Westville celebrates with the Irish
Westville's community showed that they are "Irish at heart".
THE Irish South African Associations (ISAA) annual launch held at 12:30 on Saturday, March 19 at The Westville Country Club, was a unique occasion.
St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and his feast day is celebrated on March 17 each year, which is a public holiday on the island of Ireland.
According to the president of the ISAA, Ray McNulty, St Patricks Day sparked worldwide celebrations often lasting several days.
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According to the ISAA, this was the first celebration for St Patricks day since 2019. Its also the ISAAs 10th anniversary in KZN, as well as the ISAA’s tenth year of funding for the KZN Academy of Celtic Dance in Westville.
“We are looking forward to seeing how the enthusiasm of Irish dancing goes out to people of all ethnicities in South Africa,” McNulty said.
Students from the KZN Academy of Celtic Dance have previously performed at ISAA events and have done so again at the ISAA St Patricks Day event in Westville. “This is a day when Irish people across the world celebrate their culture, and they invite everyone to join them,” McNulty explained.
The association invited everyone who appreciates the company of Irish culture or those who want to be Irish for the day to join in celebration. Guests enjoyed lamb on the spit, welcomes from the Irish Embassy, a few drinks to toast St Patrick, and the sharp humour of McNulty, who is known for his ‘nearly true’ Irish yarns, in addition to Irish dancing demonstrations and music.
An excited McNulty said, “he is grateful that this event could take place after being cancelled for the past two-years due to the pandemic.”
He stated that there would be at least 100 people joining the St Patricks Day celebration and many of them are not born Irish, however, ‘they are Irish in their heart”.
Patricia McCracken said, “the event was a magnificent highlight for the Irish community in KwaZulu-Natal as they get the opportunity to celebrate their Irish heritage as well as part of KwaZulu-Natal’s wonderful cultural diversity.”
McNulty said that he was impressed with the turnout and hoped his guests enjoyed the event as much as he did. He added that he hopes locals can adapt some Irish culture into their lives.
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