St Patrick's Day celebrations worldwide, 2021

The London Irish Centre (LIC) has revealed the line-up for its virtual St Patrick’s Day celebrations – which will offer culture, craic and an "electrifying” city-wide traditional music session.

From 4pm on March 17, the LIC will stream a special online event, co-hosted by the office of the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to celebrate the very best of Irish culture and community in London.


The St Patrick's Day Special - which is free and will be available on the LIC’s website and social media – carries the theme ‘London Le Chéile’, which is the Irish for #LondonTogether,  It has been designed to “capture the spirit of collaboration, creativity, and community shown by the Irish in London through Covid challenges”, the organisation confirmed.  The event begins with three hours of Irish culture and heritage, featuring storytelling, film, music, dance, language and fun.

From 7pm it goes fully live with presenter Angela Scanlon, who will host conversations with Imelda May, Richard Corrigan, Emma Dabiri, Siobhán McSweeney and more of the LIC’s celebrity friends and supporters.

Viewers will also enjoy exclusive performances from artists including Tom Grennan, Orla Gartland and Eva O’Connor during the evening.

During the night a powerful tribute to Irish frontline workers will be screened, as will a unique film from Trafalgar Square, where the festival would usually take place.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan explained: “It’s hugely disappointing that the impact of the pandemic means we are unable to gather on the streets again, however I’m delighted that, together with the London Irish Centre, we are able to host an online celebration that will pay tribute to the huge contribution of our Irish community.

“I urge Londoners to celebrate this year’s St Patrick’s day from the safety of home and to join together virtually to enjoy the performances.”


Trad musicians based across the capital will take part in a city-wide session

The night will close with ‘The London Irish Trad Session’, the LIC confirm, where the cream of Irish traditional musicians across London will perform an electrifying session from their homes.

Rosaleen Blair, London Irish Centre Chair, said: “I am thrilled that we are delivering this flagship virtual event for London and its Irish community. It is yet another wonderful initiative of our team who have been shining lights through these challenging Covid times."

“In any normal year, we would be gathering in Trafalgar Square to celebrate our culture and heritage, so I am delighted that we are keeping that spirit of creativity and togetherness alive through virtual channels.”

The event is supported by The Mayor of London, Tourism Ireland, Culture Ireland, the Embassy of Ireland, Bord Bia, and the McGrath Group.

For further information and to view the event click here.

A ‘supergroup' of Irish and British musicians will lead the virtual St Patrick’s celebrations being hosted by the Irish Embassy in London on March 17.

The event, which is open to all and free to attend, takes place at 1.15pm tomorrow, hosted by the Irish Ambassador to Britain, Adrian O’Neill.

Featuring messages from the Ambassador as well as Taoiseach Micheál Martin, entertainment will include the award-winning fiddle player Aoife Ní Bhriain leading a performance by a group of traditional musicians, which was recorded live at the Embassy.

Confirming their plans, an Irish Embassy spokesperson said: “At this time of year, the Irish Embassy would usually be preparing to welcome members of the Irish community and friends of Ireland in Great Britain to the Embassy throughout St Patrick’s week.

“This year we are planning a very different kind of celebration, and we hope you can join us for an exciting virtual St. Patrick’s Day event at 1.15pm on Wednesday 17th March.”

They added: “Along with messages from an Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Ambassador Adrian O’Neill, award-winning fiddle player Aoife Ní Bhriain will lead a ‘supergroup’ of Irish and British musicians in a selection of traditional Irish tunes, recorded live at the Embassy."

“We hope you can all don your green and join us virtually at lunchtime on St. Patrick's Day to mark the day.”

To register for the event click here.

To celebrate St Patrick’s Day in this year of lockdown restrictions one of Ireland’s finest and most accomplished musicians will perform a special global live-stream event from a prestigious Dublin location.

Clare-born star Sharon Shannon will play at the National Concert Hall on Saturday, March 20.

The event joins a series of live-stream performances which also includes an exclusive concert by Christy Moore, which is due to take place on May 1.

On Saturday, accordion-player and multi-instrumentalist Shannon will perform music from her new album, The Reckoning, as well as many favourites from her back catalogue.

From her early days with The Waterboys, Shannon has become something of a legend on the button accordion, although she also plays the fiddle and the whistle.  Known for her traditional arrangements and Irish-influenced compositions, she is a musician who likes to explore new styles and to collaborate both in Irish traditional music and other musical genres - from hip-hop, to classical, country and reggae.

In 2009 she won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Meteors in Dublin to acknowledge her remarkable talent, and in 2018 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by NUI Galway.

