Season's Greetings from the Consulate General of Ireland
News
22 December 2020Dear Friends / A Chairde Uilig.
As the sun sets on 2020, I am not going to add my two cents of wisdom to the many commentators that have tried to capture the myriad of peoples’ experiences during the pandemic. Suffice to say it has been a once in a generation if not a once in a lifetime experience for most. While we look forward to the New Year with hope, our sympathies lie with the many that have suffered loss during 2020.
For the team in the Consulate it has been an honour and privilege to serve Ireland especially at a time when our citizens were at their most vulnerable. Looking back on a year of compliance with social distance norms, we are proud to have been “open for business” and providing a service to citizens throughout 2020. While there have been some difficult and indeed some sad situations, there also have been uplifting moments, including our delight in hosting a small impromptu birthday party last month for one particularly brave 8-year-old girl!
December is also a time of reflection and gratitude and I am struck by a multitude of key anniversaries that resonate. I vividly recall this day two years ago the funeral service of Fr Alfred Deignan SJ. The service reflected on his seven decades of enormous contribution to education and the social fabric of Hong Kong. Tomorrow also is another interesting anniversary. Joseph Horsford Kemp was born on 23 December 1874 in Drogheda. Kemp served as the 12th Chief Justice of Hong Kong from 1930 to 1933 and the 13th Attorney-General of Hong Kong from 1915 to 1930. Kemp was also the first President of the St Patrick’s Society of Hong Kong, formed in 1931, and we look forward to celebrating the 90th anniversary with our friends in the Society in 2021.
In this spirit, I might add that, during 2020, it has been great to work with the prolific and remarkable writer, Mark O’Neill, as well as the gifted photographer, Rose Conway, in finalising our book that tries to capture the enormous contribution of Irish people to life in Hong Kong. As we move to a publication phase in 2021, the stories of Fr Deignan, Justice Kemp and the hundreds of others will provide a compelling account of the substantial legacy and contribution of Irish women and men to the social and physical fabric of Hong Kong. Do reach out to me if you have stories to offer.
With just days left to the end of the year – and with it the end of the countdown in the Brexit transition period – we will also remember 2020 for a myriad of complex political and economic challenges. Since I wrote last, I want to express my particular thanks – on behalf of Bord Bia and the Consulate – to ParknShop, Delaneys Irish Pub, The American Club, The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, The Hong Kong Cricket Club and The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club for partnering with us during November in the promotion of Irish F&B, notably Beef, Lamb, Seafood and Irish Whiskey. The excellent feedback from the promotion and the enthusiasm of our partners for Irish produce fills us with hope for the bilateral economic relationship as we look forward to 2021.
I am acutely conscious that for many, your usual travel plans have been disrupted and you will not be experiencing that extra warmth of welcome from the Dublin Airport Authority on touchdown. Indeed, passenger numbers at Dublin Airport for the Christmas season are expected to be down by 88% compared to the same period last year. Two of my favourite seasonal songs are “Driving Home For Christmas” & “Fairytale Of New York”. They capture a sense of returning home or, alternatively, of being exiled at this special time of year. If you have a yearning for home, you might like to know that this year we have launched an initiative, To Be Irish at Christmas, and there is some great content celebrating the things we love about being Irish at this special time of year.
On a final uplifting note, at a time when the nativity story resonates strongly for many, I was delighted to note that we welcomed 27 new Irish babies (18 girls and 9 boys) in Hong Kong and Macao in 2020. For these mums and dads, 2020 will have a special resonance as they adjust to a new life in their midst. Congratulations to all those families.
No matter how or where you spend this holiday season, the team in Consulate General of Ireland offer you our heartfelt best wishes and look forward to becoming reconnected with everybody in 2021.
Season’s greetings and happy New Year or as we say in Irish, Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi shéan agus faoi mhaise daoibh go léir!
David Costello
Consul General