As we look ahead to another trophy day at Celtic Park on Saturday, May 18, we are delighted to confirm that Celtic will be proudly sporting the club’s Celtic Cross logo once again, to mark National Famine Commemoration Day, which takes place on Sunday.

With the links to the Irish Community dating back to the formation of Celtic Football Club and as a club born from oppression, we recognise the immense tragedy of The Great Hunger (An Gorta Mór).

The Great Hunger was a transforming event in Ireland, which changed the demographic and cultural landscape forever. There is nothing else in the history of the Irish people that can be likened to it, either for its immediate impact or its legacy of emigration, cultural loss and decline of the Irish language.

The Great Hunger led to an influx of the Irish people here in Scotland, where they made their new homes, with many settling in the East End of Glasgow.

As a Scottish club established in that very area in 1887 with such proud Irish roots, Celtic will always be linked to these tragic events over 170 years ago. May 18 also fittingly marks the birthdate of our Founding Father, Brother Walfrid, a man who was devoted to assisting the most in need within his community, many of whom had been affected by An Gorta Mór.

Celtic FC Foundation are delighted to confirm that a selection of match-worn and match-issue shirts from the game against St Mirren – signed by each respective player from the matchday squad – will be available to bid on via the club’s official shirt auction partner, MatchWornShirt. Bidding will go live at the kick-off time of 12.30pm on Saturday, May 18, 2024 and will close at 12.30pm on Saturday, May 25, 2024. Keep an eye out for further details on how to bid.

Proceeds raised from the shirt auction will be devoted to supporting children and young people through Celtic FC Foundation’s Community Games and Ability Counts projects in Ireland.