They gathered in droves to celebrate Ireland’s national day at the Cercle Cité on Tuesday 17 March--Irish and non-Irish alike. But nationality mattered not one jot, as ambassador Peadar Carpenter reminded his guests of the old saying, there are two types of people, those that are Irish and those that wish they were Irish. On St. Patrick’s Day, however, even the latter have special dispensation and everyone is Irish, the ambassador said.

The ambassador was proud to highlight the road to economic recovery that Ireland was undergoing, pointing out that Irish exports were now at levels higher than in 2007 before the crisis hit.

He also cited the number of prestigious multinational companies that had recently moved business to Ireland, and explained that Ireland’s population was young and dynamic and educated to a high level. Ireland is also leading the way in sustainable development, especially in the field of agricultural production thanks to government initiatives such as Origin Green.

Luxembourg’s Irish community

It was Carpenter’s first time hosting the Luxembourg St. Patrick’s Day reception, and he remarked on the engagement shown by the local Irish community.

He cited the recent Rose of Tralee event--Luxembourg’s newly crowned Rose, Aedammair Ní Chiardha, was among the guests--as well as the Irish Club’s St. Patrick’s dinner, a ceili held by Comhaltas, a forthcoming tournament organised by the Luxembourg GAA Gaelic sports association, as well as the contribution made by the Irish stand to the monies raised at last November’s International Bazaar, as evidence of the community’s vibrant commitment to Irish culture and traditions, social solidarity and integration.

Meanwhile, celebrations were held in local pubs across the Grand Duchy and especially in the Irish pubs in the capital city. Luxembourg City’s Hôtel de Ville was also illuminated in green to mark Ireland’s national day, part of a worldwide “greening” of landmarks that included the Sydney Opera House, the leaning tower in Pisa and the Great Wall in China.