http://www.tottenhamjournal.co.uk/news/gallery_irish_president_visits_haringey_irish_centre_1_2287170
July 19 2013 Latest news:
by Stephen Moore Friday, July 19, 2013
12:00 PM
Hundreds of people of all nationalities turned out to meet Irish president Michael D Higgins on Wednesday as he visited the Haringey Irish Centre in Tottenham.
Mr Higgins was greeted with a steel band performance outside the centre in Pretoria Road, before meeting a host of dignitaries and prominent members of the community, reigniting his links with the area.
He also delivered a keynote speech, praising the work of the centre, and took time to meet and speak to dozens of users of the centre. For a gallery of photos from the event, click the link to the right of this story under ‘Multimedia’.
Haringey Mayor Cllr Sheila Peacock said: “It was a wonderful atmosphere. The president made a long speech, commenting and applauding all the work carried out at the centre. He was pleased to see so many ethnic groups represented.
“At the end the president didn’t want to go; he stayed and stayed and stayed.”
She said Mr Higgins spoke of “the strong links that he had with [former Tottenham MP, the late] Bernie Grant and was pleased to meet up again with [his wife] Sharon Grant,” adding: “He stayed and shook hands and spoke with over 300 people, making time for them all to have their photographs taken with him.”
Alongside users and staff at the centre, a long list of prominent people met Mr Higgins while the Whittington Steel Band performed in the sunshine, including Rosemary Warne, the Deputy Lieutenant of Haringey, and Donna-Maria Cullen, the executive director of Tottenham Hotspur, who was joined by the club’s academy star Kenny McEvoy, who also plays for Ireland’s under-19 team, former player Tony Galvin and club physio Joe O’Reilly.
Seamus Hannon and Mark Gottsche, members of the London Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), also turned out to see the president ahead of their clash with Mayo in Sunday’s Connacht SFC final, while local councillors and Tottenham MP David Lammy also greeted him.
Tony Brennan, manager at the centre, said: “The fact the president came to our place is a great honour. It was very significant. It’s an endorsement of the work that’s done not just for the Irish community but the idea that it’s for other community groups. It’s outward-looking, not inward-looking.
“The president has been long campaigning for social justice, and had close associations in the past with [former Tottenham MP, the late] Bernie Grant, and he is familiar with the area.
“He spoke about the centre and the work that it does, not just in the Irish community but the Polish community and those from Monserrat, and Haringey Shed which uses this space.
“One of the things he did was to take time out to shake everybody’s hand and have a photo taken with them. He wanted to know everybody’s name.”
The occasion marked Mr Higgins’ fourth visit to the area. The centre is funded by the Irish government to run an advice and support centre dealing with issues including welfare, benefit and housing, and a day care and lunch club for the elderly. It has also donated money to the upkeep of the building, and helped make it wheelchair-friendly.
Tottenham MP David Lammy said: “It was a privilege to welcome the Irish president to Tottenham. His support of the community centre and recognition of its hard work means a great deal to both the Irish community and Tottenham as a whole.”
July 19 2013 Latest news:
by Stephen Moore Friday, July 19, 2013
12:00 PM
Hundreds of people of all nationalities turned out to meet Irish president Michael D Higgins on Wednesday as he visited the Haringey Irish Centre in Tottenham.
Mr Higgins was greeted with a steel band performance outside the centre in Pretoria Road, before meeting a host of dignitaries and prominent members of the community, reigniting his links with the area.
He also delivered a keynote speech, praising the work of the centre, and took time to meet and speak to dozens of users of the centre. For a gallery of photos from the event, click the link to the right of this story under ‘Multimedia’.
Haringey Mayor Cllr Sheila Peacock said: “It was a wonderful atmosphere. The president made a long speech, commenting and applauding all the work carried out at the centre. He was pleased to see so many ethnic groups represented.
“At the end the president didn’t want to go; he stayed and stayed and stayed.”
She said Mr Higgins spoke of “the strong links that he had with [former Tottenham MP, the late] Bernie Grant and was pleased to meet up again with [his wife] Sharon Grant,” adding: “He stayed and shook hands and spoke with over 300 people, making time for them all to have their photographs taken with him.”
Alongside users and staff at the centre, a long list of prominent people met Mr Higgins while the Whittington Steel Band performed in the sunshine, including Rosemary Warne, the Deputy Lieutenant of Haringey, and Donna-Maria Cullen, the executive director of Tottenham Hotspur, who was joined by the club’s academy star Kenny McEvoy, who also plays for Ireland’s under-19 team, former player Tony Galvin and club physio Joe O’Reilly.
Seamus Hannon and Mark Gottsche, members of the London Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), also turned out to see the president ahead of their clash with Mayo in Sunday’s Connacht SFC final, while local councillors and Tottenham MP David Lammy also greeted him.
Tony Brennan, manager at the centre, said: “The fact the president came to our place is a great honour. It was very significant. It’s an endorsement of the work that’s done not just for the Irish community but the idea that it’s for other community groups. It’s outward-looking, not inward-looking.
“The president has been long campaigning for social justice, and had close associations in the past with [former Tottenham MP, the late] Bernie Grant, and he is familiar with the area.
“He spoke about the centre and the work that it does, not just in the Irish community but the Polish community and those from Monserrat, and Haringey Shed which uses this space.
“One of the things he did was to take time out to shake everybody’s hand and have a photo taken with them. He wanted to know everybody’s name.”
The occasion marked Mr Higgins’ fourth visit to the area. The centre is funded by the Irish government to run an advice and support centre dealing with issues including welfare, benefit and housing, and a day care and lunch club for the elderly. It has also donated money to the upkeep of the building, and helped make it wheelchair-friendly.
Tottenham MP David Lammy said: “It was a privilege to welcome the Irish president to Tottenham. His support of the community centre and recognition of its hard work means a great deal to both the Irish community and Tottenham as a whole.”
