Thank you to everyone who made our 5th Annual Ball a huge success. It was a wonderful night for our community to celebrate our culture and heritage. Fantastic entertainment for the evening was provided by the very talented, Maggie Gallagher and Celtica Academy. The legendary Christy Pepper kept the dancefloor packed all night with a live performance of favourite tunes. We were delighted to be joined by a senior delegation from Cork City Council; Cllr. Honore Kamegni (Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork), Viviane Kamegni, Cllr. Kieran McCarthy (Former Lord Mayor of Cork 2023/2024), and Ciarán Kelleher Byrne (International Relations Officer at Cork City Council). The occasion was the perfect opportunity to present our long-serving volunteers with awards for long-standing service and dedication to their community; Ann Sullivan, Tommy Cleary, and Margaret Campbell. Certificates of Achievement were also presented to two excellent work-experience students; Daithí Houston and Gerard Gallagher. A very special tribute was paid to our very own Kate McCarthy, Trustee of the Coventry Irish Society, who has dedicated over 20 years’ voluntary service to the charity, including successfully steering the charity through some extremely challenging and turbulent times. In a very moving speech, Kate, paid tribute to her own mother, and the values she taught her, in particular to look out for others. The highlight of the evening was a formal presentation of the prestigious Cork City Gift by the Deputy Lord Mayor to our own Kay Forrest for a lifetime of service to the Irish community in Coventry. Special recognition was given to Kay for her long-term service to the Charity and for her ongoing commitment and herculean work over the past 31 years. We, at the Coventry Irish Society, would like to give special thanks to all of our supporters, especially Care Associates who were the main sponsor of the event for the second year running. As a charity, we are very much dependent on the financial support that we get from our local businesses – your support is never taken for granted and very much keeps us going. Thank you! We would also like to thank the staff at Christ The King Social Club who worked tirelessly throughout the evening to provide excellent hospitality to a full capacity room. We also appreciated the opportunity, before the Ball, to host the Deputy Lord Mayor and his team at our offices where they enjoyed meeting the Irish in Coventry and seeing first-hand all the vital work that goes on to support our community. Coventry was the first city in the world to be twinned with another city and is currently twinned with 26 other cities across the world, including Cork. We value and cherish the friendship we have with Cork and look forward to continuing to work together.

Do you run a business or other organisation in Coventry or the surrounding area? Join us at our central Coventry offices for an informal & friendly morning of organised speed-networking with businesses & other organisations in our thriving community. A great opportunity to connect with new faces, promote your services, and to see our exhibition, & 'Irish Heart, Coventry Home' currently on display at our centre. Bespoke speaking opportunities also available to showcase your business, on request. Date: Thursday 28 November 2024 Time: 8.00 – 9.30 am Venue: Coventry Irish Society, 2 nd Floor, Eaton House, Eaton Road, Coventry CV1 2FL Cost: **Free** to Coventry Irish Society Members (membership packages available for £2 per month) or £5 for non-Coventry Irish Society members (Special Offer of £3 entry cost for CW Chamber of Commerce Members) Entry ticket includes entry to the networking event, plus refreshments (light pastries, fruit, hot drinks, soft drinks). Please contact caroline.brogan@covirishsoc.org.uk with your business / organisation name to book a place / for further info. Advanced booking is essential. As this is a business event, entry is limited to business and community leaders.

We are delighted to announce the spook-tacular details of our Halloween Party 2024! Date: Thursday 24 October 2024 Time: 12.00 – 4.00 pm Venue: Coventry Irish Society, 2nd Floor, Eaton House, 1 Eaton Road, Coventry CV1 2FJ Tickets: £15.00 for members / £17.50 for non-members Tickets can be bought in advance from CIS up and until 17 October 2024 by contacting us at the above address, or on 02476256629 or cis@covirishsoc.org.uk Tickets include entry for one person, and homemade vegetable soup, bread roll, and a selection of cakes.