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Consulate General of Ireland for the North of England
July 2023
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A WORD FROM CONSUL GENERAL SARAH MANGAN
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A chairde,
As summer comes around again, we are marking the second anniversary of the Consulate General of Ireland for the North of England, which began operations in Manchester on 1 July 2021. While we are still operating out of temporary offices, the Property Management Unit of the Department of Foreign Affairs has been working away to secure a permanent Chancery office for the Consulate. Hopefully we will have more news on that in our next issue.
The last two years have seen increased activity in the Ireland-North of England relationship across all sectors. We were delighted to see further evidence of our growing links with the visit to Dublin in May by Metro Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin. Among the official meetings the Mayor had was one with Minister for Diaspora Sean Fleming T.D. during which they recalled the contributions of so many Irish men and women to Leeds and West Yorkshire.
And we had a number of notable celebrations of the successes of our Irish community members in the last few months, which are detailed below. This month also sees the launch of a new podcast celebrating the contribution of Irish Nurses to the NHS. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the NHS you can hear the fascinating stories of some of those young Irish men and women who were recruited to join the new service.
In celebrating our Irish community, I particularly want to take this opportunity to highlight that the nomination period for the 2023 Presidential Distinguished Service Awards scheme opened on 6 July, with a closing date for submission of nominations of Thursday 17 August, 2023. This Award was established by the Irish Government in 2012 to provide a system of State recognition for those living abroad. I encourage you to consider nominating worthy candidates from the Irish diaspora in the North of England, of whom there are many. You will find more information on the scheme and a link to the nomination form in the newsletter.
April saw a wonderful celebration of the contribution of Irish players to the English Premier League and Women's Super League. And don’t forget to get your green on to support the Irish Women in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023! Their first match is the opening game of the tournament against hosts Australia on 20 July in Sydney. Watch out for news about a special screening in Manchester of the Irish team’s second match against Canada on 26 July. COYGIG!
Wishing you all a lovely summer, especially those visiting Ireland for their holidays!
Is mise le meas
Sarah Mangan
Consul General
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Presidential Distinguished Service Awards 2023 - Now open for nominations
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The nomination process for the 2023 Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad (PDSA) is currently open and will close on Thursday, 17 August 2023.
This Award was established by the Government in 2012, to provide a system of State recognition for those living abroad. There are eight categories under which individuals can be nominated:
- Arts, Culture, and Sport
- Business and Economic Development
- Charitable Works and Advocacy
- Climate Action and Food Security
- Education, Science, and Innovation
- Inclusion and Equality
- Irish Community Support
- Peace, Reconciliation, and Development
In order to be eligible for consideration, nominees must be habitually resident outside the island of Ireland and able to satisfy the following additional requirements:
- have rendered distinguished service to the nation and/or its reputation abroad;
- have actively and demonstrably contributed to Ireland and/or its international reputation and/or Irish communities abroad in at least one of the categories listed above;
- have a track record of sustained support and engagement with Ireland and/or its international reputation and/or Irish communities abroad over a period of not less than 5 years
- or have made a sustained and distinguished service on a global or international issue of importance.
Nominations can be made by any member of the public, but are submitted through the Embassy of Ireland or Consulate General in the country of residence of the nominee. If you know someone who meets the criteria above, please complete the 2023 Nomination Form and forward it to the Consulate, before Thursday, 17 August 2023.
Further details on eligibility and the nomination process are available here, together with details of previous recipients of this Award.
Over the last 11 years, 120 remarkable recipients have received the Award. We want to ensure that the Award continues to attract worthy nominees and would therefore appreciate your assistance in publicising this Award through your networks and social media channels, and would encourage you to consider nominating eligible candidates.
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Book Launch and Panel Event for Away Days - Thirty Irish Players who Played in Thirty Years of the Premier League
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The Consulate hosted the book launch and Panel Event for Away Days – Thirty Irish Players who Played in Thirty Years of the Premier League at the iconic National Football Museum in Manchester.
This wonderful event celebrated and highlighted the contribution of Irish players to the English Premier League in its 30 year history.
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The event celebrated the book launch for ‘Away Days’ by Gareth Maher, an award winning former journalist, who is now Communications Manager with the Football Association of Ireland. Maher interviewed thirty Irish football players who played in the thirty years since the establishment of the Premier League in England. The book shines a light on the Irish players who have made an impact on the Premier League and tells their stories as Irishmen defying the odds in England.
