A Day in the Life of Irish London

Tower Of London. Copyright Britain on View

A Day in the Life of Irish London

10am: Start the day in leafy Bloomsbury, home of London's literary set. In the 19th century, this included Irish literary giants Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, and W.B. Yeats. Yeats lived in Woburn Walk, off Upper Woburn Place (Russell Square Tube station); Wilde lived mainly in Tite Street, Chelsea (you can see the blue plaque at number 34), but spent his last evening in London at 31 Russell Square before going into exile in France. Shaw lived at 29 Fitzroy Square (Warren Street tube).

All of them loved – and worked in – the reading room of the British Museum in Great Russell Street. No walk in Bloomsbury is complete without a visit to this world-famous museum and its awe-inspiring reading room.

11am: A short stroll away is Soho Square, home to St Patrick's Church, which once served the large Irish Catholic community living in St Giles. St Patrick's was the first Catholic church to be built in London after the reformation.

Lunchtime: Help yourself to a hearty feed of Irish stew and a pint of Guinness at The Tipperary, on Fleet Street.

2pm: Head to the City and one of London's historic icons, the Tower of London. The Tower has had some interesting guests over the course of its history, including generations of Irish rebels. Garret More Fitzgerald, the 8th Earl of Kildare, was kept prisoner in the tower from 1495-97. His son died there in 1534, while his grandson "Silken Thomas", the 10th earl, was also a prisoner and executed in 1537 at Tyburn (now Marble Arch). Roger Casement was kept prisoner at St Thomas's Tower above Traitor's Gate after his arrest for gun running in 1916.

3pm: If it's the weekend, check out a Gaelic football match. Tough and fast, the game involves a ball being kicked, punched and carried around the field. One of the biggest clubs is Tara, based at Northolt Rugby Stadium in Greenford in North-west London.

4pm: For exercise of a different kind, head to Camden. Dance schools all over London teach Irish and ceilidh dancing, but for a real communal jive try the set dancing lessons at the London Irish Centre.

6pm: Irish comedians enjoy huge success in Britain. Recent examples include Dylan Moran, Sean Hughes, Ardal O'Hanlon and Dara O'Briain. Check listings for any of the big comedy clubs around Piccadilly and Leicester Square where you're sure to find an Irish comedian on any given night of the week. See our comedy section for current listings.

9pm: There's no shortage of Irish pubs to choose from when seeking late night shenanigans. Chains like O'Neills cater to the masses but are largely indistinguishable and not very authentic. For a great pint of Guinness and a relaxed yet lively atmosphere try the Auld Shillelagh in Stoke Newington. If you're looking to extend the night, head to Waxy's in Soho.

Bedtime: Bed down at the Crown Moran Hotel. In 1998, The Crown pub on Cricklewood Broadway was acquired by Tom Moran, an Irish hotelier. He invested some £32m pounds into the restoration of this landmark Victorian inn and the building of an adjacent 116 bedroom 4-star hotel, linked by an architecturally acclaimed glass and steel atrium that fuses the past and present.

One of the focal points in the lobby is the 'Money Tree'. This important piece of work is not just a reflection of contemporary Irish design, innovation and investment – it also pays homage to the Irish Diaspora in London.