Reception at the Irish Embassy

On the 2nd May His Excellency, Martin Fraser, invited Irish Heritage and friends to the Embassy in London to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Irish Heritage. We gathered in the spectacular ballroom overlooking the gardens of Buckingham Palace and we wish to thank Ambassador Martin and his wife, Deirdre, for their generosity and the honour bestowed to us in hosting the event.

Blackwater Valley Opera, who have been associated so successfully with us for many years, were represented by Iain O’Rourke, Director of BVOF, who gave a short address on the festival in Lismore, Co. Waterford. Mary, Lady Clancy Hatch and Seamus McGarry, who are both patrons, were with us along Petroc Trelawny from the BBC, who has supported our work for several years. We were also delighted to have Niall Gallagher there, who chaired Irish Heritage for 21 years and developed the bursary programme from infancy, and to have Dr Mary Wilson with her husband, Dr Brennan Wilson, attend. Mary is the daughter of Ethna and Charles Kennedy who of course started Irish heritage in 1974.Gavan Ring is now one of Europe’s foremost tenors and Jean Kelly, known to so many of us, as she was for several years the artistic director at Irish Heritage, gave a resounding recital along with Jayden Lamcellari who is this year’s joint recipient of the Irish heritage Homan Potterton Bursary for Stringed Instruments.

Jean put the music together with our existing artistic director, Brian Hughes. She adapted scores from piano to harp and then produced the total music excellence from Gavin and Jayden to bring forth just a fabulous music interlude which received resound applause and praise – a particular highlight being The Kerry Dances. We have to thank Kelly O’Connor, Culture Officer at the Embassy along with colleagues Isobel Mahon and Jean McGarvey who really did all the groundwork at the outset and then on the night of making the event so comfortable for all. They arranged the format whereby everyone was able to relax and enjoy the music and then afterwards mingle and chat while enjoying the food and drink and not forgetting the excellent Guinness, commented on by so many!