have been working with for the last 4 decades. We believe everyone has a story to tell about being Irish in Britain and the ‘400 faces for 40 years’ project will document and showcase all the faces that have contributed to the passionate, diverse and dedicated community that we are proud to represent in 2013.

We want photos of all of you! The young and the old, the characters, the singers, the talkers, the quiet ones, the grannies, the ball players, the ‘quarter-

What does our community look like when you close your eyes?

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Irish’, the workers, the dancers, the tea-makers and all the other faces that make up our rich and evolving community in 2013.

Not in London, Manchester or Birmingham? We still need you to get involved. We’ll be gathering the portraits in lots of different ways, using our social networks, at events and during the St. Patrick’s activities too. The 17th March will see us begin to collect our 400 portraits but we will still have a long way to go throughout the rest of 2013. We need you all to get out your phones, log onto Instagram and tag your images ‘Irish in Britain’, grab a fancy ‘proper’ camera or just a disposable ones, if you can find one!

Send your photos with the names of the people featured and where they are from to fsmith@irishinbritain.org for them to become a part of our ‘400 faces for 40 years’ project....and don’t forget to get their permission for us to use them in our showcase!

ST. PATRICK’S DAy CELEBRATIONS SUNDAy MARCH 17TH 2013 Most events across the country will be taking place on Sunday the 17th, with everything from small gatherings to huge city celebrations, for a roundup of what will be happening see our website www.irelandinspires.me.uk

MARCH - JuLy 2013 As we head into the longer days, there will be much to look forward to in Irish Centres and other locations up and down the country. The listings on our website are regularly updated, so take a look and see what you can get involved in. A couple of highlights include:

• Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham will be at the Tyneside Irish Centre on the 20th April. Visit tynesideirish.com for ticket information and full details or contact the centre on 0191 261 0384.

• The Cripple Of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh at the Noel Coward Theatre from May onwards, check out the Ireland Inspires website for details.

• The City of London Festival, in July, will take its theme from the City of Culture 2013 in Derry - Londonderry and includes a showcase of fantastic Northern Irish artists and musicians. Visit www.colf.org for more details.

• Calling all Storytellers - As a response to the growing interest in storytelling for all ages, the Comhaltas group will be hosting their first year of storytelling competitions at their annual festivals (known as Fleadhs) throughout the world. Visit www.comhaltas.ie to find out about the regional Fleadhs in your area.

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Photo: Alex Coley

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This year Ireland’s Constitution ‘Bunreacht na hÉireann’, which was written in 1937, is being reviewed. The timetable for the areas under Review has now been published and through our ‘Diaspora Voice’ initiative, the Federation of Irish Societies is encouraging the Irish in Britain to get involved with the national discussion.

If you want to make a contribution and share your opinion on these topics it is very easy - it can be a few lines or a longer opinion on the areas being discussed. You don’t need to be part of an organisation to make a submission - your individual viewpoint is just as important. Visit www.constitution.ie and go to the submissions page. In the top right hand corner click ‘Make a Submission’. You can also view other people’s submissions on this website.

Don’t forget you can follow the live discussion on video stream for each session on the Constitutions’ website and can also feed in your responses via twitter to @consconv or #ccven.

We are looking for volunteers to help and assist with “listening events” around the country. If you are interested in helping please contact Martin Collins /MCollins@irishinbritain.org

Date Items time-tabled for discussion

26/27 January Reduction in voting age; length of presidential term

16/17 February Role of women, women in politics

13/14 April Same sex marriage18/19 May Dáil electoral system08/09 June Dáil electoral system28/29 September Votes for Irish

citizens abroad19/20 October Blasphemy, Any

other amendments30 Nov/01 December Any other

amendments

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We caught up with Deidre O’Byrne to tell us more about the Nottingham-Ireland Network. Deidre is a Lecturer in English at Loughborough University and also Chair of the Nottingham Irish Studies Group....

“Ireland often happens elsewhere’, according to Fintan O’Toole, and it happens a lot in Nottingham.

I got involved in community events in 2003, through Nottingham Irish Studies Group (NISG), founded by Pat Murphy in 1991. I organised a festival, and have been busy since.

I recently ran a workshop on Irish short stories as part of Festival of Words, and in March we’ll be active in Nottingham’s Irish festival. I’ll run a session on writings of the Irish diaspora, Pat will give a history talk, and we’ll co-present ‘Have a Go @ Gaeilge’. I’ll also do Irish storytelling for children, as we can’t forget the Little People.

Nottingham Irish Studies Group is not alone in keeping the Irish flame lit in Nottingham. Arise, You Gallant Sweeneys!, a documentary about older Irishmen taking a trip back home, was made locally, and shown in Broadway cinema. The Golden Shamrock Club organises lunches for the older Irish; there are Comhaltas music sessions, GAA and Golf societies, and dance schools and all local groups turn out for the annual 17th March parade. So a very vibrant scene!

If you are interested in finding out more about our work and events please check out our website www.nottinghamisg.org.uk or join our Facebook group - East Midlands Irish Forum. Fáilte!”

Deirdre O’Byrne Chair, Nottingham Irish Studies Group

Photo: Kris Howes

IRISH INDIVIDUALS

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London Irish rugby club was established in 1898 and became a professional rugby club in 1996. There have been many developments over the years, including a move out to Madejski Stadium in Reading where London Irish now play all their home matches, but it is Sunbury-on-Thames that has been the Club’s spiritual home since 1931.

The club, also known as the Exiles, was set up to provide a home from home for emigrating Irish men and

women regardless of creed or politics and a welcoming and hospitable venue to entertain rugby players and supporters from all over the world.

Today the Sunbury training ground provides not only the administration and training headquarters for the professional squad; it is also the base for the London Irish Academy and the Amateur Club. The Amateur Club’s top team, the ‘Wild Geese’, play in National 3 League where they are currently top of the table. On Sunday mornings during the season,

LONDON IRISH RUGBy CLUB

Photo: London Irish Rugby

IRISH INSPORT

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Sunbury resounds to the noise of up to 500 mini-rugby players and coaches that take over the grounds for training and matches.

Brian Smith is the club’s Director of Rugby and some of the star players include Irishmen Tomás O’Leary (left) and Ian Humphreys (right). Declan Danaher is club captain and a true London Irishman having grown up in North London with his first generation Irish parents.

London Irish holds the proud tradition of being a family club. This stems from the family environment that is created amongst the playing squad to the families that come and support the team on a match day. There is something to keep everyone in the family entertained at an Irish home game.

A day out at the Madejski starts in ‘The Craic’ where supporters can soak up the Irish atmosphere with music from house bands which include, The Reels, Shebeen, and The Bible Code Sunday’s to name a few, whilst enjoying a pint of Ireland’s most famous export, Guinness.

Digger’s Pound is open for all children before the match starts with a bouncy castle and face painting being the big attractions. The children also get the chance to meet the Digger mascot.

Don’t miss the St Patrick’s Party game on 23rd March where the Exiles take on Worcester Warriors.

Great food, great drink, great company and the best views of some of the best rugby in the country are yours when supporting London Irish.

The London Irish motto is ‘Proud of where we come from. Be proud of where we’re going’ and we are sure that new and established Irish people in Britain will continue to support the Exiles for years to come.

Photo: London Irish Rugby

Photo: London Irish Rugby

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