Tá sásta orm - Manchester Turf

Turf, fresh from the Manchester fields ;-)
Image credit: SM Jenkin

Tá sásta orm - I am happy (The happiness is on me if you want to be more literal about it)

I managed to get away to Manchester for their St Patrick's day parade last weekend. Their celebration was out of this world; a full two weeks of music, literature and culture culminating in a parade that stopped traffic in Manchester city central.

Many of the people up in Manchester originated in the wild west of Éire, county Maigh eo (Mayo to all you Sasanach out there!) are you enjoying the view of the lovely turf to the right there? Someone was selling it as incense at Albert square... there were many tractors on display that day

It got me thinking, how happy I was to be there. Proud about my Irish heritage yes, but also proud of my English heritage that could celebrate the Irish language and culture with us. I love how the happiness is "on" me, rather than me being the emotion. It's a recognition that the feeling won't be me, won't last forever. And on that thought..... slán!

Medway Monday - High Street in the Snow

Image Credit: SM Jenkin

International women's day

So in Medway had not one, but two events to celebrate International women's day. The first a talk with Scarlett Thomas, and the second involving a motivational speaker (Sam Hall from 17percent - a social enterprise that champions and encourages the work of female playwrights)

The theme this year was the gender agenda - maintaining momentum. My aim for the events was to give women a space to share our words and our stories, as the only way to move forward is to understand what is happening now, to record what happened to our mothers and grandmothers. Otherwise, those with an agenda will find it easier to lie to us, to our daughters.

More details are available here: www.internationalwomensday.com/medway

St Patricks day - parade

So, it looks like the St Mary's social club might be interested in our parade idea...

Image credit: slezer44 (morguefile.com)

There's a hidden story to the Irish in Medway. When I say hidden, I mean untold. So we're going to start celebrating it, big time, starting from next year.

Wanna be in our parade?