Parade move off at 1pm

Organised by the Celtic and Irish Cultural Society         

www.celtic-irish.co.uk

The Parade  4.30pm-5pm Willesden Green Tube Station to Willesden Green Library Centre

Turn Willesden into a sea of green by joining us for Brent St Patricks Day 2010

St Patricks Day Celebrations at the Willesden Green Library Centre 4pm – 7.30pm located at

95 High Road, Willesden, NW10 2SF

For more information visit www.brent.gov.uk/whatson

11.30am – 6pm (Parade 12pm -2pm)

Join us at 11am for the parade in Central London –    Float No.17     Section E 

FORM UP AREA: PICCADILLY EAST BOUND FROM HYDE PARK CORNER – move off at 12pm

For further information visit www.london.gov.uk/stpatricksday

County Carlow Association AGM  to be held on 9th March 2010 at 8pm

London Irish Centre, 50-52 Camden Square, London NW1 9XB         

Light refreshments served

It is with great pleasure that Carlow Association London welcome our Offaly brothers online.

Offaly now has a new website at http://offalyassociation1962.co.uk which contains information on the society and what they have planned for 2009 and beyond.

Take a look at it and don’t forget to let them know what you think.

John McNichol took a break from his performance at the Southwark Irish Festival, over the weekend, to visit the Carlow stall at Peckham Rye.

We are still running our 100+ club. We now have 11 monthly draws for just £1 per month or £10.00 if paid in advance. 50% of takings go in prizes and 50% goes to our Welfare Fund. You can join at anytime. Just contact our PRO Christine O’Brien or email her to peterobrien35@tiscali.co.uk. If you think you can get others to join, let her know and she will send you a card to complete.

Committee members of London’s County Carlow Association will celebrate their upcoming 40th anniversary by organising a 40-mile sponsored walk in Pembrokeshire, South Wales, over the Irish Bank Holiday Weekend of 31st May / 1st June.

The County Carlow Association of London will be raising money for the Friends of Calcutta, the humanitarian charity, founded in 1994, that educates over 1800 children in some of the poorest areas of India. The founder of the charity, Michael Hopkins, became Carlow’s 2006 International Person of the Year for his dedication and commitment to the poor of Calcutta.

Claire Nolan-Sturley, chair of the Association, explains all:

At our Dinner Dance last year Michael was our guest of honour. In a very moving after dinner speech he spoke of his association with Mother Theresa and how he gained great strength and inspiration whilst working alongside her as she worked with the world’s poorest. The gathering at the dinner was so touched by his sincerity and his dedication to the cause the idea of a fundraising project was suggested with a forty-mile walk for the association’s forty year’s of existence”

Pembrokeshire was chosen for the walk for a number of reasons:

• It is easily accessibility to both Carlow, located in southeast Ireland, and London
• A joint initiative between Pembrokeshire and County Carlow already exists: The Cultural X-change Project which is a joint initiative to create two virtual museums, one for each county
• The Pembrokeshire Coastal Path is a well recognised walking route with some fantastic scenic views along the way

Responses from both Carlow Council and Pembrokeshire Council have been very positive. It is expected that both councils will be represented on the morning of the start.

The walkers taking part are:

• Claire Nolan-Sturley (Carlow Town)
• Garry Sturley (London born)
• Ned Dunbar (Ardriston)
• Anne Nolan (Carlow Town)
• Bob Monaghan (Bagenalstown)
• Peter O’Brien (Cloughna)
• John Nolan (Bagenalstown)

Claire added:

We opted for a 40-mile walk to coincide with our 40th Annual Dinner Dance on Saturday 11th October. We haven’t yet decided what we’ll do for the 50th!”

The County Carlow Association of London welcomes anyone that would like to sponsor any of the walkers to contact us using our online contact form. Alternatively, potential sponsors can call Catherina Clarke on 0208 354 8501 or 07789 226734

NOTICE TO EDITORS:

The Friends of Calcutta was formed in 1994. and has become one of the leading lights in the field of humanitarian aid and funds 8 schools educating 1800 children. The schools are located in 5 of the most disadvantaged areas of the city. It was formed after Michael Hopkins’ first visit to Calcutta, a place Mother Theresa called the ‘city of joy’.

