The Irish government has allocated more than €7 million to be distributed to more than 100 organisations in Britain to support Irish people living overseas.
£6.4 million (€7.68 million) in Emigrant Support Programme funding will go to 113 organisations supporting more than 200 projects in Britain.
The Irish government has been making annual grants to Irish groups abroad since the 1980s. Over the past five years, around €34 million has been provided to organisations in Britain, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The money has been used by voluntary agencies providing advice and welfare services to Irish emigrants overseas, and by groups that promote Irish culture.
International Development Minister, Seán Fleming TD, said local groups were making a “remarkable contribution” to the Irish community across Britain.
Football, writing, LGBT and community care groups are amongst those to receive funding.
The largest recipient is the London Irish Centre which prides itself as the “home of Irish culture” in the UK’s capital. It will receive more than three-quarters of a million pounds. Irish community network, Irish in Britain, will receive more than £450,000 and Irish Community Care, based in Liverpool has been allocated nearly £400,000.
The smallest grants will go to Irish language group, Conradh na Gaeilge Learpholl [Liverpool], the London Irish LGBT Network and the Hertfordshire Police Emerald Society.
Celebrating Irish groups in Britain, Minister Fleming said “countless lives that have been supported and enriched through the work of your organisations.”
A full list of the groups receiving funding can be found below.
| Organisation | Funding Allocated (GBP) |
| London Irish Centre | 754,287 |
| Irish in Britain | 450,558 |
| Irish Community Care, Merseyside | 397,025 |
| Birmingham Irish Association | 293,684 |
| Irish Chaplaincy | 271,350 |
| Irish Community Services, London | 259,000 |
| Leeds Irish Health and Homes | 258,500 |
| Irish Community Care Manchester | 255,000 |
| Irish Cultural Centre Hammersmith | 238,950 |
| Ashford Place, London | 209,550 |
| Luton Irish Forum | 207,500 |
| Brent Irish Advisory Service | 197,144 |
| ICAP | 188,490 |
| Southwark Irish Pensioners Project | 175,000 |
| Irish Elderly Advice Network | 158,000 |
| The Traveller Movement | 134,000 |
| Fréa | 128,084 |
| Lewisham Irish Community Centre | 102,136 |
| The Emerald Centre | 100,755 |
| Coventry Irish Society | 93,000 |
| London Gypsies and Travellers | 91,000 |
| Leeds GATE | 86,767 |
| The Aisling Project | 60,000 |
| Tyneside Irish Cultural Society | 59,852 |
| Southwark Travellers Action Group | 57,000 |
| Friends Families and Travellers | 55,000 |
| Safe Start Foundation | 52,000 |
| NOAH Enterprise | 49,000 |
| Northampton Irish Support Group | 45,000 |
| Liverpool Irish Centre | 42,500 |
| Conradh na Gaeilge Glaschú | 41,610 |
| Liverpool Irish Festival | 41,336 |
| Leeds Irish Arts Foundation | 35,000 |
| The Passage | 35,000 |
| Tyneside Irish Centre | 34,150 |
| TGP Cymru | 34,000 |
| The Maya Centre | 32,496 |
| SanKTus | 29,373 |
| GATE Herts | 28,000 |
| Solace Women’s Aid | 28,000 |
| Leicestershire GATE | 27,500 |
| Irish Music and Dance in London | 23,500 |
| Brent Centre for Young People | 22,000 |
| Irish Film London Limited | 21,000 |
| London Metropolitan University | 20,000 |
| Gypsies and Travellers Wales Limited | 18,000 |
| Acton Homeless Concern Emmaus House and The Damien Centre | 16,500 |
| Corby Young At Heart Lunch Club | 16,000 |
| The Forgotten Irish Group | 16,000 |
| The Irish in the UK TV | 16,000 |
| Govanhill Baths Community Trust | 15,000 |
| SIFA Fireside | 15,000 |
| South London Irish Association Ltd | 15,000 |
| Feith an Cheoil School of Music | 14,000 |
| Brian Boru Club | 13,200 |
| Harborough District Children and Young People’s Charity | 13,000 |
| Coatbridge Irish Heritage Committee | 12,757 |
| Irish Pensioners Choir | 10,500 |
| Irish Tuesday Club | 10,500 |
| Bolton Irish Community Association Social Club Limited | 10,400 |
| Bell Farm Christian Centre | 10,000 |
| Causeway Ireland Scotland Business Exchange | 10,000 |
| Leeds St Patricks Day Parade | 10,000 |
| W.E Irish | 10,000 |
| West Hampstead Women’s Centre | 10,000 |
| Leeds Irish Centre | 9,000 |
| Nottingham Irish Centre, Golden Shamrock club | 9,000 |
| The Jersey Irish Society | 8,200 |
| Glasgow St. Patrick’s Festival | 8,000 |
| Halifax & District Irish Society | 8,000 |
| Warrington Irish Club | 7,935 |
| Digital Irish – London Chapter | 7,000 |
| Irish Heritage Charity | 7,000 |
| Mansfield and Dukeries Irish Association | 7,000 |
| Irish Pensioners Forum of East London | 6,500 |
| Nottingham St Patrick’s Day Festival | 6,500 |
| Portsmouth Irish Society | 6,500 |
| Milton Keynes Irish Centre | 6,200 |
| Emerald Circle Club | 6,125 |
| Benevolent Society of St Patrick | 6,000 |
| Haslingden, Davitt Irish Democratic League Club, The Land League | 6,000 |
| Irish Network Stevenage | 6,000 |
| Women’s Irish Network | 6,000 |
| Huddersfield St Patrick’s Day Parade Association | 5,965 |
| York Irish Association | 5,500 |
| Irish Literary Society | 5,300 |
| Benefit Advice Shop | 5,000 |
| Conradh na Gaeilge i Londain | 5,000 |
| Irish Democratic League of GB | 5,000 |
| Kilburn Irish Pensioners | 5,000 |
| Milton Keynes Irish Welfare Support Group | 5,000 |
| Museum of the Home | 5,000 |
| The Manchester Irish Feis | 5,000 |
| Wake The Beast | 5,000 |
| Emerald Senior Citizens Club | 4,000 |
| Huddersfield Irish Centre | 4,000 |
| Úna Gan a Gúna: Irish Women’s Oral History Collective | 4,000 |
| Republic of Ireland Walking Football Association | 3,900 |
| Birmingham Tradfest Ltd | 3,500 |
| Ceann Creige Hurling and Camogie Club | 3,500 |
| Manchester Irish Education Group | 3,100 |
| Sheffield Irish Association | 3,095 |
| Little Ireland Arts Collective | 2,900 |
| London Irish Walking Football | 2,850 |
| Derby St Patrick’s Day Celebration Committee | 2,600 |
| Dunedin Connolly’s GFC | 2,000 |
| London Wexford Association | 2,000 |
| Strange Fish Theatre Company | 2,000 |
| Bradford Irish Society | 1,600 |
| Manchester Irish Language Group | 1,435 |
| Hertfordshire Police Emerald Society | 1,000 |
| London Irish LGBT Network | 980 |
| Conradh na Gaeilge Learpholl | 600 |