St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day is a global celebration of Ireland and its people. Each year, our Embassy network seeks to make the most of the unrivalled international profile of our national day to focus attention on Ireland, to promote our economic interests and to connect with the Irish diaspora.

Saint Patrick’s Day 2016

This year, our Embassy staff worked with Irish State agencies to facilitate:

• 114 high-level political meetings
• 10 trade-focused high level visits across 20 cities in 6 countries
• 122 business events involving over 15,533 Irish and international company representatives
• 240 'Greenings' of iconic buildings and landmarks in 45 countries

Over the St. Patrick's Day period, these efforts reached audiences of missions around the world, raising Ireland's profile and enhancing our international reputation.

What we do

One of our great strengths as a country is out people and during the St. Patrick's Day period, visits by Government Ministers complement the ongoing work of our Embassy network and 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 with Irish and international business executives about trade, tourism, education and investment opportunities. They also hold bilateral meetings with Minister, parliamentarians, and other key decision-makers, and engage in, media interviews, networking events for the Irish diaspora and cultural promotions.

Did you know? Over the St. Patrick's Day period, our Embassies and Consulates, mostly staffed with three of fewer diplomats, helped to deliver 348 promotional events and engagements across the world.

Growing our economy

The focus on Ireland on St. Patrick's Day gives us a valuable opportunity to show the world that Ireland is open for business. Ministerial visits and promotional events help to build relationships with new markets, encourage investment and tourism, generate opportunities for Irish businesses and deliver the message that Ireland is on the road to economic recovery.

Did you know? In 2016, he Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and other Minister's participated in trade-focused visits to 20 cities in 6 countries during the St. Patrick's Day period.

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, especially in countries where there's less awareness of Ireland. Our Embassy staff work closely with Culture Ireland to stage many 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.

Connecting with the Irish Diaspora

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.