Organised by the Gaelic League, the first, official Irish ceilidh was held in the Bloomsbury Hall, on this day in 1897. While I find it difficult to be certain, the address appears to be at 5-7 Tavistock Place, Mary Ward House (Mary Ward Centre is on Queen’s Square).
A new, English Heritage blue plaque marks the site of the Bryant & May match factory at Bow Quarter, 60 Fairfield Road, E3.
The strike against the atrocious working conditions here started in July 1888. It involved about 1,400 women and girl match makers, most of whom were Irish and came from an area known as the Fenian Barracks. Their victory was a watershed in rights for women workers. The cause of the match girls was aided by the social activist Annie Besant who was also of Irish extraction.
Ironically, perhaps, the factory is now gated and gentrified.
For more information, see Irish London, Kirkland R, Bloomsbury Press, London 2021.
Also see here, and for information on one of the strike leaders, 14-year old Mary Driscoll
The words on this poignant plaque say it all. The rose and the shamrock carvings above the main entrance also say plenty. The plaque and carvings can be found in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Oblates, or simply Quex Road, church, Kilburn,NW6 4PS.
Still an Irish institution and very much alive, the church was designed by EW Pugin. It is worthy of a visit and a good place to remember the lost and forgotten Irish.
Happy St Patrick’s Day to you all.
Micheal Mac Liammoir, actor, impresario, writer and theatrical legend was born Alfred Willmore, Purves Road, Kensal Rise, NW10. He co-founded the Gate theatre, Dublin with his partner Hilton Edwards and assisted in the establishment of An Taibhdhearc, the Irish language theatre in Galway.
Gate Theatre, Dublin
Sam Maguire, born Mallabracca 1877, died 1927. Sat on the London County Board with Liam MacCarthy. Recruited Michael Collins into the IRB. London Hibernians to their All-Ireland finals at the turn of the century. Worked at Mount Pleasant Post Office, Clerkenwell EC1A 1BB. Best remembered by the All-Ireland senior football trophy, The Sam Maguire Cup.
Picture credit: Alfred Leete [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Horatio Herbert Kitchener (Lord Kitchener of Khartoum), secretary of State for War. Born Ballylongford Co. Kerry 1850 lost at sea 1916 when his ship, HMS Hampshire, hit a mine (the subject of conspiracy theories, one involving Irish Republicans).
All Souls’ Chapel in the North West of St Paul’s Cathedral is dedicated to Lord Kitchener’s memory.
By Stephen Dickson (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
Dignitaries on the terrace at the Citadel overlooking Quebec Harbour, 18 August 1943. Seated are Anthony Eden (Foreign Secretary); President Roosevelt; the Countess of Athlone; Winston Churchill. Standing are the Earl of Athlone (Governor General of Canada); Mackenzie King (Prime Minister of Canada); Sir Alexander Cadogan (Permanent Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs); Brendan Bracken (Minister of Information).
Photograph: H 32144 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums via Wikimedia Commons. Photograph of No. 10 taken by Leonard Bentley via Wikimedia Commons.
Brendan BRACKEN, Minister for Information during World War II, Private Secretary to Winston Churchill, Privy Counciller and publisher born near Templemore Co. Tipperary 1901 lived on North Street (number required) and, for the duration of the War, at 10 Downing Street. Having led a full and prosperous life (he was a founder and Chairman of the Financial Times), he died in 1958.
Recommend looking up Bracken House, Cannon Street/Friday Street, near St Paul’s London EC4. This fellow blogger has a very authoritative feature, https://baldwinhamey.wordpress.com/2015/01/
on pavement grey 