Lay me down softly at The Tricycle Theatre

EVENT DATE: Monday 11 July 2011

Non CICS Event but a great piece of theatre

Coming up at The Tricycle Theatre 269 Kilburn High Road, London NW6 7JR | Charity No. 276892

LAY ME DOWN SOFTLY

By Billy Roche

11 July – 6 August

with a cast of Gary Lydon, Michael O’Hagan, Pagan McGrath, SImone Kirby, Anthony Morris, Dermot Murphy

Roll-up, roll-up, and enter the shady world of Delaney’s Travelling Roadshow…

Step inside the boxing ring… smell it, sense it, feel it. And somewhere between the fights and the fortune tellers, the bookies and the bloodshed, rub shoulders with its wayward wards.

Set in rural Ireland in the early 60s, Lay Me Down Softly takes us inside the darkly comic and colourful world of the old travelling carnival. When young runaway Emer arrives in search of her long lost father, and a challenge from a professional boxer is thrown into the ring, everything in this run-down sideshow is set to change forever.

Inhabiting a forgotten world that is nonetheless brimming with all too-familiar passions and human foibles, Lay Me Down Softly is a slice of vintage Roche. It follows his acclaimed productions The Wexford Trilogy and The Cavalcaders and other much-loved tales of small-town Ireland.

http://bit.ly/kNlx2J

EARLY BIRD TICKETS: £10

Box Office: 020 7328 1000

www.tricycle.co.uk

‘Wry, humane, questing, elegiac – unmissable’ The Times

‘Of epic significance’ The Irish Times

‘A Quiet Gem.. Superb ensemble performances.. beautiful writing and box clever directing… a joy to watch’ The View RTE 1

Highland Games Harpenden Details

Fri 1st July 2011

10th July 2011

The CICS Committee are pleased to announce details for the Highland Games Gathering at Harpenden have now been finalised.

The Coach will depart Crawley Train Station at 08:30 Sunday 10th July 2011. Should you wish to park a car here it is around £1.00 for the day, alternative parking is available in the area.

Vouchers will be issued on the coach, these can then be exchanged for entry programmes at the gate. We have purchased extras, any late bookings will be accommodated on a first come basis. Please Note, Seats on the coach are still available at £10.00, with entry to the Games at £6.00 at your own expense, Under 16′s seats are £10.00 coach travel but free Entry to the Games. The Coach will depart Harpenden No Later than 6pm.

Although ample food & drinks stalls will be available, please feel free to bring a Picnic and enjoy the day’s atmosphere.

Any Questions? eamonn.lestrange@celtic-irish.co.uk or 07786 441131

Celtic and Irish Cultural Society working on new multi-cultural music project ‘Cross Currents’

Fri 17th June 2011

In conjunction with the South East Arts Folk Network (SEFAN) the Celtic and Irish Cultural Society (CICS) are pleased to announce our involvement in the ‘Cross Currents’ Project.

This is Crawley’s new multi-cultural music project being launched at the Crawley Folk Festival on Sunday 26^th June with it’s first live performance at our 16th Annual Crawley Irish Festival on 28th August. The project will be run in partnership between The Crawley Black History Foundation, the Gujar-Hindu Union and Folk Festival

This has been made possible due to funding from Arts Council England South East and support and assistance from The Hawth Theatre.

Brother and sister, Noel and Helen Mullen are no strangers to our audiences having performed regularly at our events including the Crawley Irish Festival and our RTE broadcast some time back will be representing the CICS. They will form part of a group of eight musicians in total and under the guidance of noted composer Robert Jarvis produce a unique piece of music in celebration of Crawley and its community.

The first stage of the project will see the nine players create a short piece of music that will have its First Live Performance at our 16^th Annual Irish Festival on 28^th August and be also performed at other events around Crawley over the summer and Autumn

In the second stage, Robert and the young musicians will work with as many as will to create a huge celebration of the cultural diversity to be found in this one small town.

The resulting 40-minute work will be premiered in a Special Performance at the Hawth Theatre in the winter.

This ground breaking project will bring together performers from throughout Crawley to work together on a unique musical celebration of their home-town. It will cross boundaries of culture, ethnicity, religion and age, and the participants will be given space to use their own musical voices whether they are trained or untrained musicians, amateur or professional.

