St Patrick's Day, the Irish way
Posted on March 2020 By Speller International
St Patrick’s day is the Irish festival of the Patron Saint of Ireland.
He was born in Roman Britain way back in the 4th century, kidnapped at the age of 16 and sent to Ireland as a slave only to later escape. He had a rough start but he returned to Ireland to convert the Irish to Christianity and by the time he died on March 17th, 461, he had established monasteries, schools and churches.
Our very own Irish export, Maria McNally, sits down with us to talk all things St Paddy’s day, what it means to her, how she celebrates in Australia and what a typical day of celebration in Ireland would look like.
Tells us a bit about yourself, Maria. Where did you grow up, when did you move to Melbourne and why did you move here?
I grew up in Belfast, Ireland and moved Melbourne in 2011. I was working in recruitment back in Ireland when I was approached by a Rec to see if I would be interested in working in Australia. I originally came out thinking I was coming for 6-12 months. Fast forward 9 years and I now have a beautiful daughter in Melbourne.
St Paddy’s day is celebrated around the world but if you were at home in Ireland how would you celebrate and with who?
St. Patrick’s day is a big day for us at home. Everyone is in good spirits and everyone is dressed in green from head to toe. If I was at home it would be a big family affair where we would watch the St. Patrick’s day parade. This starts off in the city with eye-catching floats, performers and brilliant costumes. We have pipe bands, Irish dancers, local live traditional music, street theatre acts and face painters. This is followed by an open-air concert for all the city to celebrate St. Patrick’s day.
How do you celebrate here in Melbourne?
Now that I have a little girl, I like to keep some of the same traditions. I’ll get her a little Ireland outfit, her face painted and we will spend the day at a family friendly festival, with Irish dancing and traditional music.
If you are interested in getting behind St Patrick’s day here in Australia, here are some suggestions on how and where to celebrate.
St Kilda hosts an Irish parade and festival which is great for families with kids of all ages
For the best live music and dancing try North Adelaide Oval which turns green in celebration
Need to start your day right? PJ O’Brian’s in Sydney hosts a full Irish breakfast
In for the long haul? Gilhooleys Irish Pub in Brisbane has a full weekend of festivities planned
If you’ve got your St Patrick’s day planned, let us know how you celebrate via LinkedIn and Twitter!
Happy St. Patricks day to all our Irish, and Irish at heart contractors and clients around Australia.
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