Students from Ayres School of Irish Dance.
Image: Georgie Meyer
Source: Museum Victoria
On Sunday 9 October 2005 the Immigration Museum came alive with the sights and sounds of the Irish Community in Victoria.
A diverse range of individuals and groups worked with the Immigration Museum to bring together music, dance, literature, genealogy, sports, calligraphy, language and food.
Visitors were warmly greeted by an Irish Piper playing on the Old Customs House’s grand steps. They followed the sounds of music, laughter and Irish chatter to the courtyard where, to the beat of the Bodhrán drum, many danced in a traditional Céili.
Music was performed on traditional instruments including wooden Irish flute, harp, fiddle and guitar, while Irish dance schools showed off their curly wigs, gorgeous frocks and fancy footwork.
The Immigration Discovery Centre was packed with people researching their ancestry, with assistance from the Irish Genealogical Group, while others attended a workshop and tour of the Museum’s Irish content.
In the theatrette, visitors listened to Irish stories and learnt a poem in the Irish language. This tested some community member’s memories of a language learnt in childhood, while others heard it for the first time.
The theatrette program concluded with a performance of James Joyce’s Ulysses by the theatre group Bloomsday in Melbourne.
Upstairs in the Long Room (Journeys Gallery), children lined up to have their faces painted in Irish colours. Nearby, visitors learnt to write their name in Gaelic calligraphy, found out about Irish with the Irish Language Association, discovered the rich history of Irish sports, and met members of the Celtic Club of Australia.
Over 1500 people attended the day, catching up with old friends and meeting new people. For many it was their first visit to the Immigration Museum but – ah! to be sure – they would return.