What makes us different from other 'Irish'
charities in Britain today?
Most charities are established to service one specific
area of need - such as the arts, youth, or community development.
But we are mandated to support an extensive range of charitable
causes. We can work in several areas simultaneously, or
we can choose to focus on a particular sector. In general,
we can support charities active in the following categories:
- Development & care of
Irish emigrant communities
- Sharing and development
of Irish arts & culture
- Education & Community
Development
We share our brand and ethos with eleven other Ireland
Funds around the world. Together, we have established an
unrivalled and influential global network of Irish people
and friends of Ireland.
Who are The Forgotten Irish?
In the decade following World War II, hundreds of thousands
of Irish men and women migrated to Britain.
Economic circumstances forced then to leave their families
and communities. And so, they took the boat to England
in search of work. They worked as casual labour on building
sites. They built the motorways and the London Underground.
They cleared and rebuilt bomb-damaged towns. They worked
on the land, in domestic service and in healthcare.
Many did not have a loving family or caring community
to leave behind. They sought an escape from the misery,
and often the abuse, of institutional life. Raised in orphanages
and institutions, they had little or no information about
their family origins. Their attempts to create a life and
an identity were often hampered by hostility and rejection
in Ireland and Britain
Whether motivated by economics or emotions, they left
behind a country that was enduring some of the darkest
days of her history - an Ireland that could never have
imagined or hoped for the 'Celtic Tiger'
Their combined efforts helped to rebuild Britain, and
- by means of an estimated 3 billion Irish pounds worth
of 'remittances' - they helped Ireland to emerge from one
of the darkest and most poverty-stricken periods of it's
history.
Whatever their reasons for leaving, their labour built
the foundations of the Ireland we know today. We Should
not forget them. |
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