Ahead of St Patrick’s Day we visited the Liverpool Irish Centre to explore its ongoing commitment to the region’s Irish community
Ahead of St Patrick’s Day we visited the Liverpool Irish Centre to explore its ongoing commitment to the region’s Irish community
00:01, 17 Mar 2026
The Liverpool Irish Centre strives to be a place of celebration, creativity and connection for the city’s Irish community, with a mission of promoting Irish heritage and culture, and St. Patrick’s Day is no exception. So, to get a sense of the work being done, and chat about their preparations for the big day, we went along to Boundary Lane to find out more.
As we arrive, we’re greeted by Niall Patrick Gibney, the Liverpool Irish Centre’s manager. By his own admission, Niall barely takes a day off, all due to his love and passion for a job he holds dear, and to which he is forever bonded by family history.
Niall gives us a tour of the facility, and is able to show off some recent renovations including a new heritage suite, adorned with sporting memorabilia, historical artefacts and photographs of all the generations who have crossed the doors, not just on Boundary Lane, but members from previous locations like the old centre on Mount Pleasant.
Niall has worked at the centre since 2017, and been manager for almost six years, and he’s proud of the progress they’re making. He said: “There’s a rich and brilliant history here and the story of Liverpool’s Irish Centre goes back decades. It’s also part of the larger story of Irish people in Liverpool and beyond.
“We are very conscious of preserving and respecting that history, but we’re also dedicated to modernising the place and making it fit for the current generation, and all the coming generations who will use it in the future.
“It’s such an important place for everyone, and it’s really a lifeline to a lot of people. We have cultural events, and celebrations, but there’s also the community side which is really important to us. Whether its pensioners needing a bit of company or people needing other kinds of support, we’re here for everyone to meet up, and we look out for everyone.
“We also have a lot of fun, and if you want Irish culture in Liverpool, then you come here, it’s your first port of call, really. You’ve got all the Irish pubs and that’s great, but that’s different. That’s what you do when you’re just off for a drink.
“Don’t get me wrong, people just come to socialise here as well, but we also have so much going on, because here you can learn instruments, you can learn to dance, and you can learn Irish language, and all sorts of other things.
“We also have a shop where you can buy snacks that you can only find in Ireland, which everyone loves.
“We’re all dead excited for St Patrick’s Day, and with all the fun stuff and celebrations, we’ll also be having our own individual Irish mass, a St Patrick’s Day mass, and after that, we’ve got a Trad session, and then after that, we’ve got another band on called the Rebel Heart that’s coming over. So lots to do!”
Part of today’s preparations is the set-up for a play titled ‘Call Yourself an Irishman’, a one-man-show playing in the centre’s events hall, exploring Irish identity and the history of Irish migration to Britain. It was to be performed by London-born actor and musician, Declan Duffy, whose parents were both born in Ireland.
Responding to a question about what St Patrick’s Day means in 2026, in particular reference to the Irish diaspora and their children born in the UK, Declan said: “I’m not naïve enough to say I’m an Irishman, because I wasn’t born there, and I’ve never lived there, and I know it would be absurd to say I’m Irish, right, but I’ve never felt English either.
“I suppose there is a parallel in this city, because there’s plenty of people that seem to feel the same way, and Liverpool feels unique in that regard.
“But my London identity is very strong also. I’m a Londoner. I love London, and I love the fact that’s where I was born, but I’m an Irish Londoner.
“The first part of the show, really is me looking into the history and why so many Irish people were leaving Ireland, including later on with people like my own parents, and then their choice to come here.
“The second part is how people like myself, born in England with Irish parents, find our own way of being Irish, and I don’t have an easy answer, because I’m working it out, and for other people, it’s for them to work out also.
“At times like this, building up to St Patrick’s Day, and here in Liverpool, it feels like a good time to have these conversations and I’m looking forward to the show.
“I love the fact that we can celebrate who we are in all our different facets.”
Someone who is a relatively recent migrant to the city is Stephen, 46, who is from South Armagh, and is sat in the bar area with his two children, both with scouse accents. He has been living in Liverpool since moving over in 2004, and visits the Irish centre almost every weekend, to show the place some support, and enable his kids to soak up a bit about their heritage.
Stephen said: “I love Liverpool, and not just for the football team, because there’s a real sense of home, and the Irish Centre plays its part in that, and it’s great for families.
“My kids are fully aware of where I’m from, and they will regard themselves as half Irish and I love that, while they’ll also say they’re half scouse.
“We come here and relax, and there’s the cultural events and stuff up on the walls, so we tap into that all the time and it’s great to celebrate our heritage, because I’m proud of my country, and where I’m from, and in March with St Patrick’s Day, it another chance to celebrate those things in a really positive way.”
These sentiments are shared by Willie and Angela Doherty, and their son Pearse, 15, who are also relaxing in the bar, and happy to discuss their plans for St Patrick’s Day and the importance of the Irish Centre in their family life.
Angela said: “We visit here often and our son Pearse plays GAA (Gaelic football) and has also learned the tin whistle, so you can see we’re very much involved here and all the cultural programmes the centre has to offer.
“There’s stuff right throughout the year, not just St Patrick’s Day. I even went to a walk and history event up to the bombed out church, all about the history of the Irish famine, which was really fascinating , and very moving.
“So with the dancing and music and history and other things, there is something for everyone.”
Although the Irish Centre is a modern and welcoming community hub, it still places huge importance on its own history in Liverpool as well as Irish culture more generally.
Louise Coyne, 30, is a Lecturer in modern British history and Irish studies at Liverpool John Moores University. Before pursuing an academic career, Louise started working at the Irish Centre when she was 16, and now manages its Digital Archive project.
With the help of the local community, Louise and her team are collecting lived experiences, piecing together the centre’s rich history, all from the perspective of those who have crossed its doors. The archive will contain pictures, documents and stories, all captured to preserve the memories of the Liverpool Irish Centre for future generations.
Asked what the centre means to herself personally, Louise told us: “I’ve grown up in the Irish centre, and grew up going to dancing on Saturday, music on Sunday, all of the events. It always felt like a family.
“I worked here when I was 16, and in the shop when I was 21, and my dad attended the old Irish centre, and learned to play the accordion, he did dancing, and that tradition kind of passed onto us.
“The centre was always very much about taking care of people who were Irish, but what is quite interesting is, even from the start, you have people who were coming over straight from Ireland, who were using the centre, but also for people whose parents were Irish.
“It was never strictly just for Irish people coming over, it’s a space for any kind of Irish connection people are proud of, and a place where Irishness could always be displayed proudly.
“If you come in on a Saturday morning, you’ll see so many children learning to Irish dance. I think it’s a really important part of the identity, and that’s why the centre has so many cultural programmes which people love to be a part of.
“I think you can have an Irish culture and say you’re from Liverpool, because there’s an incredibly strong connection between Irishness and the city of Liverpool.”
Asked what St Patrick’s Day means to her in 2026, Louise said: “For me, it’s about celebrating Irish culture, but also paying my respects to the contributions of Irish people in this city, the work they put and the sacrifices they made for me and everyone else in the city.”
