On Tuesday June 27th a special event was held at the Irish embassy to celebrate the upcoming 21st anniversary of the Crawley Irish Festival, hosted by the Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Dan Mulhall.

The event recognised the festival’s milestone anniversary and the commitment of the organisers in continuously running it and was hosted by outgoing Irish Ambassador, Dan Mulhall; who recognised the festival’s milestone anniversary and “the commitment of the organisers in continuously running it”.

It was a small gathering that included a number of current and former local councillors as well as the Mayor of Crawley, His Excellency Brian Quinn and the Member of Parliament for Crawley, the Right Honourable Henry Smith.

Crawley’s Cabinet Member for Community Engagement, Councillor Michael Jones, said it was an “honour” to attend the ceremony in London:

“It was fantastic to meet such a wonderful group of people who are passionate about sharing their rich and vibrant culture. I am thrilled that we have been able to continue our support for such an integral community group, for an event that goes from strength to strength.”

As well as attracting thousands of local residents, the festival also welcomes many visitors who travel long distances to enjoy the event and boost the local economy, whilst simultaneously raising awareness of issues faced by the elderly and disadvantaged, of Irish descent.

It was this success which was celebrated at the Irish Embassy.

In addition to many of our supporters and sponsors were bands that have attended previous events as well as the 2017 festival.

Also in attendance were a number from media circles including Catherine Murphy of Irish Spectrum Radio and Elgin Loane, publisher of the Irish Post.

Photos, with thanks to Gerry Molumby & William Edgin.

The 21st anniversary Crawley Irish Festival takes place on Sunday 27th August at The Hawth, Crawley. Find out more at: www.celtic-irish.co.uk/festival