St. Patrick's Day celebrations take over Birmingham's Irish Quarter

National World - LocalTV

Birmingham’s Irish Quarter is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in full force, despite the parade being called off. We speak to organisers, performers, and attendees to find out how Digbeth is keeping the spirit of the day alive.

Transcript

00:00St. Patrick's Day is one of the biggest events in Birmingham's cultural calendar, and in

00:06the Irish Quarter, it's more than just a party. Local venues have had to pull together to

00:11keep the celebrations going without the parade, and that takes planning, coordination and

00:16passion. But these events aren't just about logistics, they mean something to the people

00:21organising them, the entertainers bringing the energy, and the crowds who turn out to

00:26celebrate their heritage. So what does it take to bring St. Patrick's Day to life here

00:32in Birmingham?

00:33You know, we spend all year being an Irish pub, Digbeth is the Irish Quarter, and this

00:37is our special day. So we've been working on it all year. Every time you book a band

00:42you go, these would be great for St. Patrick's. Every time you see something in someone else's

00:45pub you go, I'm nicking that idea. And so it's a culmination of all the bands, all the

00:49ideas we've been borrowing off other people and bringing together. It's showtime for us

00:54here.

00:56For Birmingham's Irish community, St. Patrick's Day is about more than just music and stouts.

01:01It's a chance to come together, celebrate heritage and share traditions that have been

01:05passed down through generations. The Irish influence in this city runs deep, and while

01:10the parade isn't happening, the celebrations carry a lot of meaning for the people taking

01:15part. Whether they've been coming here for years, or it's their first time, the connection

01:20to Irish culture is clear. But what does St. Patrick's Day in Birmingham mean to the

01:26people celebrating it?

01:28Well, it's celebrating the heritage, the Irish heritage, and the history that the Irish community

01:37has played such a massive part in building Birmingham, or the whole country up to where

01:42it is now.

01:43I'd say it's to celebrate our heritage and our culture. So our family are from Holyland,

01:48and we just find it really important to celebrate and remember our roots and our heritage.

01:54I think there's a lot of Irish people that live in Birmingham. So my family came from

01:59Ireland. My nan came, so we have a lot of family here, and I think a lot of people do.

02:04So it's like, I don't know, I think people come here with their families. I come here

02:10with my mum, so yeah.

02:12I think the most important part is the parade, and going out and mixing with the general

02:17people, the locals and that, and they're all loving it. And they come from all over, basically.

02:23It's probably the second, third biggest in the world. So it brings a lot of people together.

02:28So it's a big thing, and it's missed.

02:30Well, for the last couple of St. Patrick's Day, we're never really in Ireland, which

02:33is kind of crazy. But it's so nice to get to come over to the UK, and it's so nice to

02:39see how the music travels, like the Irish music.

02:41It's that day in the year when everyone gets together. You bump into people that you haven't

02:45seen in ages, and everyone gets together, and it has a bit of an ease up. But it's nice

02:49to remember where we've all come from. I've got Irish heritage. My grandparents came to

02:54this country and made a better life for themselves and for other people.

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