Celebrating St. Patrick's Day in East Jerusalem with the Representative Office of Ireland
The Representative Office of Ireland in Palestine celebrated St Patrick’s Day with Palestinian and Irish guests alike at a reception hosted in Representative Feeney’s official residence in East Jerusalem.
Representative Martina Feeney hosted a special reception at her official residence in East Jerusalem to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
Guests from Ireland, Palestine and further afield were all invited to mark Ireland’s national day, including guest of honour Palestinian Minister for Tourism Rola Maayah, representatives from the Irish Defence Forces currently serving with the UN and members of the international diplomatic community.
2016 represents the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, a key event on the path to Irish independence, something which Representative Feeney reflected upon in her remarks, saying “we recall this significant moment of our history and also take the opportunity to imagine what Ireland might yet become. As we look back over the past one hundred years we celebrate our achievements, including continued political progress in Northern Ireland and our economic recovery. 2016 also marks the centenary of the Battle of the Somme, an event which touched the lives of thousands on the island of Ireland. Not far from here, in Jerusalem War Cemetery, lie the remains of many Irish who fought and died in the Palestine Campaign of the First World War.”
Minister Maayah reflected that Palestinian-Irish relations have a long history of solidarity, saying that “Ireland stands for human rights, justice and international law.” Minister Maayah also thanked Ireland for its positive role within the EU and bilaterally.