The event was moderated by Alan Keegan, the famous voice of Old Trafford for over twenty years, and of Irish heritage, included a Q&A with the panel who consisted of:
- John O’Shea – Former player for the Republic of Ireland Men’s Team, Manchester United and Sunderland, current senior coach with Republic of Ireland Senior Men’s Team and Stoke City
- Jonathan Walters - Former player for the Republic of Ireland Men’s Team, Blackburn Rovers, Stoke City and Burnley, currently technical director at Fleetwood Town and Waterford City FC
- Stephen Ward - Former player for the Republic of Ireland Men’s Team, Bohemian FC, Wolverhampton, Brighton and Hove Albion and Burnley FC
- Niamh Fahey – Current Republic of Ireland Women’s Team and Club Captain Liverpool FC
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The event was an opportunity to acknowledge the success of the Republic of Ireland Women’s national team in securing a place in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Australia this summer.
Guests enjoyed the opportunity to view the National Football Museum’s exhibitions and buy a signed copy of the book on the night.
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The Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin visit to Dublin
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In May, the Consul General and Vice Consul were delighted to accompany the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, to Dublin for a full two day programme covering public transport and creative industries. The Mayor’s visit was further evidence of the strengthening official links between Ireland and the North of England.
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On day one the Mayor met with Enterprise Ireland CEO Leo Clancy and Irish companies delivering solutions in the transport sector. She also took a trip on the LUAS to meet with Transport Infrastructure Ireland and learn about Ireland’s approach to light rail. The Mayor had a great discussion with Jack Chambers T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Transport and at the Department of Environment, Climate and Communication, sharing ideas on the future of public transport.
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The Mayor also had an opportunity to share experiences during her meeting with Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin T.D., where they exchanged ideas and learnings on arts and culture initiatives. It was noted Ireland has a strong cultural relationship with the North of England. Mayor Brabin had a number of interactions with Dublin City Council, visiting the International Literature Festival Dublin and 14 Henrietta Street Townhouse Museum and discussing how investment in culture can drive economic regeneration. She also met with Galway Culture Company to learn about Galway’s experience as European Capital of Culture 2020 and to build connections with Bradford UK City of Culture 2025 – Galway and Bradford are twinned cities.
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Finally the Mayor had an opportunity to catch up again with Minister for Diaspora Sean Fleming T.D. following his visit to Leeds in 2022. They discussed the strong ties of community and family that exist between Ireland and West Yorkshire, with approximately 10,000 Irish nationals living in West Yorkshire (according to ONS data, in 2021), and thriving Irish clubs and societies across the region.
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NORTHERN COMMUNITY GAELIC GAMES 2023
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There was a successful return of the Northern Community Gaelic Games to Broughton Park in Manchester in May. Once again the sun shone down on all the participants over the two days, with 24 school teams participating on the first day and over 800 young people competing in the games on Saturday from clubs from all across the North of England as well as Scotland, Birmingham, and even a team from Ulster.
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A huge thanks to Mayor Andy Burnham, who came along again, this year trying out his hurling skills, and getting involved presenting the winning teams with their cups. He was joined by special guests Ulster GAA President Ciaran McLaughlin and ‘The voice of Old Trafford’ Alan Keegan who announced out the teams.
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Congratulations to Sean Hopkins and the many, dedicated volunteers on a fantastic two days celebrating our national sports. And a huge thanks to The Irish in the UK TV for their coverage of the Games. You can watch back on all the action in Episode 315 on their YouTube channel.
Find out more about the GAA in Great Britain, and details for your local club at Provincial Council of Britain - Cumann Na Breataine na Gaeil Tarlear (gaa.ie)
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VISIT TO SUNDERLAND
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In early June, Vice Consul Carina O’Brien paid a two-day visit to Sunderland with a number of informative and interesting engagements.
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On the first day the Vice Consul met with members of the University of Sunderland’s international team to learn of the links between Irish colleges of further education and the opportunities for Irish students to study many different courses at the state of the art facilities, such as the media and nursing centres. She was then delighted to meet with and hear directly from the Irish students who are living and studying there and who have recently set up an Irish Society within the university.
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The day concluded with meetings with newly installed Mayor, Cllr Dorothy Trueman and Sunderland City Council officials. Sunderland City is undergoing huge redevelopment and it was exciting to discuss the many opportunities that could present for Irish companies in the region.
