St. Patrick's Day 2021
Event
03 March 2021
Dear Friends,
While we cannot meet in person this year the Embassy will join Irish citizens and friends of Ireland across Sweden in marking our national day in various ways.
Of course online celebrations cannot quite replicate the sense of community and togetherness that gatherings bring. However, the Embassy, joining Irish community organisations in Sweden, will do our best. All in the spirit of the day!
You will find below a list of the various activities happening during the day with links on how to register for each. We have also created a Facebook event page which we hope will act as a hub for all St. Patrick's Day events happening in Sweden this year. We invite you to post about your own events here and we will be happy to spread the word.
The selection of activities showcase cultural offerings from Ireland and also from our hosts in Sweden. We have partnered with our colleagues in Tourism Ireland to arrange some “greenings” in Sweden, so keep your eyes peeled for the flashes of green on the day! We also have a business event organised by Enterprise Ireland and plenty of fun activities for all the family. Keep an eye out for the new Embassy cultural newsletter and events towards the summer to feature literary and musical talents from home and locally – hopefully at least to some extent in-person.
Wishing you all a very happy St Patrick’s Day. Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona daoibh go léir.
Austin Gormley
Ambassador of Ireland
Virtual Reception
On Wednesday 17 March at 12.30 (Swedish time) we will be kicking off our celebration with a virtual reception which will last thirty minutes. This will include exciting performances of music and dance from Ireland and Sweden with messages from Ambassador of Ireland to Sweden, Austin Gormley, and Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
For further details and an option to register, please click here.
Väsen Concert & Tutorial
We are delighted that Swedish folk band Väsen will be treating us to a performance of folk music stemming from Sweden and Ireland.
The music of Väsen is rooted in the forests and rich earth of the Swedish countryside, in the centuries-old tradition of the folk music of Uppland.
The performance will be available to watch on our website and social media on Wednesday 17 March so keep your eyes peeled.
Väsen will also be presenting a short tutorial video on how to play a simple tune, so get those instruments polished up and ready to go! From guitars to tin whistles, whatever you have lying around at home should do the trick.
Dathaigh Isteach Colouring Competition
Calling all artists/ealaíontóirí!
In collaboration with Gaeilge le Orla, the Embassies of Ireland across the Nordic Baltic Region will be running a colouring competition for kids of all ages (even over 18!).
All you need to do is sign up here and you will receive a selection of pages from Dathaigh Isteach by Orla Shorten. These pages include a selection of animals as Gaeilge as well as seanfhocail (Irish proverbs). A great chance to learn your cúpla focail, while impressing us with your art skills!
Entrants can submit their works to us and winners will be chosen from each country across the region. You can submit as many entries as you like. There will be some exciting prizes up for grabs for the winners so get sharpening those pencils!
Sveriges Search for St. Patrick - Photo Competition
One of the best parts of St. Patrick’s Day usually is seeing the bright and beautiful costumes and painted faces at the Parade. We cannot meet at the Parade this year, but we can still celebrate together.
We are looking for Sveriges St. Patrick, the best photo we can find of an Irish character in a Swedish setting! You can dress up as anything you like, from a mythical creature to a GAA or rugby hero/heroine and set yourself against a Swedish backdrop!
To enter, all you need to do is tag us in your photo on Twitter @IrishEmbSweden no later than 17 March. We will share the best photos and there will be another exciting prize for the winner!
Cultúr Nyheterna
We have been very impressed by the number of Irish events happening in Sweden in recent months and years, whether they be online or in person (as allowed).
We are delighted to be launching Cultúr Nyheterna, a newsletter to publicise and promote these exciting events. This will issue throughout the year with a summary of upcoming events.
If you would like to sign up for this, you can do so here.
Details on how to submit events for inclusion in this newsletter can also be found at the above link.
Enterprise Ireland Webinar – Sustainability in a Digital World: From 5G and Datacentres to Wind Power
On 17 March at 09.00 (Swedish time), our colleagues in Enterprise Ireland are also hosting a very interesting webinar which will explore the crossover between sustainability and a more digital world, with thought leaders from across the Nordic Region. Another “green theme” for St Patrick’s Day!
You can read up on the event and register here.
Don’t forget to visit the websites and social media of the Swedish Irish Society, the GAA clubs and Irish Chamber of Commerce in Sweden for other St Patrick’s Day initiatives and upcoming activity.
Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona daoibh go léir!
