A chara, This is the first of a regular blog I intend to contribute to our new website. We have commissioned a new site www.tynesideirishcentre.com to cater specifically for the Irish club- its events and business including room bookings and our Irish products shop. Buy your Barry’s tea from us and you’ll never taste Typhoo again. Big thanks to Carol Hill for the huge effort here and on our social media. The old site will continue. It will concentrate on the cultural and educational programmes sponsored by the Tyneside Irish Cultural Society which set it up in 1997. There will be a link between sites and also to our sports teams hopefully.
Congratulations to Bridie Lincoln who has just won a national award to mark her fantastic fundraising efforts for cancer research in memory of her dad, Chris Jordan. Chris was a Master fiddle player from County Mayo and a true friend to all the trad musicians in the toon. Well done Bridie!
PASSPORTS 29 JUNE As Brexit draws near, more of you are asking about eligibility for Irish passports. We have given out more than 2000 applications already in Newcastle. The Irish Embassy are sending their mobile passport workshop to the club to train staff in online applications. At least Brexit has given us the chance to add tens of thousands more to the Global Irish family. And you’re very welcome with or without a passport.
PRICES AND PRODUCTS Last January all the brewers put their prices up by at least 8p per pint on fraught products and pro rata on bottles wines and spirits. We kept our prices the same. Our stocktaker now advises us that this is not sustainable. In fact to maintain our margins the price should go up by 15p. Reluctantly the committee have decided on a 10p increase which is the minimum advisable after the April wage rise. There will be equivalent increases on other products and other cost cutting measures to ensure our future viability and fund necessary investment. However it has been decided that prices from Monday to Thursday WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED.
HOP HOUSE As part of a new deal with Diageo, we are putting Hop House 13 on our bars. It’s a double brewed lager from Dublin. Look out for this on special offer and other promotions this summer.