The free event open to all on Sunday 16 March, is part of QPCO’s Back To Our Roots project to give underrepresented groups or communities a platform to share their cultures and visions, with their aim of making Bedford a more inclusive town.
Bedford has a large Irish community and after many generations of being in the UK, descendants still feel a strong connection to the country. The town has a number of Irish bands, dancing groups and there a handful of Irish pubs remain.
Marie-Ange Comerford-Raillon, Director of QPCO said: “I have lived in Bedford for more than 30 years, and I have not seen a free outdoor St Patrick’s Day event organised in the town centre, despite there being a wealth of Irish culture and tradition in the heart of Bedford. We have had a lot of feedback from the Irish community over the years who have told us this is something they would like to see, which is why we were so keen to make this happen.
“We’ve really enjoyed working with the Irish community in bringing the first Irish festival to the town. We’d also like to give a big thank you to Bedford Borough Council and The Harpur Trust in supporting the event with their sponsorship. We look forward to seeing as many people as possible join in the celebrations.”
The festival, which starts at 12pm, will see local Irish bands, The Barrys, The Black and Gold, Out of the Hat, The Also-rans and Chris Law, perform outside the Harpur Suite. Irish dance school, Stuart Irish Dance Bedford will also showcase their talents and run a taster session inside the venue. Irish food will be served in the Harpur Centre and The Kings Arms pub on St Mary’s Street, and drinks will also be available in the square.
Samantha Hughes, a local musician and vocalist, who has been heavily involved in the planning, and is part of The Castle pub’s monthly Irish Folk Night, said: “I’m extremely passionate about Irish culture so when the opportunity arose to get involved in organising the festival, I jumped at the chance. It’s been an honour to gather some of Bedford’s finest Irish bands and musicians, and create this incredible lineup. It's such a wonderful opportunity to have a St Patrick’s Day party here in Bedford. We have a rich Irish community and what better way to share this with the whole town, than on the weekend of St Patrick’s Day.
“Being second generation Irish, I’ve been heavily involved in the traditional Irish music scene here in Bedford for over 25 years and started my musical journey learning the tenor banjo at the Bedford Comhaltas branch, which has sadly since folded. Irish music and Comhaltas took me all over the UK and Ireland, as I competed in many All Britian and All Ireland Fleadh competitions. I was fortunate enough to win five All Britain titles on the banjo and mandolin, as well as being placed runner up twice in the All-Ireland Fleadh on the mandolin.
“Over ten years ago I set up a monthly traditional Irish music session at The Three Cups. Although Bedford was home to some amazing Irish bands and dance schools, nowhere was showcasing this. In 2019, we moved the session to The Castle, on Newham Street, which has remained our home ever since. The event took some time to grow and gain popularity, but now it speaks for itself. We now host on average 15 musicians a month, some local and others who come from across the country. It runs the first Thursday of every month from 8pm, so please do pop in and see for yourself.”
For more information about the festival, visit: www.qpco.org.uk/projects/back-to-our-roots-archive/st-patrick-day.