St. Patrick's Day
In New South Wales, and all across Australia, there are many celebrations of all things Irish on St. Patrick's Day itself - March 17th - and in the days and weeks around it. The Consulate 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 Consulate General uses St. Patrick's Day to show the world just what we can do.
St. Patrick's Day 2018
This year, the Consulate General worked with the State Agencies on a programme which included:
- organising official events with a strong trade focus.
- high-level meetings for the visiting Government Minister.
- participating in the "Global greenings" of iconic New South Wales sites.
- attending a series of events, including business networking events and community celebrations.
This year we welcomed Minister for Justice and Equality, Mr. Charlie Flanagan T.D., to Sydney from 14th – 18th March. Minister Flanagan also visited Melbourne.
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 Mission network and state agencies in promoting awareness and confidence in Ireland's economy, 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 Federal and State ministers, 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 between Australia and 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 Consulate staff work with Culture Ireland to support many cultural events around St. Patrick's Day, drawing lots of positive publicity 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.