Leeds Irish Health&Homes

Róisín Bán (Gaelic for ‘White Rose’) is the culmination of two years work by Leeds Irish Health and Homes, through Project Co-Ordinator Corinne Silva to document the emigration experiences of the Irish community in Leeds. It mainly focuses on the link between County Mayo, where the majority of the Leeds Irish Community hails from and Leeds, but the stories would be pertinent to many counties. It is a pictoral and oral history project which has culminated in an exhibition, book and website.

The book is available to purchase either by completing the order form or through Amazon.co.uk All proceeds from the sale of the book go to supporting the charitable work of Leeds Irish Health & Homes.

We would like the website to grow as a living archive of Irish people’s experiences in Britain and would encourage you to visit www.roisinban.com to help the project develop. It is only by sharing your histories that the often negated emigration experiences of Irish people to Britain will become valued.

Chief Excutive Officer of LIHH, Anthony Hanlon, says, “Róisín Bán is an important documentary record of Irish society in Britain, at a time when our community has largely faded from the public gaze. For us there are interesting parallels between the past struggles and discrimination faced by the Irish in Britain, and those of other groups who are now in the media spotlight, such as the Muslim, asylum-seeking and refugee communities.”

Corinne Silva’s work illustrates three generations of experience: the stories of people who have fought hard for a place for themselves and their children. Through a series of interviews plus portrait and documentary images, her work illustrates the lives of people both in Leeds and as returned emigrants in Mayo. The project acknowledges the contribution which the community has made to Leeds and celebrates its strength - whilst at the same time exploring its difficulties.

Corinne says, “For centuries, the socio-economic and political relationships between Ireland and Britain have impacted on our society. Róisín Bán is an important record of one Irish community’s experience of Britain today. It captures a certain place in time -both present-day Leeds and the memories held by many of an Ireland to which they may never return.”

The exhibition also travelled to the European Parliament in Brussels where it was on display for a week.

Part of the exhibition will be shown when the new Leeds Civic Museum opens in August 2008, so please go along and see it

website by Twentyfourten