From Joyce to hip-hop, Ireland’s cultural flagship in Paris pulses with life

It was once a refuge for French soldiers and Polish priests, including Pope John Paul II. Henrietta McKervey visits the Centre Culturel Irlandais

This year’s Fête de la Musique at the CCI in Paris celebrated Ireland’s relationship with France and Senegal, with hip-hop stars from all three countries appearing

Henrietta McKervey

A magical peace fills the courtyard of the Centre Culturel Irlandais (CCI) in Paris. Just minutes earlier, I had walked through bustling fifth arrondissement streets full of tourists bound for the Panthéon.