Andrea Wickham-Moriarty
LATE last month, the Consulate General of Ireland hosted the Irish Culture and Heritage Day in Edinburgh—the event which has been firmly re-established as an annual opportunity for Irish people of all ages and generations to come together to celebrate our shared heritage.
Over the course of the day, hundreds of Irish people, and those with an interest in Ireland, came together to celebrate a range of aspects of Irish culture including sport, music, dance and the Irish language. The event drew attendees of all ages, with our youngest guests enjoying the bouncy castles, face painting and kids céilí, and our adult participants getting involved in language, music and cultural sessions.
The event brought together a number of key Consulate partners who prepared specific elements of the programme. We are incredibly grateful to have had the support of Scotland GAA and local Edinburgh club Dunedin Connollys, Conradh na Gaeilge Glaschú, Little Ireland Arts Collective, Comhaltas and Siamsoir, the Irish Dance Village.
Other members of the Irish community showcased their skills and talents on the day through Genealogy workshops, poetry performances, music taster sessions and Storytelling workshops for children. This event was also a superb example of the many strong links that exist between Ireland and Scotland, and we were delighted that a Scottish Gáidhlig taster workshop was one of the activities on offer this year.
Participants were able to choose from a number of activities across different spaces at the venue and we were delighted to see young and old trying their hand at tin whistle playing or practising their cúpla focail. In this way, the Culture and Heritage Day also provides an important showcase for the Irish Cultural opportunities available on a year round basis through GAA clubs, Irish dance schools and Irish cultural organisations.
The event could not have taken place without the financial support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and its Strategic Diaspora Fund, but the Consulate is also incredibly appreciative of the financial contribution made by the GAA in Britain to the event, as well as the corporate sponsorship received from the ESB, Ireland’s semistate energy company which has significant projects here in Scotland. We were also very grateful for the funding provided Tourism Ireland in Scotland which supported activities on the day.
Andrea Wickham-Moriarty is the Vice Consul General of Ireland in Scotland
PIC: ANDREW PERRY
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