This account of a St Patrick's day procession and the good times to be had around the Royal East St/Abbey Steet area comes from a lovely member of the Irish community in Leicester.
The day was March 17th 1935 and a St Patrick’s flag waved proudly over the mean, close pack of streets
surrounding St. Patrick’s Church, Royal East St. Oh, the magic in the air as
the crowd swirled around before entering church for the special St. Patrick’s
day mass. Carr’s button factory, on the opposite side of Royal East St, had
allowed any Irish the day off and the rest of the workforce peeped out of the doorways
and available windows, interested and excited by the patriotic fervour across
the way.
I was seven at the time and had been
diligently practising the Kyrie, the Agnus Die and the Sanctus in Latin. I was
a proud member of the choir; dressed in a green velvet dress and matching green beret made by my aunt. I definitely still remember the magic of it all: the
whole day was filled with feasting, drinking, of course, and music that lives
with me forever.
My mother was a fine singer and “Kathleen, Mavorneen”
was her special song. My Dad’s cousin Martin was steward at the club: his
special song was “Irish Manufacture” the story of a salesman going around
promoting Irish goods. Granny had two special songs: “The hat my father wore”
and “If I had the wings of a swallow”. At St Patrick's club, Paul’s regular was “County
Armagh”: Peggy’s: “The Croppy Boy.”
We lived and breathed Irish culture as children and
knew every song from “Mistral Boy” to “The Old Bog Road.”
Though a mixture of nationalities inhabited
the surrounding area, the Irish and the feel of Ireland were predominant. One
priest, a Father Parle, was beloved by the whole population in that area. A big
strapping Irishman in his prime, and a rugby player, he organised the May and
June processions through the streets of Leicester carrying the Blessed Sacrament
under a canopy up to the Town Hall square where he would conduct Benediction.
Sadly he died suddenly, only in his thirties. The whole area went into mourning
regardless of religion; the crowds surrounded the area weeping.
This area around Royal East St/Abbey St was
peopled first by a trickle of Irish immigrants fleeing the famine and then
onwards through the lean times in Ireland in the 20s, 30s and 40s.
At this time Leicester was a prosperous
city, renowned for its cleanliness and its variety of manufacturing,
particularly hosiery and shoes. Even in those days, Corah’s and Wolsey were
known world wide so Irish immigrants had no trouble finding work and were
diligent and prized by their employers.
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| St Patrick's school, Royal East St. |
On the social side, a parish hall was added
to the side of the school and church in Royal East St which was eventually
licensed and became the St. Patrick’s club.
The club became the mecca of the
newly arrived immigrants over the years. Here they felt at home and everyone knew
everyone so the area retained and embellished its Irishness.
As the years rolled by new Catholic
churches were built and the social life of the Irish in Leicester widened out. St.
Joseph’s had its parish priest, Father Leahy, who organised the building of a huge
church on the site of a stable on the corner of Goodwood/Uppingham Rd: he always drew
great crowds to his dances.
Mr. Joseph Willis ran an Irish dance on
Saturday or Sunday nights at the Secular Hall, Humberstone Gate. Sacred Heart
Hall was also a popular venue.
Meanwhile, when the old St. Patrick’s church
school was closed the old club was replaced by a new one facing the, now,
widened Abbey St. St Margaret’s bus station. The new bus station replaced all
those terraced houses and mean streets that once bustled with life that today’s
citizens could never compete with. There was faith, love, loyalty, neighbourliness
and tolerance that today’s Leicester would never understand. Irish humour lay
over all.
If you'd like to be involved contact us on 0116
276 9186 or pop in to:
The Emerald Centre, Gipsy Lane, Leicester. LE5
OTB
We're now also on Twitter: follow me on @irishleicester
Click here to view a map of The Irish in Leicester.
