London Irish Vintage Day returns to Tir Chonaill Gaels GAA Grounds this Sunday 8 September.
This year’s family friendly day out is supporting charities Across, Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, St Rose’s Projects and Yes to Life.
The day will start off with a vintage rally from Wexham in Buckinghamshire to Greenford in west London.
The main event will start at 12 noon and go on until 7pm with live music from Louisiana country singer Robert Mizzell who has been based in Ireland for many years, London- Irish Celtic rockers Hungry Grass, Donegal country singer David James, Irish World award winner Slim Attraction, Tom Power and the Peppered Aces on the main stage.
There will be bar and catering facilities on site, as well as children’s amusements, vehicle displays and other entertainment.
Entry is £10 for adults with free admission for accompanied under-16s. Free parking on-site from 11.30am.
Country singer Robert Mizzell told The Irish World recently: “I’m looking forward to coming over to the UK shortly.
“I haven’t been over in a while now.
“I do know that there’s a lot of people over there that would follow our music and follow the country music scene here in Ireland.
“I’m hoping we get a good day’s weather.”
The sun was shining in Greenford last year as the crowds packed in to hear country music star Derek Ryan headline the day’s entertainment for the annual fundraiser.
Headline act Derek Ryan told The Irish World after coming offstage: “It was a crazy gig. It was so hot.
“I’ve been gigging a long time. I don’t think I’ve ever had heat like it.
“But it was unbelievable, great atmosphere.
“I’ve never been here before at the London Irish Vintage Day.
“We’ve got a great welcome and they’re really looking after us.
“It’s just been an absolute pleasure to be here to be honest, we’ve travelled through the night.
“We had a gig last night in Wexford so crew worked really hard to get here and get everything set up so I’m just glad that everyone enjoyed it and all the hard work paid off.
“The sun was out, the crowd was out and it really was a special night.
“I used to gig just around the corner in pubs years ago to not to many people, if any people sometimes, except the barman.
“So to come back here and play to thousands, it’s just a special feeling to come back to London. I spent a lot of my life here, a good few years and it’s kind of a home away from home really. I feel very comfortable here.
“It’s a great place to do a gig so I’m delighted.”
Asked if he would be back at the event Derek said: “I’d love to.
“If we get invited, we’ll definitely come back.
“It’s a great gig, why wouldn’t we?”
There was also entertainment from Irish World Award winner Slim Attraction, London- Irish band Hungry Grass, a display from Theresa O’Donoghue School of Irish Dancing and amusements for children making it a day for all the family.
The Irish World chatted to Peter Coughlan and Caroline Regan of Hungry Grass after their set.
Caroline said: “It was great. Very, very hot up there but it was good fun.”
Peter added: “We made it through the heat, you know? That’s the hottest I’ve ever been on stage.
“But brilliant craic, great crowd out there.
“The sun certainly brings the people out, doesn’t it?”
Hungry Grass played the first ever London Irish Vintage Day and were there just last year.
“It’s certainly changed since the first one,” Peter reflected.
“We were here at the first one and we’ve been here most years actually.
“It’s great to come up here to Greenford and support.
“It’s all good craic.”
Hungry Grass share a fiddle player with Derek Ryan in Kane O’Rourke who is also known as a solo performer.
Peter said: “Kane was with us for years here in London before he moved back to Ireland. He’s still in the band as far as we’re concerned because we’re like a family, and we do love to see him. That felt very special.”
On how the London Irish Vintage Day event has grown Caroline said: “It’s just bigger and better each year, it’s a great day out.
“There’s something for everyone really so it’s great that it’s going strong.”
Peter added: “We’ll be back. We’ll definitely be back.”
Slim Attraction said: “It’s great to be back. It’s like being in Benidorm here with the heat.
“It’s such a great atmosphere and massive crowd here.
“It’s just so good to be back doing it again.
“It’s a great buzz.
“It’s great for community to come together and also for such great causes as well.
“It’s brilliant.
“I remember when it was only a small little event and we played over by the clubhouse and now it’s such a big event
“It’s just got bigger and bigger, and it’s gonna get bigger.”
Ambassador Martin Fraser, a special guest of the day, said: “It’s absolutely brilliant. The sun is beating down, there’s huge crowds here, all generations, the young and the old, all corners of Ireland and further afield and people from around England as well having just a wonderful, wonderful day.
“There’s so much to see and do and just great to see everybody out on a lovely sunny day in London.”
The ambassador said being there for such a community event is an important part of his role.
“It is a very important part of what we do in the embassy.
“We try and work with the community all over London and all over Britain and try and help them and they help us an awful lot as well.
“The Irish in Britain really stick together. It’s a real team effort from everybody so it’s just great for me to be able to come here and see so many people, people I know and people I don’t know from all over the country enjoying themselves here in London.
“It’s the community coming together to enjoy themselves but also to support some very, very important charities and some very innovative charities and people that do some really, really valuable work in the community.
“What the charities that are being sponsored today do is fantastic.
“I got to speak to them all and they’re really wonderful people and they’re doing great work.”
Special guests last year were both London Rose Amy Gillen, a native of Donegal, and London Mary from Dungloe Erin Doohan.
London Rose Amy Gillen told The Irish World: “It’s absolutely unbelievable to be here today.
“It’s a gorgeous day first of all, and the atmosphere is already incredible with all the stalls that are set up, the vintage tractors, cars and lorries and just all the people not only from Donegal but all around the place.
“It’s a lovely day so far.”
2024 London Mary from Dungloe Kyna Boyle told The Irish World back in March: “I’m really excited for the vintage day at Tir Chonaill Gaels, I always go every year because my grandad is vice chairman for them.
“It will be really nice to be a bit of a name there and get to go in the Kelly tent and all that.
“I’m really excited for the year ahead.”
London Irish Vintage Day founder and organiser Brendan Vaughan told The Irish World last year: “I’m very happy with how it went.
“It makes things very easy when you have a great quality band like that. And the weather.
“Without weather, you’re wasting your time.
“We’ve been lucky every year.
“We haven’t had one wet day over the ten years we’ve been doing it.
“It’s great.
“I’m very happy with everything.
“There was some crowd here today.
“We don’t even know yet what kind of estimation of a crowd but it’s good.”
The 2023 event was the 11th annual London Irish Vintage Day but there had been two years it could not take place on account of the Covid- 19 pandemic.
Reflecting on how it started, Brendan said: “I started with about 300 people.
“Patrick Kielty was here that day.
“It’s grown and grown so big.
“It’s been a great success and thanks for all the support that everybody has given us.
“Without that, you can’t do it. Simple as that.
“As long as it can continue, I’m happy enough with that.
“So we’ll just keep pushing.”
London Irish Vintage Day is this Sunday 8 September.