Popular Music-Making among the Irish Diaspora in England

Luton Irish Forum presented the latest in its series of free cultural seminars entitled Popular Music-Making among the Irish Diaspora in England at their Centre on 5th November with guest speaker Dr Sean Campbell, Reader in Media and Culture at Anglia Ruskin in Cambridge.

This lecture by Dr Campbell explored the role of Irish ethnicity in the lives and work of these musicians, focusing on three high-profile acts: Kevin Rowland and Dexys Midnight Runners, Shane MacGowan and The Pogues, and Morrissey/Marr and The Smiths. The talk explored the different ways that these musicians addressed Irish issues, and how they negotiated questions of Irish-English identity. The lecture drew on extensive archival research of audio-visual material as well as original interviews with the key figures, including Rowland, MacGowan and Marr.

Dr Karl Sylvester, member of the Cultural Seminar planning group said ‘Dr Sean Campbell gave an insightful presentation on second generation Irish musicians who made an enormous impact on the music scene in the 70’s and 80’s. As someone who grew up listening to this music I was fascinated by the undertones to the lyrics that were not apparent to me at the time. I initially expected this next instalment to the Luton Irish Forum cultural seminars to be a move away from the political, historical and social aspects of Irish history of previous speakers. In fact, Dr Campbell’s presentation highlighted how those influential musicians used the current affairs of the time and a historical context, along with their own personal experiences, to produce music and lyrics that inspired a generation.

His presentation also highlighted the personal turmoil some of these musicians underwent, coming from Irish families but having been brought up in an English landscape. A landscape which, at the time, was not particularly positive to the Irish community. As a second generation Irishman, with a mother of direct Irish descent and father of English/Canadian descent, I could appreciate some, but not all, of the experiences and feelings that were expressed by these musicians following interviews with Dr Campbell. 

Dr Campbell’s presentation was a reminder of what an influence Irish music, whether from the island of Ireland, or from individuals and their descendants who emigrated the Emerald Isle, has had and will continue to have for generations to come.’