St. Patrick’s Day

Every year, all over the world, there are great celebrations of all things Irish around our National Day on 17 March. The Embassy supports and participates in many special events and uses the opportunity to promote Ireland. 

St. Patrick’s Day is a global celebration of what it means to be Irish; the spirit, the determination, the creativity and that indefinable something that makes us who we are. Ireland is capable of great things and every year, the Embassy and the Consulate General uses St. Patrick’s Day to show the world just what we can do.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Singapore, which attracts thousands of participants each year is the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration in South East Asia.

St. Patrick's Day 2014

Last year, we welcomed Minister Joe Costello T.D. to Singapore and the Philippines for the St. Patrick’s Day programme. Our Embassy in Singapore and our Honorary Consulate General in Manila worked with the State Agencies on a programme which included:

• organising official events with a strong trade and development focus;
• a series of high-level political meetings for visiting Government representatives.
• participating in the "Global Greenings" of iconic Singaporean sites.
• attending a series of events, including business networking events and parades throughout the country.

What we do

One of our great strengths as a country is our people, and during the St. Patrick's Day period, visits by Government Ministers complement the ongoing work of our Embassy network and state agencies in promoting awareness and confidence in Ireland's economic recovery, as well as showcasing what we have to offer as a nation.

Ministers take part in a range of different events, including meetings about trade, tourism and investment opportunities, media interviews, networking events, and bilateral meetings with government representatives, along with other high-profile events such as Greening ceremonies.

Growing our economy

The focus on Ireland on St. Patrick's Day gives us a valuable opportunity to show the world that this country is open for business and to underline the close trade links which already exist with Ireland. We encourage the building of relationships, investment and tourism.

Sharing our culture

We celebrate our rich culture and heritage and we’re proud of its influence on world literature, art and music. St. Patrick's Day is a great chance for us to share our culture with others, especially in countries where there's less awareness of Ireland. Our diplomatic network works with Culture Ireland to stage cultural events around St. Patrick's Day, raising profile worldwide for Irish culture and for Ireland as a place to visit, study and do business.

Saying thank you

St. Patrick's Day is a great time for Ireland to engage with and thank long-standing partners, friends, voluntary and community organisations and Irish communities around the world for their ongoing support and the contributions they make to this country.