As an avid football fan the Vice Consul could not miss an opportunity to visit the city’s football ground and paid a call to the club’s charity, The Foundation of Light, to hear all about their education, health and well-being programmes. The final meeting was with Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, and Shadow Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, who is also of Irish heritage.
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HONOURS FOR THE COMMUNITY
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We were delighted to be represented in recent weeks at a number of important occasions for members of our Irish community in the North of England.
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In April it was an honour and a privilege for the Consul General to attend the installation of Mary-Elizabeth Walker DL JP as High Sheriff of Greater Manchester, the first Irish born person to be appointed to the role. Mary-Elizabeth is originally from Dublin, but has lived in Manchester for over 30 years. Prior to taking up her current role, Mary-Liz served as a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester. She has also served as a Magistrate for many years, including as Bench Chairman of Greater Manchester. The role of High Sheriff is the oldest secular office in England after the Crown and can be traced back more than 1000 years. Mary-Elizabeth Walker will serve as High Sheriff until April 2024.
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In May the Consul General and Vice Consul were honoured to be invited to attend the Mayor-making ceremony for Mayo born Cllr Cahal Burke in Huddersfield. Liberal Democrat Councillor Burke will serve as Mayor of Kirklees for the 2023-24 term, with his daughter Sinead acting as Mayoress.
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June saw the diamond jubilee celebrations for Canon Patrick MacNally. Canon MacNally hails from Louisburgh, Co. Mayo and has served in priestly ministry in Liverpool and Wigan for over six decades. The Consul General was delighted to attend the celebratory Mass at St Jude’s Catholic Church in Wigan. Once again The Irish in the UK TV were there to cover the day and you can watch the events in Episode 318 on their YouTube channel.
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FIANNA PHÁDRAIG PIPE BAND 75th Anniversary
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There was a huge turnout to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Fianna Phádraig Pipe Band. Founded in 1948, the Fianna Phádraig Pipe Band is the North West’s oldest Irish pipe band. Over the years the Band has played all across Britain and Ireland, and has travelled the world, playing for audiences of all kinds in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium and further afield.
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The Consul General was delighted to join them for a joyful celebration in St. John’s Parish, Benchill, in Wythenshawe where the story began. The Band is happy to welcome new members. Regular lessons are held at St. Anthony’s Paris Centre in Woodhouse Park, Wythenshawe at 11am every Sunday. See their website for more details.
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BLOOMSDAY 2023
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We were thrilled to be back at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation for a second year to celebrate Bloomsday on 16th June. Andrew Biswell, Director of the Foundation, gave us an insight in to how Burgess was inspired by Joyce. While Consul General Sarah Mangan spoke about some of Joyce’s inspirations for Ulysses. The beautiful evening was rounded out with a fabulous performance by David Quigley - Piano who played some of Moore’s Melodies, of which both James Joyce and Anthony Burgess were fans.
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We were honoured to be joined for the evening by the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester Mary-Elizabeth Walker, the Lord Mayor of Manchester Cllr Yasmine Dar, and the Deputy Lord Mayor of Chester Cllr Razia Daniels.
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Once again the Consulate arranged for a feature in the Irish Foreign Ministry’s short film celebrating “Ulysses”. This year’s film is an uplifting global song of affirmation from Ireland - performers from six continents reimagine the iconic last words of James Joyce’s Ulysses: YES I SAID YES I WILL YES. The film features original music composed by Caterina Schembri, performed by Chamber Choir Ireland with solo vocalist Julia Spanu and conductor Matthew Quinn. Filming took place across six continents, from Auckland to Abu Dhabi, Bogota to Beijing, Kuala Lumpur to Kyiv, and Lilongwe to LIVERPOOL. Liverpool’s feature is performed by stalwart of stage and screen (and voice of Mersey ferries) Eithne Browne. It has already been viewed millions of times across all platforms. Below is a link to the short film for you to watch and enjoy.
Yes I Will Yes – a new short film for Bloomsday 2023 - YouTube
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Irish Nurses in the NHS
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The NHS celebrated its 75th anniversary on 5 July. To coincide with this a brand new podcast series has been launched that explores the lives of the Irish nurses who helped build the NHS. The first three episodes – including “The Liverpool Story“– are now available at https://podfollow.com/1693370978/view.
