The Honourable The Irish Society

Committed to serving the community

<h1>400th Anniversary</h1>

400th Anniversary

1613 - 2013: 400 years of shared history

2013 is the 400th anniversary of the charter of King
James I, which established The Honourable The Irish Society and the County of Londonderry.  The Irish Society is planning to mark this with a programme of activities reflecting its modern work as a cross-community charity and celebrating its many friendships in the County.  The programme includes:

6 February 2013 – An inward investment seminar at the City of London’s Guildhall, in partnership with Invest NI and focussing on cultural industries and sectors.  

10 March 2013 – Cross-community commemorative services at
St Columb’s Cathedral in Derry (11.00am) and St Patrick’s Church in Coleraine (6.00pm).

May 2013 – A project being developed in partnership with Coleraine Borough Council for school children to develop a heritage trail and 400 banners to mark 400 years of shared history should culminate with the banners being shown at the town’s annual Mayor’s / May Day Parade.

26 June 2013 – A free public lecture by Dr Ian Archer, Oxford University, covering the first 40-50 years of the Plantation of Ulster being held as a Gresham lecture in the Old Library at the City of London’s Guildhall from 6.00pm.

3 July 2013 – The world premiere of 'At Sixes and Sevens', a new cantata by Pulitzer-prizewinning Northern Irish poet Paul Muldoon and the composer Mark-Anthony Turnage, which will take place simultaneously in the two Guildhalls of London and Derry~Londonderry. Performed by Camerata Ireland, the London Symphony Orchestra, soloists, choirs and specially-formed community ensembles via live-link technology, the event will form part of the City of London Festival and Derry~Londonderry 2013 UK City of Culture programmes.

The project includes community work by partners including the Verbal Arts Centre, Barbican/Guildhall Creative Learning Department, City of London Festival, Wall2Wall Music and the two orchestras, and the work will be interspersed with four further sections devised by communities in Derry~Londonderry and London.

23 October 2013 – A further free public lecture by Professor
James Stevens Curl covering the period from 1640 to to the end of the nineteenth century, being held at Barnard's Hall Inn.

20 November 2013 - A final free public lecture by our Representative in Northern Ireland, Edward Montgomery, who will bring the story up to date at Barnard's Hall Inn, reviewing the more recent history and activities of The Honourable The Irish Society - the City of London Corporation's oldest sub-committee.

Additional projects include:

  • Planting in the County of a number of oak trees propagated from ancient oaks on Hampstead Heath.
  • Continued fostering of economic opportunities and cultural and business links.
  • Support for the restoration of the “Great Parchment Book”, a unique document held at the London Metropolitan Archives which includes invaluable information about County Londonderry and London Livery Companies in the early 17th Century.
  • Opening up the Society’s archives to the museum and archive services in Derry and Coleraine to support local exhibitions during 2013.