The finished compositions will draw on the musical cultures of the performers but combine them into a new style. Robert Jarvis will ensure that they challenge the performers, the audience and himself, whilst still retaining an appeal to a general audience. This cultural mix has great creative value in itself, and will be enriching to participants and audience. However, it will also allow each of the festivals an excellent opportunity to find new audience from amongst the established audiences of the other four festivals.

The Cross Currents project will be a joyous celebration of Crawley’s inhabitants, and will highlight how to find unity of expression within a diversity of styles.

We see this as a landmark move in establishing a cultural link to the other communities here in Crawley and the Celtic and Irish Cultural society are proud to be part of it.

If you would like to know more about us or our activities please make contact via our website www.celtic-irish.co.uk

Saturday 11th June is Irish Night at LINGFIELD PK featuring Wonderland and Fanfair

EVENT DATE: Saturday 11 June 2011

Saturday 11th June is Irish Night at LINGFIELD PK featuring Wonderland and Fanfair

Irish Night is sure to a lucky night for some.

FIRST RACE IS AT 20.10

A full race card over both the all-weather and turf tracks will culminate with live music after racing

Wonderland will beheadlining after racing this evening. This talented Irish 5-piece girlband were handpicked from Dublin auditions to form a new pop band. They’ve already starred in their own TV Show ‘Louis Walsh and Kien Egan’s Next big thing’ and have had great success supporting both Westlife and Boyzone on their massive UK tours. They’re in high demand this summer as their debut album will be released on 6th June – so make sure you don’t miss this special performance at Lingfield Park.

Supporting them will be one of pop music’s most exciting prospects for 2011, – Jessica, Roberta, Anara and Aimee – FANFAIR. Coming together from across the UK and Ireland, the group comprises four sophisticated, charming and fun girls who are dedicated and passionate about taking their music to the masses with a new and fresh approach. Fanfair are well known to the London Irish supporters as the girls are in a ground-breaking co-marketing deal with the leading Aviva Premiership Rugby Club, performing at all home matches.

http://www.lingfield-racecourse.co.uk

Crawley’s first ever Community Football Tournament recognised as a great success

Mon 6th June 2011

Saturday 4th June saw Crawley’s Celtic and Irish Cultural Society (CICS) co-hosting the first ever Crawley Community Football Tournament in association with Sussex Police, BAM FM Ltd, Crawley United Football Club and Premier Sports and Leisure

As part of Crawley Fleadh 2011, the cross-community tournament saw teams representing 12 of Crawley’s communities taking part at Ifield Community College. Communities from as far away as Sri-Lanka, India and Africa matched their skills with the likes of Hungary, Poland teams from the rest of Europe as well as England and Ireland.

After a thrilling day of competition Crawley’s Portuguese Association came out tournament winners by beating Black History in a 1-0 decider

The object of the tournament was to help integrate Crawley’s communities more into its multicultural make-up. We want to make Crawley a town that has a place for people of all kinds and abilities, all nationalities and all faiths and where ‘difference’ is embraced. With football on the agenda the event appealed to all and we feel our outcomes have been met, which will help build a better and stronger community.

All acknowledged it to be a great success not only on the playing fields but how all the groups integrated and how new friendships were forged. Children, as well as adults learnt new games, more about the flags of the many teams taking place as well as the various selections of food on offer.

PC Sarah Jones of Sussex Police said she “came away from the day feeling quite humbled by the selflessness of people’s actions and the very obvious presence of a desire to make Crawley one very special community. I learnt that you can achieve pretty much anything with some good friends and a bit of determination. This will be the first of many such events. A massive thank you to everyone who participated ”

The Mayor of Crawley, Cllr Carol Eade on her second weekend in office in presenting the trophies praised the hard and rewarding work of the organisers and went on to say “she was very proud of how all were encouraged to celebrate their differences and yet unite to become ‘one’ in the town of Crawley.”

We would like to thank all competitors for taking part and making the day a real success.

