MANCHESTER'S IRISH REVIVAL
A Manchester-Irish culture develops
Down the generations, the Manchester Irish had formed a cohesive and
vigorous community. The Seventies, however, were years of relative
inactivity. Emigration from Ireland was virtually non-existent - the
converse in fact, with a significant number of people going home.
ETHNIC COMMUNITY
As with any ethnic community, there is amongst the Manchester Irish a degree of conflict between different generations, as well as between those subscribing to different social and political philosophies. That's to be expected. The important thing is that there is a great 'athbheochaint Ghaelach' in this city. The Manchester Irish are still on a high. Long may it last!
Then there were the Troubles in the Six Counties. A political climate
hostile to the Irish emerged. This was compounded by some violent
incidents in Manchester itself. The result was a reluctance on the
part of many to participate in high profile Irish activities. The
passing of the Prevention of Terrorism Act at the close of 1974 added
to that reluctance.
ST PATRICK'S DAY
The annual St Patrick's Day concert was an early victim. One of its organisers told me that it was abandoned through fear of attack from anti-Irish elements. Despite all of that, Irish activities did continue - but deliberately low-key.
ST PATRICK'S DAY
The annual St Patrick's Day concert was an early victim. One of its organisers told me that it was abandoned through fear of attack from anti-Irish elements. Despite all of that, Irish activities did continue - but deliberately low-key.
GAA CLUBS
So it was that the Seventies could be seen in Manchester as a decade
of contraction. GAA clubs, for example, found it hard to field teams
with many players who were on the wrong side of forty being pressed to
tog out on Sunday afternoons and competitive hurling ceased not merely
in Manchester but in Lancashire generally.
But with hindsight we can now see that the lean years of the Seventies laid the seeds of a new beginning. That decade was but a respite before a resurgence in the Eighties and Nineties.
MANCHESTER-IRISH
To keep Gaelic games alive, the GAA in Manchester turned to a policy of promoting underage football - encouraging the participation of Manchester-born youngsters. It was an initiative that paid off handsomely and promptly won the first of a succession of the Irish Post's annual Sports Awards.
Just to take one example, St Lawrence's GAA Club, based in Old Trafford, was soon fielding teams in under-10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 21. The result was that in the 80s and 90s more youngsters were playing Gaelic football in Manchester than at any time before. The buoyancy of Gaelic games in the city was but one aspect of the wider revival. The Eighties saw the emergence of an invigorated and self-confident Irish community. Much of the dynamic came from the Manchester-born Irish.
Venues such as the Irish World Heritage Centre and The 32 Club joined social centres like the Irish Association Social Club in Chorlton and St. Brendan's in Old Trafford which were established more than a generation earlier. The New Ardri also bounced back.
COMHALTAS
Comhaltas and the Irish dancing scene were thriving. There was a revived interest in the Irish language and county associations began to emerge in Manchester like spring daffodils - at a time when such organisations were in decline in London and elsewhere in Britain. County associations may elsewhere be perceived as old hat, but in Manchester, they were fresh and vibrant - part of the new resurgence. They were most of all playing their part in the areas of helping those in need.
In the context of welfare, there also emerged the Irish Community Care Project - a most welcome development led by Sister Rosaleen Murray, backed by a team of dedicated voluntary workers. They did sterling work and enjoyed the support of all Irish community organisations in the city.
But with hindsight we can now see that the lean years of the Seventies laid the seeds of a new beginning. That decade was but a respite before a resurgence in the Eighties and Nineties.
MANCHESTER-IRISH
To keep Gaelic games alive, the GAA in Manchester turned to a policy of promoting underage football - encouraging the participation of Manchester-born youngsters. It was an initiative that paid off handsomely and promptly won the first of a succession of the Irish Post's annual Sports Awards.
Just to take one example, St Lawrence's GAA Club, based in Old Trafford, was soon fielding teams in under-10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 21. The result was that in the 80s and 90s more youngsters were playing Gaelic football in Manchester than at any time before. The buoyancy of Gaelic games in the city was but one aspect of the wider revival. The Eighties saw the emergence of an invigorated and self-confident Irish community. Much of the dynamic came from the Manchester-born Irish.
Venues such as the Irish World Heritage Centre and The 32 Club joined social centres like the Irish Association Social Club in Chorlton and St. Brendan's in Old Trafford which were established more than a generation earlier. The New Ardri also bounced back.
COMHALTAS
Comhaltas and the Irish dancing scene were thriving. There was a revived interest in the Irish language and county associations began to emerge in Manchester like spring daffodils - at a time when such organisations were in decline in London and elsewhere in Britain. County associations may elsewhere be perceived as old hat, but in Manchester, they were fresh and vibrant - part of the new resurgence. They were most of all playing their part in the areas of helping those in need.
In the context of welfare, there also emerged the Irish Community Care Project - a most welcome development led by Sister Rosaleen Murray, backed by a team of dedicated voluntary workers. They did sterling work and enjoyed the support of all Irish community organisations in the city.
SECOND GENERATION
The contribution of the second generation was also most evident in organisations like the IBRG and the Manchester Irish Education Group. They acted as catalysts for major Irish community developments, such as dialogue with the City Council, access to local radio and the establishment of the Irish Studies movement.
The contribution of the second generation was also most evident in organisations like the IBRG and the Manchester Irish Education Group. They acted as catalysts for major Irish community developments, such as dialogue with the City Council, access to local radio and the establishment of the Irish Studies movement.
Moreover, the second generation developed its own distinctive
Manchester-Irish culture - centred on venues like The Clarence in
Oxford Road and bands like Dirty Mac, Rattle and Reel and Toss the
Feathers. These bands were made up of young musicians who came through
the ranks of Comhaltas. They fused traditional music with contemporary
forms and they attracted huge followings from the young Manchester
Irish..
ETHNIC COMMUNITY
As with any ethnic community, there is amongst the Manchester Irish a degree of conflict between different generations, as well as between those subscribing to different social and political philosophies. That's to be expected. The important thing is that there is a great 'athbheochaint Ghaelach' in this city. The Manchester Irish are still on a high. Long may it last!