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In this series you'll hear from dozens of nurses about their motivations to leave home, how they adapted to their new lives abroad and what their training entailed, including many funny memories as well as some sad ones. The podcast is part of an ongoing research project into Irish Nurses in the NHS, which is led by Professor Louise Ryan, London Metropolitan University, Grainne McPolin, a retired nurse and now independent documentary maker, with research assistant Neha Doshi. The podcast series is part of the wider Irish Nurses in the NHS Project that includes a Portrait Exhibition taking place at London Metropolitan University on July 12th 2023. A film documentary is now in post-production and a book on this fascinating subject is due to be published in 2024.
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Consul General Mangan attended an event hosted by the Institute of Irish Studies at the University of Liverpool to showcase and celebrate the contributions made by Irish nurses. “Irish Nurses in the NHS – The Liverpool Story” included a presentation of the research conducted by Professor Louise Ryan and Grainne McPolin, and a conversation with a former Irish nurse. An edited recording of the event is now available on the Institute’s YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/4emFoZfmYuM. A summary of the research presented at the event is available to read at https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/irish-studies/blog/2023/irish-nurses/.
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COMMUNITY NEWS AND EVENTS
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On Tuesday 27th June Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham paid a visit the offices of Irish community Care in Levenshulme. Taking time to meet the staff team and finding out about the work ICCM does in support of the Irish and Irish Traveller Community across Manchester Andy was enthusiastic about ICCM’s work and the contribution the Irish community make to Manchester and the North West. He spoke of the strong connections between Ireland and the region, including his own Irish heritage and his recent visit to Dublin where he met Uachtarán na hÉireann, Michael D Higgins.
ICCM is keen to build partnerships and connections with voluntary organisations, local government, and the mayor’s office to further its own activities, profile and contribute to initiatives from the combined authority in service of a thriving and resilient Irish community, fully engaged in life within Manchester.
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Country and Irish Music Fundraising Night - Saturday 29th July 8:30pm
The Irish World Heritage Centre
1 Irish Town Way
M8 OAE
On Saturday 29th July ICCM is hosting a fundraising night featuring live country and Irish music from Telstar with Johnny Fingers McHugh and Marian Waldron
100% of proceeds from the event will go towards the work of ICCM in continuing the legacy of care, culture and community, supporting generations of Irish people across Manchester.
Tickets are £10 and are available from the IWHC or online at : http://ow.ly/Yg4950OFJ2m
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Bolton Irish Centre
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Event: Gaelic Football Taster Sessions for Schools
Date: July 2023
Following our successful National Lottery “Awards for All” bid, the Bolton Irish Centre has teamed up with St. Peter’s GAA Club in Manchester to deliver Gaelic Football taster sessions in local schools and promote participation in traditional Irish sports for young people through the town.
Eagley Primary School in Bromley Cross will be the first school to engage in this activity programme during the coming months. This school is in a smaller, semi-rural area on the outskirts of Bolton and has no previous awareness of Gaelic Games, so their involvement is really encouraging.
Mr. Daniel Warbrick (Head of P.E) commented “We are excited to work with the Bolton Irish Centre to introduce a new sport to the children and staff”.
Hopefully we can unearth a future full-forward for Lancashire GAA! Huge thanks to Bryan McGinty and everyone at St. Peter’s for all their help and support.
Event: Smithills Hall Garden Party – Community Consultation
Date: Sunday 16th July 2023
Committee members and volunteers from the Bolton Irish Centre will be hosting a stall at a garden party in the grounds of Smithills Hall. This will provide a great opportunity to engage with the many visitors to this event and promote the range of activities and resources that are available at the centre. This will also enable us to gain a broader understanding of the needs of the local Irish community and beyond, facilitate social inclusion and help to grow our membership.
Our very own chef, Kevan Forkin will be selling freshly baked Irish goods so come along, have a chat and sample some of Kevan’s much acclaimed soda bread!
For further information, please contact via email on boltonirish@outlook.com or follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090111296266
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Centre LCR Pride March with Pride Invite
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Liverpool Irish Festival and Irish Community Care Merseyside have teamed up to extend a March with Pride invite to you. We are hoping to get as many north west Irish service providers* together as we can, as well as Irish and Irish-linked friends, and we hope to include you!
* Not in the north west, but want to join us anyway? The more the merrier - please do!
