Every year Tourism Ireland’s ‘Global Greening’ initiative turns a host of buildings and sites across the world green to celebrate the island of Ireland on its national holiday: St. Patricks Day. 70+ million people around the world claim links to the island of Ireland.
There is a record number of sites participating in Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening initiative this year – with approximately 670 sites in 66 different countries lighting up in green over the coming days.
Due to restrictions caused by the ongoing pandemic, the Irish Embassy has not been able to mark St. Patrick’s Day in the traditional manner this year. However, the Embassy has doubled its efforts where the ‘Global Greening’ initiative is concerned, and more buildings have been greened in Lithuania this year than ever before. The municipalities of Biržai, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Kretinga, Molėtai, Palanga and Vilnius have all participated in this year’s celebration.
Irish Ambassador to Lithuania, Mr Peter McIvor said: ‘We have been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity shown to us by municipalities across Lithuania in organising this year’s greenings and we thank them sincerely for their cooperation. We are delighted at the strong links which exist between our countries. There is a large Lithuanian community in Ireland and many more Lithuanians visit our shores every year, as do Irish people to this country. I have no doubt that the ties of cooperation and friendship between our two nations and the people-to-people contacts which underlie them will continue to go from strength to strength.’
This year, Tourism Ireland has put together a special 90-minute broadcast entitled ‘St Patrick’s Day at Home with Tourism Ireland’, which will appeal both to Irish people living abroad and to all the friends of Ireland throughout the world. The programme will be broadcast on the evening of 17th March from three of Ireland’s best-known and much-loved pubs. Hosted by TV presenter Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh, the event will be live-streamed on social media from Johnnie Fox’s pub in the Dublin Mountains, as well as from Dick Mack’s in Dingle and the Duke of York in Belfast.
Featuring all the elements of a typical night out, it will be a cabaret-style event, with traditional and modern Irish music and dance and, of course, great fun!
The event will be streamed at 9 pm Lithuanian time on Wednesday, March 17th through Tourism Ireland’s Facebook and YouTube channels, as well as on Ireland.com
