About the Author

Alex McDonnel

John Glynn Jr

We would like to remember John Glynn Junior who died suddenly and tragically on 11 September. John’s father, also John, was one of the founders of the Aisling Project way back in 1994 and currently mainstay of the project. John Jr was part of the Aisling family, volunteering with the project and helping out in… Read More

Bhoys from the Big House

When I was working in Arlington House and was first putting together the Aisling Project in 1994 I was approached by Jim McCool who was working as a researcher at the University of North London (now London Met). Jim was from Armagh and had been a student on the groundbreaking Irish Studies Course. He knew… Read More

Lockdown Summary from March 23rd 2020 to June 30th 2020

Aisling continues to provide support for up to 200 clients during the pandemic. In line with government guidance we work as best we can remotely from home when we are able. Whilst most of our clients are coping with remote contact sometimes we need to do face to face contacts to support clients with hospital… Read More

Twice Blessed

Michael Hogan was buried recently at the Islington Crematorium in East Finchley. Michael died a few months ago at the beginning of the Corona virus alert but he turned out not to have had the virus. He was in University College hospital for a long time and died there. Things are a bit mixed up… Read More

Keeping communities safe and in contact

The Aisling Project has worked with some of the most vulnerable members of the irish community in London during the last 25 years since we began our mission. Aisling started out to help isolated and vulnerable long-term emigrants get in touch with their families in Ireland and return for rehabilitative breaks. The project has had… Read More

Update of Activities During the Covid-19 Crisis April 17 2020

Aisling is continuing to work through the virus emergency hoping, like everyone else that life will get back to normal soon. By maintaining contact through this period with as many of our clients as possible we are determined to continue with our service and be sure that when normal service resumes we can pick up… Read More

Delivering services to vulnerable Irish clients during the current Covid-19 emergency.

During the first two weeks of “lockdown” due to Covid-19 Aisling has scaled down the usual face-to-face outreach visits and in line with government guidance is working remotely from home. The over-riding concern of Aisling is the welfare of our clients all of whom are vulnerable in some way and many were isolated and alone… Read More

Happy St. Paddy’s Day to Ya

Such as it is with the times that are in it we are having to have a go at the first ever non- social Paddy’s Day (our favourite pub the Sheephaven Bay in Camden has closed). Back on the ould sod ructions were flying over the hoards of drunken revellers in Temple Bar, Dublin’s pissed… Read More

Fiona Cribben

About fifteen years ago Aisling had a tiny office in the London Irish Centre in Camden Town. There was just enough room for a desk but if you wanted to sit at it you needed to keep the door open. Back then we had been getting a lot of publicity from a campaign we had… Read More

Aisling Comedy Benefit

We began to raise money for Aisling with fundraising comedy benefit gigs in London over 20 years ago and Ardal O’Hanlon was one of the first acts we booked for it (immediately after he offered to be our patron). Fr. Ted had just come out on Channel 4 and most people still didn’t know what… Read More