The geography of Irish London is a disappearing one. When Shane MacGowan sang of Ray and Philomena and their elusive dreams, he was thinking of nights to morning in north London. Now, the Kilburn High Road is like so many other London streets. A dull mess of chicken huts, pound shops, bookies, and chain pubs. The National Ballroom and The Galtymore, up the road in Cricklewood, are long gone. In west London, there was the Spinning Wheel in Northfields. It’s now a discount supermarket and you’d suspect that Keith Andrews, who lives a short drive away, doesn’t shop there. Back…

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