St. Patrick's Day: Painting the town green
The evening of March 17 was filled with the lively sounds of Irish music, and saw guests dressed in various shades of green
Ireland, famously known as the ‘Land of a Thousand Welcomes,’ truly lived up to its reputation for its warmth at the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations held at the Irish Ambassador, Kevin Kelly’s residence in New Delhi. The evening of March 17 was filled with the lively sounds of Irish music, and saw guests dressed in various shades of green, proudly donning knitted shamrocks which is a symbolic three-leaf clover representing Irish heritage and good fortune.
On the occasion, Kelly said, “I am very happy to be here and have the opportunity to share with you. It’s not every year we get to celebrate on the same day as St Patricks Day but this year, we managed. We use the time to celebrate the contribution of Irish people around the globe. India and Ireland took very different routes out of the British Empire yet our convergences have been remarkable.”
The chief guest of the evening were Ireland’s Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless and Minister of State (Independent Charge) - Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Jayant Chaudhary.
Lawless said, “It is a global festival of Irish tradition and heritage celebrated by those with an affinity for Ireland, and I am not at all surprised that it is celebrated so warmly in Delhi, given our enduring long friendship."
Chaudhary, added, “Today is a special day. Even before becoming a minister and having the honour of celebrating with you, I celebrated it while studying in London as the festival is celebrated globally. I may have forgotten the merrymaking, but I still have the memories of warmth and how fun-loving the Irish people are!”
