Ambassador's Visit to the Coventry Irish Society
December 19, 2024
Ambassador’s Visit to the Coventry Irish Society
Irish Ambassador, Martin Fraser, received a very warm welcome at the Coventry Irish Society & formally opened the Mo Mowlam Library.
Coventry has a thriving Irish community and has long been a place where the Irish have found a home. People of all generations came out to welcome the Irish Ambassador to GB, His Excellency, Martin Fraser, during his visit to the Coventry Irish Society on the morning of 21 November 2024. The Ambassador was welcomed by music from Christy Pepper and from musicians at Cardinal Newman School. During the visit, he was presented with gifts from Coventry by Elliott and Bridget McCarthy of Christ The King Primary School.
CEO of the Coventry Irish Society, Simon McCarthy, said:
“It was a privilege to host the Ambassador during his visit to Coventry & to show the vital work that our charity does, from providing a social space for our members, supporting survivors of mother and baby homes, promoting culture and heritage, and providing advocacy and advice on welfare matters and healthcare support. As a charity, we rely entirely on donations and grants to be able to provide the important work that we do. We very much appreciate the support that we have been given by the Government of Ireland’s Emigrant Support Programme for many years and were pleased to have the opportunity of showing the Ambassador around our centre, which includes our Exhibition, “Irish Heart, Coventry Home”. The Ambassador took the time to meet with so many people during his visit and to hear about their own experiences and contributions to life here in Coventry. All aspects of Irish life were represented; from talented musicians, Irish language enthusiasts, Irish dance schools, and the GAA”.
The Ambassador formally opened the Mo Mowlam Library at the Coventry Irish Society during his visit and paid tribute to Mo, who grew up in Coventry, and was a key architect of The Good Friday Agreement, a copy of which is on display in the Library.
Solicitor, & Co-Ordinator at the Coventry Irish Society, Caroline Brogan, said:
“We’re delighted that the Mo Mowlam Library is now open for our members to enjoy. It provides a wonderful collection of books on Irish language, history, culture, heritage, politics, places of interest, & fiction. Mo is one of my heroes, so this is a beautiful tribute to her and reminds us all of the significance of The Good Friday Agreement and our duty to past and future generations to make sure that it is fully protected and implemented”.
November 2024\
See highlights from the day in the short video below.
Linda Ervine was born into a working-class Protestant family in east Belfast. She is the manager of the first Irish language centre to be based in a loyalist area. When she began learning Irish in 2011, no one would have conceived of the idea of an Irish language centre in the heart of east Belfast but despite the many difficulties, Turas is now one of the largest providers of Irish language classes in Belfast. She is the founder of Scoil na Seolta, the first Integrated school to teach through the medium of Irish. In 2021 she was honoured to receive the MBE for her work promoting the Irish language. In 2023 she was given an honorary doctorate by Queen’s University and in 2025 she was made a member of the Royal Irish Academy as well as an honorary degree from Trinity College in June that year and an honorary degree from the Open University in October 2025. In March 2026, she was appointed to the Irish Council of State by President Catherine Connolly. About the event: Thursday 11 June | 1pm-1.45pm. This is a FREE online webinar. To book, please email us: cis@covirishsoc.org.uk with names and contact emails of all attendees. Registration closes 04 June 2026. The online link will be emailed to attendees prior to the event. With support from: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Reconciliation Fund.
Join us as we celebrate St. Patrick's Day 2026 in Coventry with events, live performances, plenty of craic and lots to discover!
Join us for a special St. Patrick's day Lunch Club from 12:30pm - 5:00pm at CIS Office, Eaton House | £10 per ticket . Blessing of the Shamrock Mass - 12pm at St Osburg's Church | Blessings of the Shamrock kindly provided by our twin City, Cork. Enjoy an Irish Stew and buffet, a special visit from St Patrick, plus live performances with music from Frankie and the McHugh School of Irish Dancers. Tickets are available at the office. Please contact us on 02476 256629 or get in touch at cis@covirishsoc.org.uk or on Facebook.