A special thank you goes out to Sussex Police’s Crawley Engagement team of PC Sarah Jones PCSOs Michele Jack and Tony Cook who’s efforts at co-ordinating the various groups paid great dividends in the diversity of the team taking part.

Both Charlotte and Steve Hoffman of Crawley United Football Club put the groups and fixtures structure together that saw the games run like clockwork. We must say at this stage that Steve who plays in Goal has a fantastic knowledge of how the game is played out field but his voice-box must be a little bit sore this morning!

We thank Lynn Duggan and her team from BAM FM Ltd www.bam.co.uk for allowing us to use the fantastic facilities at Ifield Community College and being there with their support staff all day

We would like to thank John Thornley-Gibson of the FA who gave up his time to keep all in order on refereeing some of the group matches and the final.

Special thanks goes to Premier Sports and Leisure www.premiersportsonline.co.uk who sponsored the winners and runners up trophies and provided a great memento for everybody taking part.

Not forgetting Hugo Rocha – who was on the winning Portuguese team – for the artwork and design on the logos.

This is the first of many inter community events and we would like to say how pleased we are with it’s success and look forward to working with more of the communities that make up this special town of Crawley.

Our activities in the Celtic and Irish Cultural Society are key to addressing social inclusion to integrate the Irish and all communities more fully in to a multicultural society and provide opportunities for social interaction and creative expression and help develop social skills, build confidence and lead more active and healthy lives. We feel we have furthered that goal with the Crawley Community Football Tournament.

If anybody out there has any further ideas on ways to further community integration we would love to hear them – please use the “contact us” option at www.celtic-irish.co.uk using Community Cohesion in Crawley as the Subject, we will get back to you.

Congratulations Gavin

Fri 3rd June 2011

The Chairman and Committee of the Celtic and Irish Cultural Society extend their congratulations to Gavin Hurley on his promotion to Pipe Sergeant with Gatwick Caledonian Pipe and Drums.

Gavin has been a regular at many CICS Events throughout the years and his contribution is much appreciated.

Well done

Crawley Community Football Tournament at Ifield Community College, 4th June

EVENT DATE: Saturday 4 June 2011

The Celtic and Irish Cultural Society in conjunction with Sussex Police are co-hosting a Crawley Community Football Tournament at

Ifield Community College
Crawley Ave,
Crawley, West Sussex RH11 0DB

on Saturday 4th June.

It’s a cross community project with the majority of Crawley’s communities taking part.

12 have signed up already including the Portuguese, Muslim, Polish, Indian, Gambian, English and Irish communities in what is expected to act as a great platform for community cohesion in Crawley.

Check out facebook on https://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=159509814116466

As PC Sarah Jones said at the last planning meeting “This really is a fantastic opportunity to show others what we all support and believe in – a town that has a place for people of all kinds and all abilities, all nationalities and all faiths and where ‘difference’ is embraced.”

With the expected weather it’s the perfect opportunity to plan that picnic and head down to ICC and be part of a great experience

Fantastic trophies for the winning, second placed and third placed teams and special commemorative medals for all groups taking part.

The event kicks-off at 10.00am with the prize giving ceremony scheduled for 3.30pm in the presence of the Mayor of Crawley, Cllr Carol Eade.

Ascot Ladies Day 16th June 2011

WH Motors Excursion

(Non CICS Event)

A little known fact about the Irish is their passion for Horse Racing. Heres your chance to participate and share that passion. Local Coach Tour Operators WH Tours is going to the races at Ascot on Ladies Day 16th June 2011.

Coach Travel and Entrance to the Silver Ring is just £55.00

Pickups are conducted in the Crawley Area, to book or find out more contact them direct on Tel: 01293 611465 or 01293 611468 or visit them at www.wandhgroup.co.uk

WH Tours operate an all year round Holiday and Day Excursion Brochure UK/Europe and are frequent visitors on French Day Trips (Booze Cruise), they will be happy to send you one on request.

Please ensure you mention the CICS as your source of information.

A demonstration in the art of Irish Cooking at Crawley’s Cultural Kitchen on July 2nd

EVENT DATE: Saturday 2 July 2011

With Geraldine Cahill

The Cultural Kitchen Project is a partnership between Crawley Festival, Crawley Town Centre Partnership, and local community groups including the Celtic and Irish Cultural Society.