Over the course of her illustrious career Sharon Shannon has recorded and toured with musicians such as Bono, Adam Clayton, Sinead O’Connor, Jackson Browne, The Chieftains, The Waterboys, John Prine, Nigel Kennedy, Shane MacGowan and many more, a revealing testament to her versatility as well as her musical creativity.

She has also been honoured to perform in front of US presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

A call from new President Joe Biden, with his pride in his Irish roots, is surely on the cards.

Shannon’s The Reckoning is considered one of her most innovative and adventurous albums to date.

It was recorded entirely in lockdown, featuring remote collaborations from locations across the globe, with guests including Donal Lunny, reggae legend Dennis Bovell, dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, guitarist Justin Adams and rising Irish star Susan O’Neill.

For her streamed concert this weekend, Shannon will be joined by Irish-Zimbabwean singer Lucia Evans, fellow former Waterboy Trevor Hutchinson on double bass, Niall Murphy on fiddle, Alan Connor on piano and guitar, Steve Hogan on drums, Luke Dunford on Hammond organ, Jack Maher on electric guitar and vocals and Jim Murray on acoustic guitar.

All you have to do to join in the St Patrick’s Day fun is pour yourself a drink, log on and enjoy it from the comfort of your favourite armchair.

Sharon Shannon from the Dublin National Concert Hall Exclusive Livestream, Saturday, March 20 at 8pm. Tickets £15, available here. The stream will be available to view for ticket holders for 48 hours following the performance.

The Irish Embassy building in London turned a striking shade of green in the early hours of this morning, marking the onset of St Patrick’s Day 2021.

Located in Belgravia, the building is one of 670 sites located in 66 countries that are taking part in Tourism Ireland’s annual Global Greening initiative – which has gone from strength to strength since it was launched in 2010.

Back then it was just the Sydney Opera House and the Sky Tower in Auckland that went green.

This year, which will be the biggest ever Global Greening, around 670 sites around the world are signed up to take part.


The Irish Embassy in London turned a striking shade of green this morning, marking St Patrick's Day 2021 PIC: Tourism Ireland/PA (Matt Crossick)

From Rome to Rio and from London to Las Vegas, a host of famous buildings and sites around the world will be turning a shade of green today.

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said: “This year marks the 12th year of Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening initiative and it’s the biggest ever, with some wonderful new additions like The Palm Fountain in Dubai – the largest fountain in the world.

"Other new sites include the village of Portmeirion in North Wales and Bled Castle in Slovenia. Each year, I am delighted to see so many iconic landmarks and sites wishing to get involved, to mark St Patrick’s Day."

He added: “This year, in particular, we aim to bring some positivity and hope to our Diaspora across the globe.

"More than 70 million people around the world claim links to the island of Ireland and St Patrick’s Day is a truly unique opportunity to reconnect them with their heritage.

"At a time when Irish people overseas cannot travel home, we want to shine a green light in as many locations around the world as possible, giving our Diaspora a sense of connection with home and reminding them that we cannot wait to roll out the green carpet and welcome them back, as soon as it is possible to do so.

"This year, against the ongoing backdrop of Covid-19, our St Patrick’s Day programme around the world is more important than ever before.

"During this challenging time, we want to mark St Patrick’s Day and to keep Ireland to the fore in a positive light, on the day when people everywhere are thinking about Ireland.”

Sixteen of this year's Global Greening sites are based in Britain – they are:

The London Eye

Nelson’s Column, London

Embassy of Ireland, London,

Leadenhall Market, London

Queen's House, London

Tower 42, London

Trafalgar Square fountains, London

Gwrych Castle, Abergele

Castell Coch, Cardiff

V&A Dundee

Civic Hall, Leeds,

Leeds City Museum, Leeds,

Town Hall, Leeds

Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne,

City Hall, Norwich

Portmeirion Village

The Irish Ambassador to Britain, Adrian O'Neill lit a candle in the window of the Embassy in London today - in honour of the many diaspora members kept apart on St Patrick’s Day 2021 due to Covid-19.

Mr O'Neill's candle is one of many that will be lit today under Tourism Ireland’s (TI) Green Candle initiative.


Irish Ambassador Adrian O'Neill lights a green candle in the Embassy window on St Patrick's Day 2021 (PIC: TI/Matt Crossick)

Inspired by the Irish tradition of lighting a candle in a window as a way of guiding strangers in the night, the organisation is calling on Irish people across the world to make sure their candle is lit at 7pm this evening in a bid to keep the diaspora connected even while they are apart this March 17.
“There is a tradition in Ireland of lighting a candle in a window, as a way of guiding strangers in the night,” TI explains.
“At a time when Irish people overseas cannot travel home, we invite you to shine a light during this time, by placing a green candle in a window as beacon of solidarity and hope.”
They add: “The intention is to give our Diaspora a sense of connection with home and remind them that we cannot wait to welcome them back as soon as it is possible to do so.

