UAE: How the Irish community is celebrating St Patrick's Day away from home

Away from home yet close to their roots, the Irish community in UAE celebrates St Patrick's Day with full fervour.

Celebrated on March 17, the religious festival commemorates the patron saint of Ireland who was kidnapped and enslaved, only to escape and spread the message of Christianity across the island.

In the UAE, Irish nationals will commemorate the day by participating in Gaelic Athletic Association sports, musical concerts, preparing feasts and offering prayers.

Khaleej Times spoke with the Irish Ambassador to the UAE, Alison Milton, on St Patrick’s Day to understand how the community celebrates the festival away from home.

“St Patrick’s Day has become a global festival with over 70 million people of Irish descent celebrating it every year. In Ireland, it is regarded as a cultural and religious day,” said Milton.

Speaking of the Irish diaspora, Milton said that the community had facilitated a week-long week celebration by hosting a reception in Abu Dhabi. “Many Irish residents will join the embassy celebration and [others] will celebrate across the country,” said Milton.

She highlighted that the Irish team is performing very well in Cheltenham and hoping to win the cup, and this invites excitement and doubles the celebration.

“We also have a very big sporting weekend here at Zayed Sports City. We have games from the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). The three national sports of Ireland – Gaelic Football, Hurling, and Camogie will be held this weekend. The Irish diaspora in the UAE has formed a strong GAA movement,” said Milton.

Adding to the celebration, an Irish band will be performing in Dubai Internet City as a part of the celebration. “On Monday, We had a screening of an Irish cultural movie about a man who settled in India after famine as famine struck Ireland. On Tuesday, we had a pop quiz about Ireland. The sports tournament started on Wednesday, and we had an Irish business breakfast with the business community,” said Milton.

She further mentioned that many hotels and restaurants in the country have been hosting dinners and brunches in line with St Patrick’s Day. "This shows the popularity of the celebration," she said.

“It’s not just the Irish people who participate in the celebration, but community members of different nationalities also participate,” concluded Milton.

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