It’s a chance to introduce Crawley to our culture – through our food with a demonstration by CICS committee member Geraldine Cahill.

Its all happening in Crawley’s Memorial Gardens and Geraldine is on at 12.45pm Geraldine prides herself in her Irishness especially when it comes to cooking and has chosen ‘Dublin Coddle’ as her presentation dish.

Geraldine hails from Drogheda in the ‘wee county’ of Louth. She loves cooking and started her career off as an apprentice to train as a chef at the tender age of 17 in the well-known Rossnaree Hotel. She moved on to the Dublin College of Catering and after a two year course was appointed to Ballymasconlan hotel in Dundalk. In the late 80s she opted to further her career in the UK and after numerous catering roles is now based at Central Sussex College where she has been for the last 10 years

Here is Geraldine’s recipe for her famous ‘DUBLIN CODDLE’

Ingredients
·   1 liter/4 1/2cups water
·   8 slices of Bacon
·   8 large pork sausages
·   4 large, peeled sliced
·   900g/2 lb potatoes , peeled and sliced
·   salt and pepper
·   4 tablespoons chopped parsley

Method

Bring the water to the boil and drop in the ham bacon and sausages.
Cut into large chunks.
Cook for 5 minutes drain and reserve the water.
Place the bacon and sausages in a large saucepan or casserole dish,
Add the onions, potatoes, salt, pepper and half the parsley.
Add enough of the reserved liquid to just cover.
Place greased paper on top.
Cover with a lid and then either simmer gently or cook in a slow oven for about 1 1/2 hours
until the liquid has reduced and every thing is cooked
Serve in a hot bowl.

YUM YUM
“Can’t wait till 2nd July to sample this luscious dish. Can you?”

Family fun ‘AWAY-DAY’ @ Harpenden Highland Gathering on Sunday 10th July

EVENT DATE: Sunday 10 July 2011

A Family Fun ‘AWAY-DAY’

The Celtic and Irish Cultural Society invite you to experience the thrill and fun of the Highlands Games in the South East of England on Sunday 10th July 2011 at The Highland Games Gathering in Harpenden.

The Harpenden Highland Gathering – a ‘fun day out with a Scottish flavour for the whole family’ – It is now one of the largest Gatherings outside Scotland, organised by the Harpenden Lions and raises tens of thousands for charity every year.

Spectacular pipe band displays and competitions, dance, traditional games and the sound of the bagpipes set the scene for the day, but there is much more.
In recent years visitors have enjoyed thrilling gymnastic displays, falconry demonstrations, battlefield re-enactments and this year, for the first time, the entertaining sight of experienced sheepdogs herding geese and ducklings!
Every year there are plenty of events for children, including novelty track events, a climbing wall and a funfair.
There is a wide selection of stalls offering refreshments including licensed bar, static display of classic cars and many others selling craft and novelty items. Many charities set up stalls and displays to raise awareness of their work and attract donations.

The CICS have hired a coach and invite you along for the “Craic”, departing Crawley between 8 – 8.30am and departing Harpenden around 5.30 – 6pm, (times to be confirmed), arriving back in Crawley by 8pm.

All are welcome: £10 per person covers the cost of the Coach Seat. Admission Adults £3.00 if booked with your Coach Seat or £6.00 on the day at the gate at your expense.
Under 16 entries to the Games is Free:
To reserve your place, please use the “contact us” option at www.celtic-irish.co.uk, using Highland Gathering as Subject, we will get back to you.

Legal Stuff: The coach is not wheelchair accessible; however non-electric folding mobility aids are welcome, users must be able to board the coach independently.
Folding pushchairs and buggies welcomed. The Coach Operator is not legally obliged to supply child seats or boosters, under UK law coaches are exempt, if your child uses a Child Seat or Booster there is no objection to bring your own and the onus of fitting is on you, the seatbelts on Coaches are the same as a modern car.

All bookings are to be confirmed and paid for by 1st July 2011, payment methods will be advised.

Further details of the Gathering Past and Present can be found:
http://www.harpenden-lions.co.uk/highland-gathering.php