Venue: The Emerald Club, Southgate Avenue, Crawley, RH10 6HG
Cost: £3 - When: Every Second Wednesday at 8pm from 9 January 2008

From the 9th January 2008, the Celtic & Irish Cultural Society will be offering the opportunity to learn Irish Gaelic in Crawley. The classes are aimed at beginners to the Irish language but experienced Gaelic speakers are encouraged to participate, give assistance and learn more.

Irish Gaelic is spoken principally in small rural communities known as the Gaeltacht. Until the 1850s it was spoken by the vast majority of Ireland’s population, today it is spoken by a small collection of communities as a first language but taught extensively in Irish schools. Recently, it has seen a resurgence thanks in part to the Irish language television channel, TG4.

The class is taught by Marie Aine Dhrainne who teaches at schools throughout London. The class is aimed at beginners to the Irish language and experienced Gaelic speakers are encouraged to participate and give assistance.

Venue: The Down’s Hotel, Brighton

Come to the County Brighton Christmas Party and listen to COUNTY BRIGHTON’S OWN BAND OF TRADITIONAL MUSICIANS , The Celtic Ti-grrs.

The party takes place on FRIDAY 14 DECEMBER from 8.15pm at The Downs Hotel, Woodingdean, Brighton (directions)

(BUS STOP OUTSIDE THE HOTEL. BUSES GO FROM PORTSLADE, HOVE, CHURCHILL SQUARE & BRIGHTON STATION)

[County Brighton Website]

The 2008 Crawley Saint Patrick’s Parade takes place on Sunday 16 March 2008 from 12:30pm in Crawley Town centre. 

The Parade starts at 1pm prompt from Crawley Bus Station and takes a route down Haslett Avenue West then right into the one way system onto Station Road past Crawley Train Station. The parade travels past the south-side of the Mall and turns left onto Southgate Avenue/College Road. The parade turns at the Crawley College roundabout onto the Boulevard. The parade then takes a left onto The Broadway where pedestrians will enter Queens Square.

Live Music and Irish Dancing follows at the Bandstand, Queen’s Square

Visit the Website >

Saint Francis School, in Southgate Avenue, became the first school in Crawley to provide Hurling coaching to its primary school pupils last Monday 3rd December. The training day, provided by London GAA coach Grainne O’Sullivan, was the first of its kind provided to pupils in Crawley.

The training day was funded by the Celtic & Irish Cultural Society and follows an introduction to Gaelic Football that took place during the 2007 Crawley Fleadh.

The coaching lesson was a primary introduction to the sport and focused on the skills also relevant to the sport of Hockey - a descendant of Ireland’s Hurling and Scotland’s Shinty.

Chairman of the CICS, John Nolan commented:

The Irish are rightly proud of their sporting tradition and Gaelic Games remains the most popular sports in Ireland. We wish to extend the reach of the sport, in association with the London Gaelic Athletic Association, by helping local schools to deliver team sports that all the community can enjoy.

Back in 2006, the CICS also funded Gaelic Football coaching at Saint Wilfred’s School and the society is keen to expand coaching into other schools.

Interested schools around Crawley can contact the Celtic and Irish Cultural Society for more information: