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p8
 Readers of N16 may sometimes wonder what
the shop front at 59 Church Street is all about. Kate Foley writes:
The London Irish Women's Centre has its foundations back in 1983 when a need to meet the
distinctive needs of Irish women was first identified. In 1986, courtesy of the Greater
London Coucil, the premises in Church Street were finally opened. But what does it do and
what is its history?
The Irish community in London had been growing more assertive throughout the 1980s. This
stood in contrast to the experience of earlier emigrants, all too often confronted with
the explicit face of racism. In the late 1960s and 1970s the response to the 'troubles' in
Northern Ireland generated something approaching a climate of fear. The use of measures
such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act contributed to the collective lack of confidence.
All that began to change as first-generation immigrants were joined by their
second-generation Irish children who had been born in Britain but identified with a
particular Irish experience. Increasingly it was an experience they wanted to celebrate
not to hide. There was a growing realisation that the situation in Northern Ireland
required a political solution, one based on dialogue not repression. For Irish women, the
growth in community confidence was accompanied by the experience of feminism and the
recognition that Irish women had a particular background which we wanted to explore and
examine. There was a realisation that the mainstream Irish community was failing to meet
the needs of Irish women and it is no accident that it was a group of Irish lesbians who
led the campaign for the Centre. With these rather heady aspirations, the premises were
opened in Stoke Newington. The sheer size of the Irish population in London meant that
from its earliest days the Centre was in heavy demand. There are some 300,000 Irish women
living in London, making up 10 per cent of the female labour population. Their specific
needs, such as discrimination in areas of employment and housing, but also domestic
violence, or mental health problems, are often overlooked
The work of the Centre is both practical, tackling disadvantage, and campaigning, in
promoting the interests of Irish women. In 1988, in response to demand, advice sessions
were instituted and these have remained a mainstay of the Centre's work ever since. Much
has changed since we first opened our doors. Not least, the Irish community in London is
both highly visible and widely embraced the growth of cod-Irish theme pubs is a source of
wry amusement suddenly it's cool to be Irish. However at the Centre we are all too aware
that the picture is far from simple. Recent research for the Commission for Racial
Equality highlighted the extent to which the Irish community still suffers disadvantage in
health, employment and housing. The steady take-up of advice work of the Centre tells its
own story of poverty, domestic violence and discrimination. The older Irish population,
perhaps seeking advice on returning home, or just where to go to enjoy activities with
contemporaries, needs guidance.
Recent projects have included developing a self-referral counselling service, running a
highly successful conference looking at Irish women and mental health, and a study of the
way trade unions monitor services to Irish members. The Centre has also been closely
involved with work with Irish travellers both within Hackney and more widely throughout
London. And still we find time for the occasional evening of discussion and debate and to
celebrate the cultural experiences of Irish women living in London.
The Centre is open from 10.00am to 1.00pm and from 2.00pm to 5.00pm from Tuesday to
Thursday. Women are welcome to drop in for advice and guidance or just for information
about Irish community initiatives and events. For regular information about the Centre you
can join for £10 high-waged, £7 low-waged or £4 unwaged which will keep you in touch
with the Irish women's community and with the work of the Centre.
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