CIS Welcomes the Coventry Irish Friendship Society
February 5, 2024
Established in 1978, the Coventry Irish Friendship Society is a weekly get together of Irish people (now all Irish Elders) every Friday between 12pm-2pm.
The Society’s founding members were Sheila Lenihan (RIP) Joan Clarke, Mick McGloughlin (RIP) Joe
McCarthy and Rita McCarthy (RIP).
The Irish Friendship Society has recently moved to Coventry Irish Society after Flannellys Club closed
at Christmas, and we are delighted to host them here!
Each week the group has some lunch, plays Bingo and games and generally a good chit chat and
socialising.
The Groups early days meetings were at a meeting hall in Spon End, then to St Osburg’s Club before
moving to Flannellys Club where they met every Wednesday (laterally Fridays) for over 23 years! Asking some of the members about the early days they mention the need for Irish people to get together in the context of the tensions that were around for the Irish community at that time (the impact of the troubles on the perception of the Irish community in Britain).
Former Founding Member and Chair of the group, Mike McGloughlin used to organise meals/events for the group at the Jaguar Club in Coundon where Mike was a Finance Director.
Today, the group has a meal out every 5- 6 weeks. The group is self-funding, and the members contribute £2 per-week.
New members are always welcome!
Those interested in joining can come to the group any Friday 12pm-2pm and become a member.
Coventry Irish Society is pleased to announce the publication of 2 new promotional films about the Charity’s work with the aim of securing a permanent Irish Heritage Centre.
Join us for a powerful and moving evening with Stephen Travers , bassist with the Miami Showband , as he shares his personal journey of survival, loss, and campaign for truth following the 1975 Miami Showband massacre – one of the darkest chapters of The Troubles. This unique event, hosted by Coventry Irish Society and supported by the Irish Government's Department of Foreign Affairs' Reconciliation Fund , explores themes of peacebuilding, resilience, and fight for truth and justice. More information on Stephen and his new book can be found here. Don't miss this opportunity to hear firsthand from a voice of history and courage. Admission is free, but places are limited – booking is required. To reserve your ticket, please book an advanced ticket through Eventbrite below. Wednesday 15 October 2025. Doors open: 6.00 PM | Event: 6.30–8.00 PM 📍 Coventry Irish Society, 2nd Floor, Eaton House, Eaton Road, Coventry CV1 2FJ
Beginners’ Irish Language Autumn Course 2025 with Dr Ian Malcolm Professional Irish language teacher and acclaimed Journalist, Dr Ian Malcolm, will deliver a bespoke online course in Beginners’ Irish. This course will consist of 5x classes and will take place entirely over Zoom on Saturday mornings, with Dr Ian Malcolm. Course details: Saturday 4 October 2025 - Saturday 1 November 2025 with 5x classes on Saturday mornings, delivered via Zoom from 10.30 am – 12.30 pm (including a 20 minute break). The fee for this course is £70. Course materials: The class will use the textbook, Irish For Beginners (which is in the link below). This book costs in the region of £7.00 - £10.00 and it is strongly recommended that students purchase their own copies in advance of the course. You can find details of the course textbook here. Please contact us at cis@covirishsoc.org.uk or telephone 024 7625 6629 to obtain a booking form. Registration closes 30 September 2025 (or when course capacity is reached). Early booking is strongly recommended.
