Politics
St Patrick’s Day 2021 – buildings turned green across Ireland as thousands prepare to celebrate national holiday
TODAY is St Patrick’s Day and thousands of people in Ireland are gearing up to celebrate.
Buildings have turned green in appreciation of the national holiday, although today’s festivities will look a little different this year as the Covid-19 pandemic continues
The GPO in Dublin was glowing green to mark the big day[/caption]
Trinity College in Dublin has been lit up in green lights and had a light display for ‘Solas: Awakening Ireland’[/caption]
A spectacular light display lit up the night sky[/caption]
Over 500 drones were used to create a light display[/caption]
A new online film featuring a swarm of 500 drones animating the skies of Dublin in a spectacular light show has been unveiled, to wish the world a Happy St Patrick’s Day.
The film – called ‘Orchestra of Light’ – was created by St Patrick’s Festival, Tourism Ireland and Dublin City Council earlier this month.
“The film aims to tell a story of Ireland’s global influence and how a small island on the edge of Europe has spread its culture and traditions across the world,” according to a publicist.
“Symbols of our traditional music and dance culture, a central part of our St Patrick’s Day celebrations in normal times , play out over the Dublin skies in the spectacular light show.
“The drones swarm into the image of a globe turning green and into formations of Celtic art, before wishing the world a Happy St Patrick’s Day in an explosion of glowing shamrocks.”
This year due to the lockdown, UK’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations are not going ahead.
But to mark the occasion, buildings throughout Ireland have been lit up in green.
In the US, celebrations have sparked Covid-19 concerns as officials plead with Americans not to gather in large groups.
In cities like Savannah, Georgia, and Lansing, Michigan, there are fears that the celebration will become a superspreader event as thousands of party-goers arrived.
But Irish revellers and those wanting to join the fun are being advised to enjoy a Guinness with pals over Zoom.
Today only became a national holiday in Ireland in 1903. It is also a bank holiday in Northern Ireland.
The national holiday has been commemorated for over 1,000 years however, the first public celebration is up for debate.
Some argue that the first parade was held in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1737 while others argue that the first official parade was held in New York in 1762.
Either way, across the world every year, people come together to celebrate Irish culture and heritage.
St Patrick’s Day is the annual celebration of the patron saint of Ireland, St Patrick.
According to the myth, Saint Patrick was kidnapped from the UK and brought over to Ireland in the fifth century, aged just 16.
St Patrick is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland and according to legend, he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of the shamrock.
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The reason the day is celebrated all over the world is due to Ireland’s diaspora and the country’s mass historical emigration.
Between 1845 and 1854 two million people were forced to leave Ireland due to the potato famine.
They travelled to the United States, the UK and Canada where the national holiday is continued to be celebrated.
In Cork, Shandon Lights Up Green for St Patrick’s Day[/caption]
The drones outline two Irish step dancers[/caption]
