From weddings and wakes to Oasis and darts - Leeds Irish Centre has packed a lot into its 50 year history

Tommy McLoughlin recalls the night a young band from across the Pennines arrived for a gig at Leeds Irish Centre.
The opening day on June 8, 1970, when Brendan Shine and his showband performed. (Leeds Irish Centre).The opening day on June 8, 1970, when Brendan Shine and his showband performed. (Leeds Irish Centre).
The opening day on June 8, 1970, when Brendan Shine and his showband performed. (Leeds Irish Centre).

“I remember one of them popped into my office to ask to use the phone because they wanted to ring their mum back in Manchester. They were nice lads.”

This was back in August 1994 and the ‘lads’ in question were Noel and Liam Gallagher who, as the driving force behind Oasis, were very soon to become rock superstars.

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Tommy is, as he was then, manager of the York Road venue. In fact he’s managed the place for 45 of its 50 years and was master of ceremonies on its official opening night in June 1970.

Tommy McLoughlin, manager of the Leeds Irish Centre for 45 years. (Leeds Irish Centre).Tommy McLoughlin, manager of the Leeds Irish Centre for 45 years. (Leeds Irish Centre).
Tommy McLoughlin, manager of the Leeds Irish Centre for 45 years. (Leeds Irish Centre).

The centre had planned to celebrate its 50th anniversary throughout the year but most of these events have been curtailed by the pandemic. However, a new book – 50 Years In The Making – Leeds Irish Centre 1970-2020, which is published today, charts the story of what has become something of an institution in the city.

And it is quite a story. As well as being a home from home for countless numbers of Irish families, it has offered a hearty welcome to all those that have passed through its doors down the years. It was the home of TV darts back in the Seventies and has been used to host everything from weddings to wakes and remains a popular music venue to this day.

The fact it is still here after all these years is worthy of praise. The building itself looks fairly nondescript from the outside and sat next to the busy A64 on the edge of East End Park it is hardly a des res. And yet it has survived, and thrived. This is due in part to canny management and the fact it remains firmly rooted in the community, which right now is perhaps more important than ever.

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Tommy, whose family hails from the West of Ireland, was part of the Irish National Club, based in Lower Briggate, in Leeds city centre. “It was a meeting point for lonely emigrants in a strange city. People found work through word of mouth there, met future spouses and made lifelong pals. But the committee realized a bigger centre was needed,” he says.

The centre has been part of the city's social and cultural fabric for 50 years. (Leeds Irish Centre).The centre has been part of the city's social and cultural fabric for 50 years. (Leeds Irish Centre).
The centre has been part of the city's social and cultural fabric for 50 years. (Leeds Irish Centre).

Tetley’s Brewery loaned the committee the money to build the new centre and Leeds Council charged them a peppercorn rent for the three acre site. “The first time I walked through the doors I couldn’t believe the size of it,” says Tommy. “To me, it was like going into an arena. It was out of this world and it was the first purpose-built Irish centre.”

It quickly proved popular with punters and the centre’s committee bought the land, which proved to be a smart move.

Over the ensuing years, the centre, along with its entertainment, sports teams and annual St Patrick’s Parade has embedded itself into everyday Leeds life.

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Even in the 1970s when the political and warring factions of Northern Ireland spilled into the UK, the Irish in Leeds didn’t suffer as some other major cities did. “I think that is because we quietly went about our own business,” says Tommy. “We fitted in with the city and we never suffered any real trouble.”

Oasis are among the bands that have played there. (Leeds Irish Centre).Oasis are among the bands that have played there. (Leeds Irish Centre).
Oasis are among the bands that have played there. (Leeds Irish Centre).

In 1973, the centre made TV history when it played host to fast bowler Fred Trueman presenting The Indoor League for Sunday lunchtime viewers. Millions of viewers watched pub games such as bar billiards, darts, skittles, table football and shove ha’penny, paving the way for these activities to be seen as sports.

In 2010, the centre was recognised as ‘the birthplace of televised darts’ and a blue plaque was unveiled there after a year-long campaign, supported by the likes of Stephen Fry, Sebastian Faulks and Jeremy Paxman, to have its role officially recognised.

Another landmark came in 1995 when the centre became debt free. Many similar venues have come and gone over the decades but Tommy believes the centre’s longevity is down to a combination of savvy business decisions and keeping ahead of the curve. “We tried to give people what they wanted and I think we’ve always managed to just stay ahead of the posse.”

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Such business acumen has been put to the test this year as venues up and down the country have struggled to keep afloat. “It’s hard times for everybody and you just have to do your best. We’ve redecorated the whole place during Covid and we’re ready for action again in 2021,” he says.

It’s estimated that around six million people in the UK have Irish grandparents and there are pockets of the country, like Leeds, that have a significant Irish contingent. “People came here to work in the mines, the mills or on the canals. And in Leeds before the centre was built there were about six Irish clubs just in Leeds alone, and Huddersfield had a really strong Irish population. But I think Leeds is the beating heart of it now,” says Sheron Boyle, the book’s author who has family links to Ireland.

The book captures a slice of Leeds’s social and cultural history. “There’s everyone in it from Oasis to the Horseshoe Society,” says Sheron. “The centre has been vital to the welfare of migrants coming over from Ireland, for social care and it’s been a home from home for a lot of people.”

It’s also become one of the most popular music venues in Leeds, with The Beautiful South, Curtis Mayfield, John Martyn and Dr Feelgood among those that have performed there. “I can’t think of many places where they’ve had everyone from Val Doonican to Oasis,” says Sheron.

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Though some performers have caused a bit of a stir. “John Cooper Clarke apparently recited his poem Evidently Chickentown which contains the f-word, and one of the senior committee members rushed out to the reception and said ‘we can’t have language like that on stage, it’s where the priest has done mass.’”

Though music is a big part of its appeal, the people who run Leeds Irish Centre have never lost sight of its role, and over the past 50 years the centre has raised an impressive £5m for charity.

“The money has been used across the county and it’s bought equipment for hospitals, helped individual charities and without doubt the money they’ve raised has saved lives. Even in lockdown – and this sums them up – twice a week they were making packed meals for the homeless during the day,” says Sheron.

“I think people more than ever want to know more about their roots and where they come from and the centre can look after people from the cradle to the grave. You could have your christening party here, your wake, and everything in between. It has done all this and it’s still doing it.”

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Tommy agrees. “I think the people of Leeds accept us for what we are. Our door is always open and it’s open for everyone.” It’s this community spirit that will hopefully see the centre prosper for many years to come.

“What I get a buzz from,” says Tommy, “is the fact you get to know three or four generations of a family. It’s not that long ago that a family came in and one of them was a young lad who used to come here and he came back this time with his own kids. And I thought ‘I knew your father and mother, and not only that I knew your granny’... and that’s lovely.”

■ 50 Years In The Making – Leeds Irish Centre 1970 - 2020, published by the Leeds Irish Centre, is out today. The hardback version is £20 plus postage and a paperback is available at £10 per copy, plus postage. Orders can be made online at book@leedsirish centrebook.co.uk or by calling 0113 248 0887.

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