THE IRISH GUARDS WEST MIDLANDS BRANCH
The Midlands Micks will be meeting at a New venue:
The OLD JOINT STOCK AND THEATRE (4 Temple Row West, Birmingham B2 5NY), an old Victorian bank that has been converted in Victorian style and has a room that we can use any Sunday and if needed there is a larger room available. There are ten disabled car places outside the front of the Public House.
There are also disabled bays and more parking spaces on Coleman Street that runs the other side of the pub. As the pub is located facing St Phillips branch Cathedral next to the financial quarter of Birmingham there are hundreds of parking spaces and a multi-storey car park’s that are easily accessible on a Sunday morning. Snow Hill train station is approximately 300 metres from the pub. Birmingham New Street station is about 600 metres from the pub. Any members arriving at Digbeth coach station or cannot walk from their or new Street please inform us (Vice Chairman or the secretary), and we will try and organise a lift for you. The first meeting there will be at 1130 hours Sunday 11th August 2019.
After that it will be held there every first Sunday of the month.
IRISH GUARDS ASSOCIATION
The Irish Guards Old Comrades Association was formed after the Great War to enable friends to keep in touch with one another and to help members of the Regiment find employment.
The title was later changed to the Irish Guards Association but the aims of fraternity, helping others and encouraging links between past and serving Micks still applies. It is an Association of all ranks, co-ordinated by Regimental Headquarters with Branches in the following areas:
- London
- Republic of Ireland – based in Dublin
- Ulster – based in Belfast
- West Midlands – based in Birmingham
- North of England – based in Liverpool
The Regimental Lieutenant Colonel is Chairman of the Headquarters Committee of the Association, the Regimental Adjutant is Vice Chairman, the Assistant Regimental Adjutant is the Honorary Treasurer and the Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant at RHQ is the Honorary Secretary. An annual meeting is held with Branch Secretaries normally representing their Branches. Close links are required to ensure that welfare and other cases requiring assistance are brought to the notice of Regimental Headquarters at the earliest opportunity.
The Branches hold social and other meetings under their own arrangements and serving Officers are strongly encouraged to attend their Annual Dinners. All Officers clear of duty are expected to attend the London Branch of the Association’s Annual Dinner which is normally held on a Friday night in mid-November.
The London Branch organises, as directed, the Annual March to the Guards Memorial (sometimes incorrectly referred to as “Black Sunday March”) at Horse Guards. The Regimental Band lead and a wreath in the form of a Shamrock-covered harp is laid in addition to the normal Regimental star. The wreath is placed under the Irish Guardsman on the Memorial and the Harp under the central figure.