Lilongwe celebrates St Patrick’s day
On Saturday night, Lilongwe joined hundreds of cities around the world to celebrate all things Irish with Malawi’s very own St Patrick’s Day party.
Every March 17, Ireland and the world celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day, a cultural and religious holiday that dates back to the ninth century and pays homage to the Ireland’s most prominent patron saint.
On Saturday, over 400 people joined in the festivities which included live music and traditional dancing at the Sunbird Capital Hotel Marquee.
Speaking about the day, Irish Society member Suzanne Flood said: “St Patrick’s day is a great way to bring people together no matter where you are in the world. We were so delighted with the turnout on Saturday; singing and dancing with all our Malawian friends and so many other nationalities from all over the world, it was fantastic.”
Proceeds from the event will be donated to Father Brendan O’ Shea who has been working with the community in Mua, Dedza for the past eight years.
Father Brendan says: “We’re really delighted with the donation, the money will go towards much needed school fees in the area and also contribute towards our community-led youth group. With the additional funds, we will be able to purchase sports equipment and plan many more activities over the coming year.”
Although the Republic of Ireland only has a population of 4.6 million, there are about 70 million people around the world who consider themselves Irish or of Irish ancestry.
Every year in honour of St Patrick’s Day, iconic monuments around are bathed in green light from March 15 to 17. Among those that have turned green in 2014 are The Giza Pyramids, the Sydney Opera House, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, India Gate, the London Eye and South Africa’s Table Mountain.
