A NUMBER of special guests will join Ed Sheeran and Dermot O' Leary for a special one-off event at the London Irish Centre this week.
The London Irish Centre (LIC) has announced that a host of Irish talent will perform alongside the pop superstar at a fundraising concert, taking place at the charity’s iconic Irish Community Centre in Camden, London on Tuesday 19th June 2018.
The new line-up for the evening includes a top list of Irish artists and celebrities including Annie Mac, Stephen James Smith, Lisa Hannigan and Loah. They will all come together to celebrate the work conducted by the charity and perform with Ed Sheeran on the night.
We're just days away from our huge event with one of the world biggest music superstars @edsheeran! The event has been generously supported by @TourismIreland - thank you to @media_IrelandGB and @GoToIrelandGB for all of your help in promoting it! pic.twitter.com/ikJtn2q4Jp
— London Irish Centre (@LDNIrishCentre) June 15, 2018
The intimate event, hosted by X Factor presenter Dermot O’Leary, is part of a wider fundraising campaign from the charity to help further develop its cultural programme and refurbish its iconic Camden-based building.
The event is generously supported by sponsors including Saville AV, O'Donovan Waste, Tourism Ireland with support from Culture Ireland, Bord Bia and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Furthermore, canapés on the night will be created and sponsored by legendary chef Richard Corrigan.
With a full line-up of supporting artists, the evening will offer fans a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience to see the legendary Grammy Award winner, “Galway Girl” singer and recent LIC patron, Ed Sheeran, and other high-profile Irish artists and celebrities.
WTF?!?!
On Tuesday I'll be doing a gig @LDNIrishCentre with:@edsheeran@radioleary
@AnnieMac@sarajcox@LisaHannigan@andyk_irvine
@Eimearflute@musicbyloah@lukeconcannon@eoghanmcdermo@SadiqKhan
Thanks: @GaryDunne @culture_ireland @TourismIreland @IrelandEmbGB#EdSheeran pic.twitter.com/ZXPiYrWct4— Stephen James Smith (@SJSwords) June 17, 2018
Speaking ahead of the big night, Sheeran said: “My Irish heritage is something of which I’ve always been proud of, so this concert feels like a natural fit. I love what the London Irish Centre Charity do in terms of being at the heart of championing Irish culture and community in London, and their plans are really exciting.
"I’m hoping that people like Dermot O’Leary, myself and others can help them get their voice heard. We’re all very excited about the summer 2018 show – this is going to be something very special.”
O’Leary, a long-term patron of the London Irish Centre, said: "I'm very proud of my Irish heritage; my parents were part of the post-war generation of immigrants who came to London to find a new life, so the London Irish community is one that is very close to my heart. I’m looking forward to helping the London Irish Centre both promote Irish culture and support vulnerable people.”
CEO of the London Irish Centre, Sean Kennedy added: “We are hugely excited to launch the London Irish Centre’s annual fundraising event on 19th June 2018. We are deeply grateful to our patron Dermot O’Leary and DJ Annie Mac for supporting our work we do with the Irish community in London”.
The London Irish Centre, located in Camden, has a rich history and is home to the charity aiming at providing care, culture and support for the Irish community in London which is the largest in the world.
Its strong connection to London’s Irish emigrants and its ties with London Irish network has helped in developing the venue into a progressive cultural space, with the centre having previously hosted events for various major Irish artists and personalities such as Sinead O’Connor, The Pogues and the Irish President to name a few.