Birmingham's Irish Community
Digbeth has always been the spiritual home of Birmingham's Irish community. It was the focus of Irish immigration in both the 19th and 20th centuries and although subsequent generations have dissipated throughout the city in the intervening years, it remains a central part of the population's cultural heritage.
During the mid 19th century, 11,000 Irish were living and working in Birmingham, which by the mid 20th century had grown to such an extent that they formed the backbone of the workforce that re-built Birmingham after the war.
Digbeth remains the location of the world's third largest St Patrick's Day parade, after New York and Dublin, attracting over 80,000 visitors every March and is home to many Irish pubs and businesses.
The Irish Club, at the heart of the Irish Quarter, remains a central meeting point for a large majority of Irish men, women and their families who were raised in Birmingham.
It is even estimated that some 1200 school children from schools across Birmingham regularly play Gaelic football, highlighting the influence Irish traditions and culture has and continues to have on the fabric of the city.
The promotion of the Irish Quarter is, therefore, an important recognition of the contribution made by the Irish community to the physical, social and economic growth of the city over the last fifty years.
"The Irish Quarter proposal to regenerate an important and historical area of Birmingham is an exciting prospect. While creating a significant number of new jobs, complimenting current and major investments in the Bull Ring and Eastside, the rejuvenation of this area will enable the Birmingham St Patrick's Day Parade Festival to become a showcase for Digbeth and Eastside. This can only enhance people's experience of the City Centre that offers musical, artistic, cultural and economic opportunities."
Pauline Roche - Chair, Birmingham St Patrick's Day Parade Festival.