TI’s Green Candle initiative will commence at 7pm GMT, today (March 17).
You can join the conversation by taking a photo or video of your own candle and uploading it to your social media platforms, using the hashtag #GlobalGreening.

U2 fans, you won't want to miss this.
Rachael O'Connor - Irish Post
Ireland's most famous band are launching a series of concerts on Youtube over the coming weeks to help soften the blow of gigs and concerts having been banned for over a year-- and no sign of when they will return.

The Dublin four-piece have announce the incredibly exciting U2: The Virtual Road, a series of four virtual concerts which will air on Youtube for 48 hours on the day they are launched-- but will disappear once the 48 hours are up.

The first concert will be broadcast today, St Patrick's Day, and brings U2 back to their roots, as they rock the banks of the River Boyne at Slane Castle on 1 September 2001-- with a special opening act from Dermot Kennedy, recorded in Los Angeles last week.


U2: The Virtual Road series will see four iconic concerts being uploaded to Youtube for 48 hours (Image credit: Sam Jones)

Next week, on 25 March, fans will be able to experience U2 Live At Red Rocks, a performance recorded on 5th June 1983 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, US on the band’s War Tour. The iconic, rain-soaked performance was a testatement of what U2 were capable of in their live acts. Irish act Fontaines D.C. will open the show.

On 1 April, U2 will broadcast their 1997 Live at Mexico City performance at the Foro Sol Stadium during the PopMart Tour, and will see Carla Morrison open for the band, only on YouTube, for a very special one-off performance ahead of Popmart: Live From Mexico City.

On 10 April, fans will be transported to Paris in December 2015, when U2 returned to the French capital less than a month after the devastating terrorist attacks on the city.

iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE: Live in Paris marked the final performance on the tour, an unforgettable evening which included an emotional performance of Patti Smith’s ‘People Have The Power’.  French band  Feu! Chatterton will open the show.

Three of these concerts- Slane, Red Rocks and Mexico-- have never before been made available digitally, making U2's Virtual Road a very special experience indeed.

Speaking on the launch of their dvirtual concert series, Bono, The Edge, Adam and Larry said:
"Every show is memorable for us but these four particularly so… It’s exciting to be on the road again… Embracing all the wonder of the virtual road… And especially exciting to be joined by such a brilliant line-up of fellow travellers in Dermot Kennedy, Fontaines D.C., Carla Morrison and Feu! Chatterton."

U2 The Virtual Road concert poster

Dan Chalmers, Director of YouTube Music for EMEA said it was "fantastic that YouTube is partnering with U2 for this exclusive broadcast.
"The four concerts featured in The Virtual Road are the most memorable and iconic in the band’s history, and indeed rock history at large. As one of the world’s best-selling music artists, U2 have been at the top of the global rock scene for the past four decades. When they perform, the world takes notice - their performances are always a landmark moment for music lovers around the world.
"We’re proud to be providing the platform for an artist that has come to embody the definitive live music experience.”

Sam Lunn, Head of Campaign Strategy, Island Records said “One of the reasons U2 remain one of the greatest and most interesting bands in music is their desire to always break new ground. No band has managed to combine emotion, ambition, innovation and spectacle to produce such consistently brilliant live shows.
"With the announcement of The Virtual Road, and this hugely exciting partnership with YouTube, U2 are once again leading the way with this incredibly exciting virtual concert series.”

You can catch the virtual concert series on U2's Youtube page here.

Dublin has lit up with messages of hope ahead of St Patrick's Day.

For the second year in a row, there will be no parades, parties, pubs or mass, and as the pandemic passes the year-long mark much of the public are finding things to be extremely tough.

But nothing can stop the Irish from celebrating their national day, and the six-day virtual St Patrick's Day Festival, which has been ongoing since 12 March and is available to watch online (You can find out more here) is currently in full swing.

Last night, Dublin city centre lit up with messages of joy and hope as part of an incredible light show created by the St Patrick's Day Festival with the help of Tourism Ireland, Dublin City Council and in collaboration with Intel and Actavo Events.



The lights danced over the dark waters of the River Liffey with some of the capital's most famous landmarks visible in the distance, with phrases such as 'This is Ireland', 'Love', Hope', 'Home' and images of Ireland, the globe and even Irish dancers and musicians shining in the sky.



The breathtaking video has to be seen to be believed-- it is an emotional watch however, and while it will make yo proud to be Irish, it may bring a tear to your eye at just how different everything still is this year.
You can watch the fantastic video below.