St. Patrick's Day

Every year across the world there are great celebrations of all things Irish, on St. Patrick's Day itself - March 17th - and in the days and weeks around it. Many special events are organised in Hong Kong, organised by the Irish and local community, including the first St Patrick’s Day Parade which took place in 2015.

St. Patrick’s Day is a global celebration of what it means to be Irish: the spirit, the determination, the creativity, and that indefinable something that makes us who we are. Ireland is capable of great things and every year, the Consulate uses St. Patrick’s Day to show the world just what we can do.

St. Patrick's Day 2015

This year, the Consulate celebrated its first year in Hong Kong by organising the first St Patrick’s Day Parade with the support and participation of many local and Irish community and business groups. Minister Alan Kelly represented the government at the parade.  The Consulate also attended a range of events. Across China, the Embassy, Consulates and Irish state agencies organised and attended a wide programme which included:

• organising official events with a strong trade focus.
• a series of high-level political meetings for Minister Kelly. He visited both Hong Kong and Macau, where he had high-level political meetings, promoted Ireland as a place to do business, and met with the local Irish community
• participating in the "Global Greening" of the Great Wall.
• attending a series of events organised by the Irish and local community, which in Hong Kong included the annual St Patrick’s Ball, St Patrick’s Day mass, and the raising of the Irish flag at the Cenotaph, as well as a showcase of Irish food and dance at the Venetian in Macau.

What we do

One of our great strengths as a country is our people, and during the St. Patrick's Day period, visits by Government Ministers complement the ongoing work of the Consulate, the Embassy, and Irish state agencies in promoting awareness and confidence in Ireland's economic recovery, as well as showcasing what we have to offer as a nation.

Ministers take part in a range of different events, including meetings about trade, tourism, and investment opportunities, media interviews, networking events, and bilateral meetings with national, regional, and local ministers, along with other high-profile events such as Greening ceremonies. 

Growing our economy

The focus on Ireland on St. Patrick's Day gives us a valuable opportunity to show the world that this country is open for business, and to underline the close trade links between Hong Kong, Macau and Ireland. We encourage the building of relationships, investment, and tourism.

Sharing our culture

We celebrate our rich culture and heritage and we’re proud of its influence on world literature, art, and music. St. Patrick’s Day is a great chance for us to share our culture with others. Our Consulate staff work closely with Culture Ireland to stage cultural events around St. Patrick's Day, drawing lots of positive publicity for Irish culture and for Ireland as a place to visit, study, and do business.

Saying thank you

St. Patrick's Day is a great time for Ireland to engage with and thank long-standing partners, friends, voluntary and community organisations, and Irish communities around the world for their ongoing support and the contributions they make to this country.