Ireland Invites the World to Celebrate St Patrick’s Day & The Gathering
TORONTO, ON (March 11, 2013) — In 2013, the year of ‘The Gathering’, Ireland prepares to celebrate its national holiday with the biggest and brightest St Patrick’s Festival ever. From Dublin to Downpatrick, from Belfast to Boyle St Patrick’s Day is an unforgettable celebration in Ireland and we’re inviting the world to join the party!
Speaking about St Patrick’s Day 2013, Jayne Shackleford Manager of Tourism Ireland Canada said “Every year we look forward to St Patrick’s Day celebrations as it is wonderful to feel that unmistakable bond around the world on Ireland’s national holiday, especially in this year, the year of The Gathering – the greatest Irish get together of all time! The motto of The Gathering is ‘be part of it’ and there has never been a better time to do so in Ireland where an array of superb music, literature, culture and history awaits.”
The People’s Parade
In recognition of The Gathering Ireland 2013, the year when the Emerald Isle hosts a 365 day party of festivals and events, the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin will burst with even more Irish magic as ‘The People’s Parade’ welcomes thousands of participants from all over the world to walk the city’s famous cobbled street. For the first time in the parade’s history 8,000 people will have the chance to ‘be part of’ the spectacular parade procession and over 300 Canadians are expected to be there at the heart of The Gathering – marching, dancing and jumping through the 2.5km route across Dublin’s historic fair city. Over half a million spectators will line Dublin’s streets cheering on the procession and soaking up the electric party atmosphere.
This festive feeling reverberates up and down the island of Ireland as parades in every shade of green, and all shapes and sizes get underway. It’s this exciting combination of colourful floats, marching bands, dancers, street performers, and that inimitable Irish craic that makes Ireland THE place to be on March 17 … we’ll see you there!
Seasons Greenings in Toronto & Ottawa
St Patrick’s Day is the national holiday celebrated in more countries than any other, and some of the world’s most famous sites and attractions have signed up to salute their Irish cousins and be part of Tourism Ireland’s ‘Global Greening’ initiative. Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza; Christ the Redeemer in Rio De Janeiro; the Las Vegas ‘Welcome’ Sign; the Sydney Opera House; New York’s Empire State Building and Table Mountain in South Africa are just some of the famous sites “going green” and sharing in the Irish spirit of fun, immersion and participation.
In 2013, for the very first time, Toronto’s CITY HALL will “go green” turning its spectacular towers green on March 16 & 17 and Ottawa’s MUSEUM OF NATURE will have a “Green Lantern” as the Museum plans to illuminate its famous rooftop Queen’s Lantern with sparkling emerald lights. These beautiful buildings light the way for Canadian’s to join the fun of Tourism Ireland ‘Great Green Off’, a worldwide online contest at www.facebook.com/DiscoverIrelandCA where Canadians can create and share their own ‘Greening’ video or picture – with the best submission scoring a ‘Gathering’ trip to Ireland this year for the winner and five friends!
About St Patrick’s Day & The Gathering
Born Maewyn Succat in 385 AD in the Welsh town of Banwen, he was then captured by Gaelic slave traders at the age of 16 and sold to an Irish sheep farmer. Enslaved for six years, during which he turned to Christianity for comfort until he escaped at the age of 22, he spent the next 12 years living in a British monastery. It was there that he adopted the name Patrick. Saint Patrick later returned to Ireland as a bishop with the task of spreading Christianity to pagan Ireland. Visitors to Ireland today can visit Saint Patrick’s burial place at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, Co Down.
In addition to honoring the great Irish saint, St. Patrick’s Day represents worldwide unification and a sense of global community to those who are Irish-born, of Irish descent or Irish like-mindedness as they come together. This feeling of togetherness is strongly felt in the year of The Gathering which includes the St Patrick’s Festival season among 3,000 festivals and events taking place nationwide. The Gathering is a year-long celebration of Ireland’s people, its unique culture, heritage and rich history. It is about the people of Ireland throwing open their arms and inviting anyone who feels a connection to Ireland to come and visit in 2013.
So go ahead, Jump In!
Find out more about visiting Ireland on www.ireland.com