Friends of Calcutta is an Irish voluntary organization which works in partnership with Indian groups, to help the poorest of the poor in Calcutta realize their dignity and develop their potential, mainly through the education of deprived children and care of the destitute elderly and ensures that all contributions to any funds are totally given to the projects indicated. The membership of the charity includes men and women of different walks of life, different faiths and different professional commitments, drawn from Ireland and from Calcutta.

Full Press Release:

CCAL Press Release Pembrokeshire Walk – May 2008 (PDF)

It is with deep regret that we announce the death on 1st May after a short illness at St James’ and St Vincent’s Hospital Dublin of Sr. Pascal Richardson of the Brigidine Convent Tullow.

Sr. Paschal (Alice) originally from Togher, Co. Cork was instrumental in producing the Carlow Association Banner that is carried at the London St Patrick’s Parade every year and is on display at our dinner dances and other events. The burial took place in the Convent Cemetery, Tullow on Saturday 3rd May.

‘Go raibh solas na bhflaitheas uirthi, mar gheall ag an obair a roinne sí e ngairdín an Tiarna’.

24 year old Derek Ryan originally from Garryhill and a regular at our London get-togethers was a hugely popular winner of the Tipperary International Song Of Peace with his song ‘You Give Me Peace’ on 26th April.

Hundreds of entries were submitted from International and from home grown sources. The 10 entrants for this year’s final come from USA, the Netherlands, the UK, Northern Ireland and of course from various parts of Ireland including Carlow, Waterford, Cork and Athlone.

There was just two points separating the top three songs at the end, with an American entry being runner-up and Paddy Sharkey from Dublin taking the 3rd spot. Contest Secretary, Martin Quinn, presented Derek with the Tipperary Crystal Trophy and a cheque for €1,500. There were 10 finalists in the Contest with entries from Ireland, England, the Netherlands and the U.S.A. making it to the final.

Derek commented after his success:

I’ve been developing my songwriting ever since my early teens, so I was delighted to win the Tipperary international song of peace competition as it’s always nice for my songs to be acknowledged. I’ve just signed a publishing and production deal in Nashville for my very own solo album so the future’s looking bright, fingers crossed!

He is a keen singer / songwriter having had huge success to date with boy band D-Side. He moved to London 7 years ago to work full time in the music business and recently signed a production and publishing deal in Nashville, where he plans to relocate this summer. Coming from a very musical family he is son of Pat Ryan of Cúpla fame who will be playing at our 40th Annual dinner dance on October 11th.

Derek recently hit the headlines with his rendition of the new Carlow anthem ‘Red Yellow and Green’. I’m sure you will all join us in wishing him the best in his future career.

If you want to hear Derek singing ‘You give me Peace’ tune into www.myspace.com/derekryanmusic and sing along to the words below:

YOU GIVE ME PEACE

ITS BEEN A LONG DAY
AND I’VE DONE MY SHARE,
COME A LONG WAY,
BUT I’M ALMOST THERE

ALL THATS ON MY MIND
IS TO SEE YOUR FACE
HOLD YOUR HAND IN MINE
FEEL YOUR EMBRACE

YOU GIVE ME PEACE
IM NEVER GONNA LET YOU GO
YOU GIVE ME PEACE
AND THE LOVE THAT I NEED TO GROW
I TRAVEL THE WORLD TO GET TO YOUR DOOR
CAUSE YOUR EVERYTHING I’M LOOKING FOR
YOU GIVE ME STRENGTH TO BE WHO I WANNA BE
YOU GIVE ME PEACE

THERE ARE DOUBTS IN LIFE
THAT WE ALL GO THROUGH
BUT UNDER FADING LIGHTS
I CAN COUNT ON YOU
IF I WRONG OR RIGHT
YOU STAND BY ME
WHEN I NEED TO FLY
YOU’RE MY SANCTUARY

YOUR GLOWING SMILE,SAYS I’VE FINALLY ARRIVED
YOU GIVE ME STRENGTH TO BE WHO I WANNA BE
YOU GIVE ME PEACE.

MUSIC AND LYRICS COPYRIGHT OF DEREK RYAN