Nicosia in Global Greening for St. Patrick's Day

This year, Nicosia is again joining the global Irish family festivities. At 18:30 on Tuesday 15th March 2016, the lights were turned on in the presence of Irish Ambassador, Nicholas Twist and the Deputy Mayor of Nicosia, Eleni Loucaidou, launching the "Greening" of Nicosia Town Hall.

Remarks by Irish Ambassador, Nicholas Twist on the occasion of "Greening" Nicosia Town Hall.

Kalispera sas! Welcome to the second year of “Greening” the Nicosia Municipality.

Thursday next the Irish National Day, named in honour of St. Patrick, who led the conversion of the Irish to Christianity in the 5th Century. The son of a Roman administrator in Britain, Patrick was captured by Irish raiders and spent many years as a slave minding sheep in Ireland. He managed to escape and later became a priest. The Irish people appeared to him in a dream, asking him to return and save their souls

Nowadays the colour Green is associated with St. Patrick and with Ireland, the "Emerald Isle". In recent years, to celebrate this linkage, landmarks and monuments throughout the world have been floodlit in Green. From the Eiffel Tower to the Colosseum, from the Pyramids to The Great Wall of China, from the Empire State Building in New York to the Sydney Opera House - the whole world is "Greened" and Irish for a while.

I am delighted that Nicosia is part of this happy family. My thanks go to Mayor Constantinos Yiorkadjis, Deputy Mayor Eleni Loucaidou and all the support services for their enthusiastic response to this initiative that we mark St. Patrick's Day by "Greening" the Town Hall.

I encourage everyone to visit Ireland, sample the famous Irish Welcome and experience our 40 Shades of Green, to spiti mou.

Nicholas Twist
Ambassador of Ireland