‘The Irish Roots of Handsworth’

St Patrick’s Day tour at St Mary’s Convent, Handsworth.

​On Saturday 18th March the Sisters at St Mary’s Convent welcomed a group of 22 local people for a tour followed by a cup of tea.  This was the culmination of a small project led by Sian Campbell, Heritage Officer for Legacy West Midlands.  One of the significant aims of Legacy West Midlands is to collect stories of the diverse migrant communities of the area, and to provide and lead local heritage trails.  Sian had some meetings here with us to discuss the potential of a guided walking tour through areas of Handsworth associated with Irish history – ending with a guided tour of St Mary’s.   We were delighted to be involved in this local project for local people. 
On the day we welcomed people of various ages and backgrounds, and even a small group from Birmingham Irish Association.  The turn-out was good, given the rather inclement weather in the morning!
The tour was peppered with lots of questions and comments on the beauty of the convent, the interest provoked by it, and the story of Catherine McAuley the Irish woman.  During the cup of tea at the end, the atmosphere was one of appreciation and appeals from some to be able to return.
Hopefully we can work with Sian and Legacy on more events in the future.

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Jenny Smith 
​Archivist