Government commits £1m to London Irish Centre

The Irish Government has committed £1m towards the redevelopment of the London Irish Centre as part of the Global Ireland 2025 initiative.

The London Irish Centre is at Camden Square, NW1.
Click/tap image to visit its website.

The London Irish Centre opened in 1955 to meet the needs of newly arrived Irish emigrants and became a significant social and cultural venue for the Irish community in London. The plan is to develop the building to become a world class facility.

Announcing the funding, Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan said: “The current facility has a great heart and plays a hugely important role for Irish diaspora in London as well as the new audiences it attracts for its strong and diverse arts programme.

"The new building will accommodate 21^st century needs and reflect the national self-confidence Ireland possesses and our shared desire that we be ambitious in promoting the interests of Ireland on the world stage. This investment is indicative of our belief that is critical for us to maintain and build on our strong cultural relations with Britain.”

The London Irish Centre also provides help, support and care to the Irish community in London, particular to its most vulnerable members, and has a thriving library. The new building will allow the centre to continue this work. It will be a flagship Irish cultural centre, alongside the Irish Arts Center, New York and Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris, which present a year round programme of Irish artists.

Global Ireland sets out a number of key actions across culture, heritage, business and tourism sectors to be undertaken in order to increase the impact of Ireland’s global footprint. It recognises the strength of Ireland’s culture and creativity as a unique power which allows Ireland to connect globally.