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).
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.
Wilhelmina Geddes, perhaps, the world’s greatest stained-glass artist, had her studio here, the Glass House 9-12 Lettice Street, Fulham SW6 4EH (although born Leitrim in 1887, Wilhelmina considered herself “a Belfast girl”).
Happy St Brigid’s Day.
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/
A big thank you to the increasing number of followers, commenters and visitors. You make it all worthwhile. Wishing you all the happiest of new years. And, thank you, to many of these other bloggers whose work I am enjoying.
The list of names here so far features a range of great Irish names from diverse fields (and mostly good London addresses!). There are more ready to be posted and yet more under research. I hope they will surprise and inform in equal measure. As a reminder here they all are, in reverse order, not forgetting the thousands commemorated at the Crown, Cricklewood,
William Butler YEATS
Sir Francis BEAUFORT
George Bernard SHAW
Sir Ernest Henry SHACKLETON
Dr Thomas John BARNARDO
Duke of WELLINGTON
Francis BACON
Countess Constance MARKIEWICZ
Erskine Robert CHILDERS
Daniel MACLISE
Oliver GOLDSMITH
Bernardo O’HIGGINS
Daniel O’ CONNELL
John Henry FOLEY
Bram STOKER
Richard Brinsley SHERIDAN
St Oliver PLUNKETT
Katharine O’ Shea
Louis MACNEICE
Louis MACNEICE , poet (born Belfast 1907 died 1963) lived at 52 Canonbury Park South, Islington, N1 from 1947 to 1952. Perhaps a good time of year for his poem ‘Snow’ follow the link below to read it and hear it read aloud it only takes a minute. I hope this is the kind of site that takes you on paths less well trodden.
http://www.thepoetryexchange.co.uk/uncategorized/snow-by-louis-macneice-2/
Photo of house by Spudgun67 on Wikimedia Commons, map from Google.
on pavement grey 