We've set up a webpage with all the details, including a quick registration form, to help us count numbers and make our registration with LCR Pride. You can see that here: https://www.liverpoolirishfestival.com/events/march-with-pride/ Instead of repeating all that, here's a quick breakdown:
- Register to walk with us -as an individual or organisation- by 9am on Mon 19 July 2023
- Once we've got your registrations together, we'll register with LCR Pride and send you the mustering point for St George's Plateau, so you know where to meet us. This is likely to be quite close to the day
- The march takes place on Sat 29 July 2023, with mustering from 10.30am and the March commencing at midday. Expect it to take up to 2-hours, depending on numbers, weather and adjacent activity
- We'll create a banner for us all to share, including the logos of all organisations that register with us. It will be a Pride/rainbow flag, with trans-awareness colours, too
- It's all free to take part. Come as you are OR bedeck yourself in rainbows, as you wish.
If this isn't for you, we'd value you sharing this with peers and networks you are involved in. Please feel free to forward this email; recipients are BCC'd to protect addressee information (general organisation list below).
We really hope you can join us. Bests until then, Liverpool Irish Festival and Irish Community Care Merseyside
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Liverpool Irish Centre
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Irish Arts Foundation
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Tuesday 1st August 7pm
Tuesday Night Live- The Weaving
Tickets £10 in advance
The Shire Oak Room, HEART, Bennett Road, Headingley, Leeds LS6 3HN
Méabh Begley on button accordion, Owen Spafford on fiddle and Cáit Ní Riain on piano came together as part of the Arts Council England supported, 'Exploring the Musical Traditions of County Cork & County Kerry' project.
Friday 11th August 7pm
Bluegrass V Traditional Irish Music
Tickets £9
Mechanics Institute, Peel Street, Marsden, Huddersfield, HD7 6BW
Bringing together the finest traditional Irish & bluegrass musicians in Kirklees.
As part of our 'Neighbours!' project.
Friday 8th September 6.30pm
Rush Hour Trad
Chill out with a drink or coffee after work for an hour’s traditional Irish music.
FREE EVENT
The Terminus, Stonegate Rd, Meanwood, Leeds LS6 4HY
Friday 22nd September 6.30pm
Culture Night 2023: Folk & Traditional Irish Music Evening
FREE EVENT
The New George, Commercial Rd, Kirkstall, Leeds LS5 3AQ
Start the weekend with a crossover of folk and traditional Irish music.
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COMMUNITY NOTICE BOARD
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Sky 191
Watch the broadcast on Thursdays at 7:30pm
Repeated Tuesday at 1pm
www.theirishintheuktv.com
Keeping the Irish Community Connected in the UK and all around the world
The purpose of the show is to highlight the Irish Community in the UK and the incredible success of so many Irish people who have made their home here.
Since the show was first launched in May 2017, we have travelled all around the UK promoting business, culture, tourism, sport and all kinds of entertainment.
The TV Show promotes Irish dancing, music, song, sport and a good story.
Whether it’s from up and coming young talent living in the UK or those with strong connections to Ireland.
If you would like us to promote your business, we would be delighted to hear from you. Martin Logan on 07808573142 or email martinloganmanchester@gmail.com
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FOREIGN BIRTHS REGISTER UPDATE
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The processing of Foreign Birth registration has resumed in Dublin on a phased basis. Applications that have been sent to the FBR team have been securely held and will now be processed in strict date order.
At present, due to the complex nature of the Foreign Birth Registration and the pause in the service due to the Covid-19 restrictions you should allow approximately nine months for processing of Foreign Birth Registration applications at this time.
For more information on FBR please see https://www.dfa.ie/citizenship/born-abroad/
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PASSPORT ONLINE SERVICE
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The Passport Service is now directing all Irish citizens to use the online system to complete their passport applications for both first time applications and renewals.
The expanded online service now includes:
- First time applicants - Adults, minors, and renewals/replacements over 5 years outdated
- Renewing a passport that expired within the last 5 years
- Renewing a passport to change your name
- Replacing a passport that is lost/stolen/damaged/visa pages are full.
- To access the online system, please visit: www.dfa.ie/passportonline
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FACEBOOK
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Consulate General of Ireland, Manchester is now on Facebook
Click Consulate General of Ireland, Manchester | Manchester | Facebook to follow
Join us to learn more about what’s going on in the Consulate, upcoming key dates and follow our Irish Community in the North of England
If you haven’t got Facebook, don’t worry. You can still stay connected on
Twitter and our website Manchester - Department of Foreign Affairs (dfa.ie)
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Consulate General of Ireland for the North of England
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