Spanish Presidency 2010

    Saint Patrick’s Day Celebrations – 2010

Together with the State Agencies in Ireland House, the Embassy is working to ensure as successful a celebration as ever of Saint Patrick’s Day in 2010.  We are pleased to bring a series of events in Madrid to your attention which we believe will celebrate our National Day and the links between Ireland and Spain.  If you wish to join our email distribution list for further details on these events (which will be circulated shortly), please forward your email address to the Embassy mailbox.  

On 9 March, we are organising the presentation of the first Irish-Spanish dictionary in the Escuela Oficial de Idiomas (with music and dancing) at 6pm.  We hope that as many of you as possible can attend this event.  

On 14 March, we hope to see you at the third annual St. Patrick´s Picnic which will take place in La Cabilda, Hoyo de Manzanares, from 11 am to 6 pm - everyone welcome! 

On Saint Patrick’s Day itself, there will be many events and celebrations in the various pubs and venues around Madrid.   

On 19 March, the Irish writer Séamus Mac Aogáin will be at The James Joyce Irish Pub, Calle Alcalá 59, from 4 pm onwards and will read a selection of short stories from his autobiography “The Road to Abbeyshrule” at 7 pm. All welcome. 

On 25 March, we are holding a presentation of a series of impressive books on Spanish-Irish historical links in English translation.  I will be hosting a reception at 7.30 pm for a limited number of interested guests and academics.  Should you have a particular interest in attending this event, please let us know by emailing annmarie.murphy@dfa.ie or phoning 914364104 by Friday March 19th.   

On 7 April, we are organising a piano concert in the Círculo de Bellas Artes by the well-known Irish musician Miceal O’Rourke who will perform works by John Field.  This is an important cultural event and an opportunity to hear the music of Field who was one of Ireland’s greatest composers. He also had significant influence on music in Russia where he spent most of his life and where he died in 1837. We are therefore delighted to be holding the concert in collaboration with the Russian Embassy and with the contribution of Russian violinist Mikhail Pochekin in the programme. This event will be followed by a reception hosted by Tourism Ireland. Please confirm your attendance by emailing annmarie.murphy@dfa.ie or phoning 914364104 by Monday April 5th. 

Owing to reduced resources and the need to ensure that these are targeted at specific promotional events, we will not be in a position to organise the customary Embassy reception on St. Patrick’s Day this year. However, my colleagues in Ireland House and I look forward to celebrating St Patrick’s Day with you at one or more of the above events over the coming period. 

Justin Harman, Ambassador of Ireland

Press Release: The Irish Economy/La economía irlandesa