Lá Fhéile Pádraig in Hammersmith

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A week of music, comedy and culture at the Irish Cultural Centre

Left: Dylan Moran. Right: Some One's Sons

March 9, 2026

From a Six Nations showdown and a night with Dylan Moran to sell-out traditional sessions and a special film tribute to Dónal Lunny, the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith has assembled one of its most ambitious St Patrick's programmes yet.

Tucked away on Black's Road just off the Hammersmith flyover, the centre has served west London’s Irish community since it opened its doors in 1999. This March, the centre marks St Patrick's Day with a packed programme othat takes in traditional music at its most elevated, stand-up comedy, film, sport and a night dedicated to the women of Irish mythology.

Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 March

The week's cultural warm-up begins on Thursday 12 March with Banshee: Mythological Irish Women Retold, a literary event presented as part of International Women's Week 2026. The ICC will host a celebration of a new book that reclaims the female figures of Irish mythology — the banshees, sovereignty goddesses and warrior women whose stories have often been sidelined or distorted in the retelling. Doors open at 7pm with a 7.30pm start.

Also on Thursday 13 March, the centre kicks off its St Patrick's weekend proper with a free Friday Night Traditional Irish Music Session in the foyer lounge. Running from 5.30pm to 8pm, the family-friendly session is open to all and sets the tone for what follows. On the same evening, Dylan Moran — described by the centre as the Oscar Wilde of Comedy — takes to the stage for a ticketed stand-up show, doors at 7.30pm. The Black Books star and two-time Perrier Award winner is a perennial favourite at the ICC, and his appearance the night before the main St Patrick's weekend is expected to be one of the hottest tickets of the season.

Saturday 14 March: rugby, then the real music

Saturday 14 March offers the rare pleasure of combining sport and traditional music in a single afternoon and evening. From 2.10pm, the centre screens the final round of this year's Six Nations as Ireland take on Scotland — a fixture that carries potential championship implications and promises a charged atmosphere in the ICC's main hall. If Ireland win then there will be a chance to see hell freeze over later in the day as the Irish cheer on England in Paris which would secure the title for the boys in green.

Once the final whistle blows at the Aviva, the evening shifts to the stage. Fiddle player Paddy Glackin and concertina player Noel Hill — two of the most revered names in Irish traditional music — perform together with support from Macdara Ó Faoláin. Glackin, a founding member of Planxty alongside Christy Moore and Dónal Lunny, brings decades of mastery to the instrument; Hill is widely regarded as one of the finest concertina players alive. Their appearance together at the ICC is the kind of event that traditional music enthusiasts in London will travel across the city for. Doors at 7.30pm, start at 8pm.

Sunday 15 March: an afternoon and evening of music

St Patrick's Sunday at the ICC opens with an afternoon session from The Pear Tree Union, running from 2pm to 4pm — an accessible, relaxed introduction to the day for families and those who want to mark the occasion without a late night.

The evening brings something more substantial. Andy Martyn, John Carty and Matt Griffin — three of London's most accomplished traditional musicians — reunite at the ICC following their sell-out 2022 concert that launched their recording Will We Give It a Go?. The trio represent the deep roots of London's Irish music tradition, a thread running back through generations of Irish migrants who built community life around the music they brought with them. Doors open at 7pm, start at 7.30pm.

Monday 16 March: a film tribute to Dónal Lunny

The day before St Patrick's Day itself brings one of the most distinctive events of the entire programme. The ICC screens Dónal Lunny: In Time, a documentary portrait of the musician who has shaped Irish traditional and folk music more than perhaps any other figure of his generation. A founding member of Planxty, The Bothy Band and Moving Hearts, Lunny is a long-standing friend of the centre and has performed there many times. The screening is a fittingly reflective way to mark the eve of the national day. Doors at 7pm, film at 7.30pm.

St Patrick's Day: Monday 17 March

The day itself is celebrated with a live show from Some One's Sons, a band the ICC has chosen to anchor the centrepiece evening of the season. Doors open at 7pm, with the show starting at 7.30pm. Tickets are available through the ICC website.

After the day: Barry Kerr and the Tea Dance

The celebrations continue beyond 17 March. On Thursday 19 March, the ICC hosts its monthly Tea Dance from 1pm to 4pm — a community tradition that brings together dancers of all ages for an afternoon of music and craic. The same evening sees singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Barry Kerr take the stage for what promises to be a quieter, more intimate close to the St Patrick's season. Doors at 7pm, start at 7.30pm.

How to book

The Irish Cultural Centre is at 5 Black's Road, Hammersmith, W6 9DT, a short walk from Hammersmith Underground station. Tickets and full event details for all of the events listed above are available at irishculturalcentre.co.uk/whats-on. The Friday night traditional session on 13 March is free to attend; all other events are ticketed. The centre can be contacted on 0208 563 8232.

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