‘Irish Heart, Coventry Home’ Oral History Exhibition Relaunches this June
May 30, 2023
Coventry Irish Society is relaunching its Oral History Project ‘Irish Heart, Coventry Home’ on Friday 16 June 2023
‘Irish Heart, Coventry Home’ focuses on Irish migrants that arrived in the city between 1940 and 1970. The project includes filmed interviews, photographs, and written materials. Originally exhibited at the Herbert Art Gallery in 2018, the exhibition had more than 6000 visitors and 700 people on the opening night.
Coventry Irish Society is especially delighted to announce that Dr Kieran McCarthy
the incoming Lord Mayor of Cork will be one of the main speakers at the event. Dr McCarthy was part of the steering group for the oral history project, and he was instrumental in the hosting of the exhibition in Cork City Hall for 1 month in September 2018.
Other speakers include Coventry Irish Society’s Honorary President, David Cairns,
who was the first Irish Lord Mayor of Coventry, David will be 90 years old this June and Ciaran Davis, the Project Officer.
The evening will be a celebratory event and include Irish traditional music, The McHale School of Irish Dancing, food, and refreshments.
Rory Ryan, CIS Chair
said “The history project allows present and future generations to learn about the Irish community’s contribution to Coventry and to celebrate that as part of the city’s diverse communities. This year is Coventry Irish Society’s 30th anniversary and the evening will be a double celebration for us as we reflect on the support the charity has given to the local Irish community”.
The Exhibition will be permanently held at Coventry Irish Society 2nd Floor Eaton House after the Launch event and people are invited to visit us to between 2pm and 4pm Monday to Friday for a viewing.
Anyone that has photographs, articles, documents, or items of interest that they feel would enhance the exhibition please contact the charity or bring them in to Coventry Irish Society offices Monday to Friday between 2pm-4pm as soon as possible
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.
