In 1982, the Reading & District Irish Association was founded by a group of like-minded Irish people who had settled in Reading, who collectively wanted to preserve the Irish tradition and promote the cultural, social and general welfare of the Irish Community. Over 30 years later those objectives are still at the very core of our organisation but as times have changed, we have also identified the need to extend our provision of social and general welfare to the wider community of Reading.

In the 1980’s the Reading & District Irish Association would organise and encourage regular social and educational activities and that hard work paved the way for the Reading Irish Centre to be constructed. Reading Borough Council offered the site situated on the outskirts of Reading Town Centre at a peppercorn rent in its earliest days, but fast forward to the present day, the centre now holds a long-term lease and pays a commercial rent.

As a non-profitable community organisation, any funds generated from events hosted at the Reading Irish Centre are re-invested back into the work that we are doing as an organisation to preserve the Irish tradition and promote the cultural, social and general welfare of the Irish Community, which includes the costs of running our hub, the Reading Irish Centre.

The Reading Irish Centre site was opened on the 20th February 1984 by the Right Worshipful Mayor of Reading, Doris Lawrence before officially being opened on the 26th September 1987, which was officiated by Brother Joseph Bell.

In 1992 HRH Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales presented the Reading Irish Association with the Gulbenkian Award for Community Buildings in recognition of the efforts of the Irish community.

The Reading Irish Centre was sadly threatened with closure in 2007 but thanks to a £95,000 grant from the Irish Government and support from the Hibernian Society, formerly a registered charity established with the main aim of improving the quality of life of the older members of our community, we were able to survive with the grant going towards improvements such as new disabled toilets and access ramp, improved kitchen facilities and the creation of a day centre for the elderly members of our community.

The centre is now thriving once again.