Grenoble’s Celtic Connection
June 14th, 2010 | Published in Features, Info & Advice, Interviews | 1 Comment
A taste of Celtic Connection events
Maighread Gallagher, Secretary of the Celtic Connection in Grenoble, talks about the origins of the association, the events it organises, and celebrating St Patrick’s Day in style.
Grenoble Life: What is the Celtic Connection?
Maighread Gallagher: The Celtic Connection is an association loi 1901 which promotes Irish and Celtic culture in Grenoble and beyond.
GL: What sorts of activities do you organise?
Maighread: We organise cultural events and informal meetings, these include: film screenings, an annual picnic, something for Hallowe’en, something for Christmas, and of course we celebrate St Patrick’s Day in style!
GL: What kind of services to do you offer?
Maighread: We don’t formally offer any services, but we are happy to help new arrivals with the administrative hurdles they will encounter in Grenoble, or even just to meet up because during those first months it can be lonely in a new city and country. Sometimes it’s nice just to be able to talk to someone who understands where you’re coming from. We can also put people in touch with an Anglophone doctor or dentist if they need it, and we have a few contacts at the embassy in Paris.
GL: When was the Celtic Connection created and by whom?
Maighread: The Celtic Connection was set up in 1992 by a group of Irish people recently arrived in Grenoble. Most of them are still here almost 20 years on.
GL: What is your role in Celtic Connection and why did you come to Grenoble?
Maighread: I am the current secretary of the association, although this high-powered job was not my main reason to come to Grenoble! I originally came on Erasmus in 1994, to study biochemistry. Grenoble has an interesting effect on people, it’s hard to leave. So, despite having left several times, I am now here to stay.
GL: What events do you have coming up?
Maighread: The calendar is pretty full over the next few weekends. We will mark Bloomsday (June 16), which is a celebration of James Joyce and his epic work Ulysses, with readings and music. This is organised with the help of the Bookworm Café, and will be held there on Saturday June 19th. Our annual picnic is coming up on June 20th, and this year our sister association in Lyon will be joining us for that. We are hoping to make it a regular joint event. We are also in full swing for the organisation of our film event, which will be in mid-November this year – watch this space.
GL: Where are some of the best places to find Celtic culture and people in Grenoble?
Maighread: In the early days of the association, this would have been easy to answer – just check out the Irish pubs (The Shannon, O’Callaghan’s, Druid’s), we used to go there every Friday. Those are probably still good addresses for meeting Irish people, especially if there’s a match on. Other addresses are similar to where you’ll find many Anglophones – through the international schools, at Pilates, through The Library at Babel. And if you’re dying for a bit of brown bread or Cadbury’s chocolate, go to the Irish shop (Comptoir Irlandais). If you want to meet up with us on a regular basis, and participate in our activities, join our association, it’s easy – just come along to the picnic on June 20th, or to another event and we’ll put you on the list.
GL: Tell us about your members: who are they generally and why have they come to Grenoble?
Maighread: A lot of our members are Irish expatriates, although over the last couple of years the Scottish contingent has grown considerably. Some are second-generation emigrants, and of course we accept all nationalities! What unites us all is an interest in Irish or Celtic culture and sharing our experiences. Many of our members came to Grenoble to work for the microelectronics industry; there are also a lot of scientists among us. A lot of us came initially intending to stay only for a while, but as I said earlier, Grenoble can be a very hard place to leave once you’ve acquired the taste for the sun, the mountains and the quality of life!
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