SHEFFIELD’S Irish community took over the Town Hall yesterday to celebrate their first-ever St. Patrick’s Day civic reception.
The Irish came out in force with a day-long series of events organised by Sheffield Irish Association and officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Councillor Jane Bird.
Proceedings got under way in the morning with a focus on Irish health inequality. Guests heard a range of speakers set out the various problems the Irish community faces in terms of public health with speeches from new Federation of Irish Societies CEO, Jennie McShannon; Sheffield’s Director of Public Health, Dr. Jeremy Wight; Dr. Rionach Casey and Professor John Flint (who wrote last year’s landmark research report into the Sheffield Irish community) from Sheffield Hallam University and John Williamson from Coeliac UK. There were also 20 stalls from a range of health charities, while Sheffield Primary Care Trust and The Red Cross ran alternative therapy sessions.
Lunchtime saw a packed St. Maries’s Cathedral in the city centre for a traditional St. Patrick’s Day Mass organised by Sheffield Irish Association and the Catholic Mens’ Society of St. Vincent’s Parish. Music was supplied by Brian Howard who played the Uilleann pipes during the service. As well as a first-class player, Brian is also a world-renowned Uilleann pipe-maker with a cottage industry in Sheffield.
