Coventry school pupils and parishioners joined by top performers for annual celebration of Irish culture
Irish musicians and performers flocked to a Coventry primary school to help pupils mark St Patrick’s Day, with scores of visitors coming together to celebrate.
Irish music group Coventry Comhaltas and Irish dance academy Celtica joined a host of young performers as well as parents and staff at St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School, part of the Romero Catholic Academy, for a day of traditional music, dance and poetry in celebration of Irish culture.
More than 100 people from across the local community and St Patrick’s parish attended the event, which featured renditions of songs from the likes of The Dubliners and readings of iconic poetry from W.B. Yeats, as well as Irish dancing.
Visitors were also able to win a range of prizes at a St Patrick’s Day raffle, including an Irish food hamper and Guinness cake.
McHugh Irish Dance also attended in the afternoon, featuring pupils from St Patrick’s as part of the lineup.
Mark McLoughlin, Principal at St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School, said the event showed a sense of unity between the school and the community, with a range of cultures and backgrounds participating.
He said: “We followed up our morning mass on St Patrick’s Day with a fantastic celebration of Irish culture, bringing people across the community together for some magnificent performances, including from our own pupils.
“It was a privilege to have Coventry Comhaltas and Celtica join us one of the biggest days in the Irish cultural calendar. We had the chance to witness some high-quality performances, and it was great to see parents and parishioners enjoying themselves.
“It was also pleasing to see so many people from non-Irish backgrounds getting involved, emphasising the togetherness and sense of community surrounding our school.”
