The 1990s

Secretary's Report 1991
 

This depicts an annual general meeting at the old Irish Centre, on Monday 25th November, 1991. The secretary’s report states that the year of 1991 has probably been the most eventful year for the centre, since its opening in 1964. 
 

The report also points out that the centre’s over 60s club had. Influx of new members over the last year and that they’ve also started tea dances every fortnight, which have been well attended and the music provided was by Gerry Mason. The over 60s club also had their first outing in May and September 1991 to Morecombe and Blackpool, respectively.  

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The centre’s dancing class had also had a very proactive year, with the requests for exhibitions having tripled in the last few years. These said exhibitions have ranged from concerts in the Philharmonic and the Empire Theatre. The dancing class had a very successful concert in the centre in March 1991, with Dermot Hegarty as a guest artist. The class also returned from a weekend in Dungarvan, as guests of the Sliabh gCua dancers. The dancing club also thanked Tommy Walsh for organising this weekend and to the committee of Sliabh gCua for accommodating them.  

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1991 had also been a busy year for Irish community care Merseyside, even during the upheaval whilst the Centre was being altered, numbers had increased with approximately 1,000 cases being with and several of these cases still ongoing when the report was published. The report reveals that most of these cases revolved around the elderly. With Irish community care visiting them in their homes, hospitals and offering support when they had been admitted to residential homes. They also attended several funerals for their deceased members and offered support to their families.  

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During 1991, numerous enquiries and requests for information on returning home to live in Ireland had been made, mainly from pensioners and those about to retire. The numbers were so high in fact, that to combat it, the centre put together a short information pack setting out the various benefits that people could be entitled to.  

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The report ends with the Centre thanking all those who had thanked them in the past year, especially the Irish government, catholic and Liverpool social services. As well as the executive committee, the manager and the staff of the Irish centre, the management committee of Irish community care.  

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1990-91 was also another year of progress for the Irish studies group. With six people in the class gaining the open college certificate in Irish studies. In addition to the class, a programme of guest speakers was also provided and 12 people joined for the first time. A variety of other activities have been organised, these included a day school at the Irish centre and Norren Clark and Bill Royston were brought over from Belfast to address the meeting.  

Successful social events included two ceilidhs, with attendance more than two hundred and fifty and a concert and lecture by Welsh harpist Hilary Rushmer. The Irish Studies’ annual trip to Dublin was successful, with over thirty people attending. The group continued to be associated with the institute of Irish studies at Liverpool university, the British association for Irish studies and the Merseyside Irish studies federation. Since September, the class had their meeting in the city college on myrtle college due to the difficulty finding sustainable rooms at the Irish centre.   

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The 1991 season for Finn Harps was very significant. After numerous successful seasons, the latest season proved to be disappointing. With inconsistent form and an unsettled squad proved to be unsuccessful.