Iconic Moments & People
Italia 90 homecoming, Irish Times
Discover the iconic moments and people that shaped Irish history and culture, as voted by Luton Irish Forum supporters on social media in 2020.
Michael Collins
Michael Collins was an Irish revolutionary, soldier, and politician who was a leading figure in the early-20th-century Irish struggle for independence from British rule. He was Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State from January 1922 until his assassination in August 1922.
1916 Easter Rising
The four-day siege that was the catalyst for Ireland’s revolution against Brtish rule, forming of the Republic 6 years later, with women fighting at the highest military level seen in history. Find out more through Luton Irish Forum’s Ireland 1916 : Luton 2016 project.
Phil Lynott
The frontman of Thin Lizzy, one of Ireland’s greatest rock n roll bands, himself being mixed race and born to an unmarried mother pushed social boundaries of the time but his mixing of traditional Irish music with rock n roll push cultural boundaries too.
Bob Geldof - Live Aid
Live Aid was the brainchild of Bob Geldof, the singer of an Irish rock group called the Boomtown Rats. the 16-hour “superconcert” was globally linked by satellite to more than a billion viewers in 110 nations. In a triumph of technology and good will, the event raised more than $125 million in famine relief for Africa.
Italia 90
In the 1990 world cup, the Republic of Ireland got through to the semi-finals, in those three magical weeks, Ireland reclaimed its national pride from political conflict changing attitudes forever.
Riverdance
The interval performance at the 1994 Euro Vision pushed the boundaries of Irish tradition but also captured the world's imagination changing social and cultural attitudes towards the Irish.