Green Brent - Happy St Patrick's Day - Là Féile Pàdraig!

March 17 2010 , Written by thediversetraveller Published on #bag pipes, #Brent, #Ireland, #Irish, #Irish folk music, #Kilburn, #Mayor of Brent, #Politicians, #Recommendations & Rants (tips, links and reviews), #St Patrick's day, #Willesden

Despite living in Brent on and off for four years I had never seen a St Patrick's Day parade here. St Patrick's Day, a celebration of the patron saint of Ireland, St Patrick, who it is said introduced Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century A.D.

Why that matters, well aside from St Patrick's Day, Là Féile Pàdraig (Gaelic), being the most important annual celebration for the Irish community worldwide, 1) Brent has the highest proportion of Irish born residents in London (7%) and 2) most significally Brent is the only borough to hold the event on the official day the 17th March.

Irish people have been coming to Kilburn and Cricklewood as seasonal labourers since the early 19th century or earlier. However it was Irish labourers doing postwar reconstruction, slum clearance and rebuilding Kilburn Vale and south Kilburn that led to Kilburn being called ‘County Kilburn'.

Today's St Patrick's Day celebration shows that the Irish presence is as vibrant as ever. The celebration, from Willesden Green station to Willesden Green Library, started with a small parade of colourful floats, costumed dancers and performers, Irish bagpipes and drums, and traditional Irish folk music.

From 4.30pm the streets of Willesden Green were lined with people of all ages and races, many dressed in something green.

The celebrations continued at Willesden Green Library, where the crowds were treated to plenty of Irish entertainment from renowned comedian Deirdre O'Kane, the much loved Irish folk band Irish Mist, Neasden based McCarthy School of Irish Dance and a thirty piece youth orchestra. The little ones were not left out, as there was face painting, circus skills workshops and Irish tales of laughter myths and legends from acclaimed storyteller Pat Speight.

According to the 2001 census the London Borough of Brent, in North West London, is the UK’s second most diverse borough; it is said that there is an 85 per cent chance that if you stop two people, chosen at random, in Brent, they would be from different ethnic groups. However today was not one for differences, today we came together as one to celebrate all things Irish.