Episodes

Ep 303 – Manchester St Patrick’s Day Parade and Irish Heritage Celebration in Bradford

In Part 1… It’s that time again! Marching bands, dancers and even donkeys! In celebration of the patron saint of the Emerald Isle, almost the entire Irish population of Manchester and surrounding areas take to the streets. Martin and Annette are out capturing the flavour of the day and after a few years of adversity, […]

Ep 302 Walk for Women in Manchester and Bridie & James Rodden retire from The Fiddlers Green in Levenshulme

In Part 1… We’re in Manchester for International Woman’s Day. We join the parade with the Irish community and meet the women behind Fréa. A year since its official formation, Fréa brings together three independent Irish charities from the North of England, working in partnership to further extend the ethos of care, culture and community. […]

Ep 301 – Pat the Hat Storyteller in Manchester and West Midlands Irish Business Group Awards

In Part 1… We’re at Manchester Central Library to meet Pat the Hat (Pat Speight) who is a traditional storyteller, over from Cork. He was reading stories to young and old as part of “International Mother Language Day”. The event, organised by the Irish Consulate, is part of their long-term plan to keep traditional storytelling […]

Ep 300 – It’s Our 300th Programme! A Round Up of Great Irish Entertainment

This week, to celebrate our 300th programme, we’re showcasing some of our favourite performances of the last 6 years! Michael D Higgins, President of Ireland pays tribute to us as we open the programme. With a mixture of traditional and modern music, dance and so much more, it’s a celebration of all things Irish to […]

Ep 299 – Caitlyn Whitehead Celebrates Her 18th Birthday & Mick Mulhern Sings His Latest Track

When Caitlyn Whitehead was born, she was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, more commonly known as “Half a Heart Syndrome”. This incredibly rare condition stops the left half of the heart developing, preventing normal blood circulation. It requires immediate medical intervention and extensive surgery. Despite so many challenges, Caitlyn now celebrates her 18th birthday, […]

Ep 298 – 83 Year Old Michael Ellis Searches For His Missing Family

Michael Ellis came from Ireland to Manchester, England in the late 60s. Like many of his generation, this was the start of life’s great adventure. He was married, had three children and life was treating him well but for Michael, there was something missing. At just 4 weeks old, he had been fostered and since […]

Ep 297 – Jimmy Cricket Celebrates 50 Years in Show Business and Grace Kelly Turns 50!

This week on the Irish in the UK, we have a theme of 50! In Part 1… We meet up with Jimmy Cricket as he prepares to celebrate 50 years of laughter. He’s certainly had a fantastic career and many adventures along the way. We join him at the Plaza in Stockport and get the […]

Ep 296 – The Amazing Taaliyah Bates Dances and the Nottingham Shamrock Club

In Part 1… We’re in Huddersfield meeting 12 years old Taaliyah Bates. She’s a late starter to Irish dancing, only putting on her shoes in August 2022 but already has mastered many complex dances. What makes it a challenge for Taaliyah is that she’s blind. Working with her dance teacher Rebecca Kane, Taaliyah has learnt […]

Ep 295 – A New Book about St Patrick and Healing Mass in Moss Side, Manchester

In Part 1… Eric Foster thought that he knew all the facts about St Patrick but after extensive research, he found that most sources were unreliable. This led to his book, “Becoming St Patrick”. Who was St Patrick and why is he such a significant part of Irish Life? Watch and you’ll find out! In […]

Ep 294 – Paddy Kennedy, Manchester Utd player in the 1950s and Mary Houghton, Britain’s oldest care-worker

In Part 1… Paddy Kennedy was born in Dublin in 1934 and grew up to become a great footballing legend. As Irish School Boy’s captain, he led his team to victory against England at Goodison Park and around this time, was scouted for Manchester United. He went on to become one of the “Busby Babes”, […]