Trish O’Flynn
A London Irish Story as told to Anna Johnston
Trish is a second generation London Irish radical, ex punk and she drove the campaign to rename Navigator Square.
“I'm born and bred in North London. My parents were both Irish; my mum was from Mayo and my dad from Galway. They were always very involved with the Irish Centre in Camden and my dad was also the chairperson of the Galway Association and of the Council of Irish Counties Associations. I grew up going to Catholic Schools in London so I mostly grew up with kids that were Irish, Italian or Polish etc but there were never many English children. My parent's social circles were mostly Irish too with my mum being a nurse for the NHS and my dad working as an accountant for Irish building companies. I really do consider myself London Irish rather than British. However, being London Irish during the 70s was really hard due to the bombings that were happening around that time and there was a lot of racism against the Irish then, even on TV.
“Growing up, my brothers and I were sent off to Galway to my uncle’s farm the day after school broke up for the summer and we would spend the summers with my cousins.”
It was a working holiday of sorts as we were always made to help out on the farm - which we enjoyed! Looking back my brothers and I loved the freedom of running down the open fields in Galway. It was such a contrast to living in London.
When I was 17, I got into punk music and me and my friends decided to start a band. It initially was meant to be a ska band that then morphed into a kind of rockabilly sound around 1983. We were called The Shillelagh Sisters. We were an all-girl band and most of us were of Irish descent. We got signed to CBS Records but ended up splitting up about nine months later after putting out two singles. I played the saxophone, but I don’t believe I was a ‘real’ musician. We had a real punk DIY ethic, but it just didn’t last. We were friends with The Pogues (back then they were called Pogue Mahone) and we used to do gigs together. All of us were real kindred spirits. The Pogues really started to take off then, I think they really touched something in my generation and with Irish people around the world.
“We were brought up with the country bands and the Ceilí bands, but this was our version of Irish music!”
I later played in the London Irish Girls Pipe Band, under Agnes O’Connell, which had led the London St. Patrick's Parade since the 1950s. I joined the pipe band because I wanted to keep playing music but I was tired of being on stage and being the soloist. I just wanted to blend in, wear a uniform, and play simple harmonies. I always loved the pipes but my neighbours not so much - especially at the beginning when I was learning. After the band split up, I got into DJing, and I used to DJ for the Mean Fiddler in Harlesden and the Fleadh in Finsbury Park; I probably DJed with every Irish band going at the time!
I trained to be a health inspector after school and had a long career in local government and it wasn’t until 2010 that I wanted to change professions- it may have been to do with the change in government at the time! I decided to go to university when I was offered redundancy at work. It was the perfect time to go and study. I went to NUIG in Galway and did a Masters in Public Advocacy and Activism. Since my family are from Galway, I ended up living on my cousin’s farm for the year. I wrote my thesis on the dispute between the turf cutters and the government. After that, I got funding to do a PhD on farmers who were also inventors from Teagasc, Ireland’s Food and Agriculture Development Authority.
“When I finished my time in education, I moved back to London and began working in research for Reading University and City, University of London. Now I’m doing consultancy work with a futures agency looking at what is coming up in the next 20 years in different sectors, which I'm finding very interesting.”
In 2017 I remember reading the local paper in Islington, they were running a competition to change the name of the Archway Gyratory. I put in my suggestion of calling it Navigator Square after having a think about the history of the area. Archway is a very Irish area and I thought of the navvies who dug out the roads and canals of London and how they are never celebrated. The Pogue’s song Navigator being an exception. My idea was shortlisted, and it went to a public vote, and it won! I was delighted! Navigator Square celebrates the Irish people's contribution to London, which is often underestimated. Next, I’d like to see a statue for the Irish nurses who contributed so much to the NHS.”
This story is sponsored by Islington Council’s Irish Month- It’s jammed packed with events for everyone. Check it out here: licevents.ticketsolve.com/shows
