About the Author

Alex McDonnel

All the best on St. Patrick’s Day

Some say he was a gentleman, others that the snakes he banished from Ireland were our druidic forefathers in one the first instances of religious and ethnic cleansing. But he’s our own and he is celebrated across the world wherever Irish people have landed. For the last 20 years on our national day Aisling would… Read More

A word from our sponsor – Best Christmas wishes to all Aisling friends

Our patron and friend Ardal O’Hanlon made a rare appearance at the Hammersmith Irish Cultural Centre last week to talk about his new Novel Brouhaha (makes a great Christmas present Brouhaha by Ardal O’Hanlon book for sale – Search (bing.com) ) with journalist Anne Flaherty. For over an hour Ardal discussed the book and his… Read More

John Glynn RIP

John had been a community worker in the Irish and homeless communities in London for many years and was known all over town as the man to go to if you were in trouble, particularly with alcohol problems. In certain parts, Kilburn and Cricklewood for instance he had an appropriate nickname. When one of the… Read More

An Irishman Abroad

Jarlath Regan, funny man and ace auctioneer as well as one of our many friends in the comedy business runs a podcast called An Irishman Abroad. The podcast has been running since 2013 and has over 600 posts to it’s credit with almost any Irish person you can think of in the world of sport,… Read More

Happy St. Patrick’s Day To Youse All

I thought you might like a picture of sweet innocent times in these dark days for the day that is in it. Everyone over 50 must have sent or received one of these masterpieces of Irish nostalgia by John Hinde where hair was never so red and grass was never so green and even the… Read More

RIP Joe McGarry

I saw Joe before I met him on the Channel 4 documentary ‘What Do You Want Paradise?’ which was screened in 1993. He appeared in another documentary shot in the House during the refurbishment called ‘Men of Arlington’, he was also photographed for the ground-breaking novel of emigration, I Could Read The Sky and in… Read More

Aisling All the Way

Mary and Joseph were travelling in a strange land when they were turned away from the inn while looking for shelter. There is an obvious lesson here for us all to be more charitable to the homeless (and refugees/migrants) particularly at Christmas. Yet the birth of baby Jesus in a stable does not seem to… Read More

A Day At The Races

We are taking the reins once again and we are lining up for our fundraising day at the races at Windsor race course on 7 September. We are champing at the bit to get out and have fun and meet old friends once more so please come along for the racing. The poster says we… Read More

The Times That Are In It

Things have been tough for Aisling as for everyone else but signs are that we may be heading into more stable waters thanks to the wonderful institution of the NHS which has pulled out all the stops in delivering vaccines to the people in the UK. Things are taking a more steady course in Ireland… Read More