UNTOLD STORIES – The Development of the Irish Community in Leeds
This year will see an exciting new Heritage Project take place within the city of Leeds. Irish Arts Foundation supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, will be launching their archive project “Untold Stories – The Development of the Irish Community in Leeds”. The project will focus on the experiences of Irish immigrants living in Leeds, in the second half of the twentieth century, particularly focusing on their cultural traditions, such as music, dance, song and sport.
The Irish are the longest established minority ethnic community in Leeds. There has been a significant Irish community in Leeds since at least the 1820s, and since then there has been a continuous influx (varying greatly in magnitude) of Irish immigrants into the city up until the present day. During this time the Irish have made contributions to the economic, social, cultural and religious growth of the city. In the twentieth century 1950 to 1980 was perhaps the ‘heyday’ of the Irish community in Leeds, when there was a constant stream of Irish pouring into the city, and a vibrant social and cultural scene flourished. However, little is known about the actual emigrant experience and little of its distinctive life has been recorded.
Focusing on the various ways these cultural and social traditions have evolved, this 18-month project will provide an opportunity for members of the Irish community to come forward and volunteer their time and thoughts of their experiences and memories. Interviews and life narratives will be gathered to form the basis of this project, culminating finally into a new website and educational materials to be safeguarded and archived for generations to come.
The Irish Arts Foundation has received £48,800 from the Heritage Lottery Fund in support of this community project. Trustee of Irish Arts Foundation, James Gavaghan said, “We are delighted to be able to document these important stories from the Irish community.
Our key aim is to raise awareness of the many contributions that the Irish have made to life in Leeds, and to uphold a positive image of Irish traditions and heritage. In this way we can highlight just how much this particular community has contributed to Yorkshire over the generations.”
Fiona Spiers, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Yorkshire and the Humber said, “The Irish community has played a vital role in Leeds’ lively and varied character. ‘Untold Stories’ will preserve this unique heritage by bringing stories to life, letting everyone get involved and share their past.”
The project will focus on several key areas, most notably; Irish migration to Leeds, settlement patterns and living conditions, social venues and cultural traditions and the evolution of those within inner city Leeds. Oral records and archives will be collected from volunteer participants, as will any photographic records that are donated, and, with support from a range of partnership organisations, will be collated and documented for the posterity of the Irish communities for years to come. Glenn Cumiskey, Director of the Irish Oral History Archive, has said, “The Irish Oral History Archive, an on-line resource for the spoken narratives of Irish people at home and abroad, is glad to support the recent initiative by the Irish Arts Foundation.”
The project will be officially launched at the annual Leeds Gathering festival
on November 6th at the Leeds Irish Centre.
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