Good on you, Ed! Ed Sheeran helped an Irish center in London to raise $330,000 (£250,000) last night with an intimate concert.
Ed Sheeran stepped up to help the London Irish Centre, a charity that has provided critical support to London's Irish community and beyond since 1954.
.@edsheeran performed at a special fundraiser for the London Irish Centre last night | https://t.co/jIERod9j6R @LDNIrishCentre pic.twitter.com/2NmxM8X87z
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) June 20, 2018
In an intimate concert for just 400 people at the center's Camden headquarters - a big change from the stadium concerts he's been playing - Sheeran talked about his Wexford roots and school holidays spent there as a child. Interviewed on stage by presenter Dermot O'Leary, he recalled learning about the loop pedal he still incorporates into his music from the center's Cultural Director, singer-songwriter Gary Dunne.
One of the biggest nights for the Irish in London for many years, check out some of the special moments from a historic evening. #LondonIrishCentre Photography credit: Patricia McHugh PooksandGooks Photography
Posted by London Irish Centre on Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Thousands of fans had paid £10 to enter a raffle for tickets, and a limited number were sold at full value. According to those in attendance, Sheeran started the night with the classic Irish song The Parting Glass and sang his own hits the A Team, Photograph, Shape of You, Perfect, and Nancy Mulligan, about his Irish gran. Fellow artists like Lisa Hannigan and Luke Concannon joined him on stage.
Grammy award winner Ed Sheeran is playing at the London Irish Centre tonight as part of a major fundraising initiative - @mitchefi reports. pic.twitter.com/JTjkdK3oSR
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) June 19, 2018
In an interview with the Irish Times prior to the concert, Sheeran spoke of his immense pride in his Irish roots and his love for the center.
“My Irish heritage is something of which I’ve always been proud of, so this concert feels like a natural fit,” he said.
Other high-profile attendees included London Mayor Saqiq Khan, DJs Laura Whitmore and Annie Mac, Courteney Cox and her partner, Johnny McDaid of Snow Patrol, and comedians Aisling Bea and Roisin Conaty.
Sheeran told RTE he was "honored" to be there. He has signed on as a patron of the center.
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