Enjoy St. Patrick's Day in Seoul

Participants celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, an Irish cultural and religious holiday, in Seoul in 2010. / Korea Times file

By John Redmond

The Irish Association of Korea (IAK) presents the St. Patrick’s Day Festival, which the organizers hope will be the biggest and best annual celebration to date.

The Irish-themed festival, which showcases Irish music and dance, honors the patron saint of Ireland and the man accredited with bringing Christianity to that nation.

Thanks to the support of Daesung Corporation, Korean Air, Grand Hyatt Seoul, Groove magazine, Etihad Airways, the Asia Ireland Chamber of Commerce in Korea, and the Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel, the 14th-annual St Patrick’s Day Festival will take place in D Cube Plaza, Sindorim from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

The open-air concert, which has become synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day in Seoul, attracting up to 10,000 spectators in the past, will be the centerpiece of the Irish Association of Korea’s festival this year.

The festival is known for its keen participation from members of both the Irish and Korean communities, and this year will not disappoint with traditional folk-dancers and musicians playing Irish music, both traditional and popular rock, coming from all over Korea and further afield.

Musicians from Ireland will also be featured heavily on the bill and the festival will offer an opportunity for the public to get involved. Traditional folk-dancing, which has grown in popularity every year, will take place on the main stage. The dancing gives everyone, young and old, a chance to come up and try some of the lively dances.

The festival has also become a major international family event, as children can get their faces painted, listen to some traditional storytelling and sing and dance to the live music.

A display of Gaelic football — a unique national sport from Ireland — will be hosted by the one of the most successful teams in Asia, the Seoul Gaels Gaelic football team.

The Irish Village will also return to the festival this year to create a separate area away from the main stage which will offer a more laid-back atmosphere.

At the Irish Village, you will be able to listen to Irish traditional music, try your hand at playing some instruments or taste some traditional Irish cuisine.

This year there will be a costume competition (sponsored by Sona and AngloInfo Seoul) and a large raffle with a first-prize of a pair of return flights to Dublin from Seoul (thanks to Etihad Airways). Tickets will be sold on the day and the raffle draw will take place before the end of the festivities.

Chairperson of the Irish Association of Korea Shauna Browne believes that the day is a fantastic opportunity for Irish expats in Korea to highlight the Irish music and dance culture.

“The St. Patrick’s Day Festival is the perfect opportunity to experience Irish culture and get a feel for the wonderful array of Irish talent here in Korea,” said Browne.

“March 17th is a day when we all think of Ireland and its rich history. To be able to celebrate that here in South Korea shows the extraordinary power of the Irish abroad.”

After the main event, the festivities will continue in the Rocky Mountain Tavern in Itaewon from 6 p.m. until midnight for The Official IAK Hooley. Tickets are 10,000 won and will be available at the festival and at the door.

Founded in 1996, the Irish Association of Korea promotes Irish culture in Korea by organizing events of interest to Irish people in Korea which are opportunities for Koreans and other people living in Korea to experience and learn more about Irish life.

Among other events, it organizes the annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Seoul, an annual Ceili and monthly traditional music sessions.

The IAK is also involved in children’s storytelling activities.

“We learned a lot last year from the kids’ tent. Previously, we offered stories in English. This year we have storytellers who are bilingual and who are studying ESL storytelling so their expertise is higher and it should make the storytelling more welcoming and stimulating for children of any nationality,” said Janet Newman of the IAK.

For more information, visit www.iak.co.kr or www.facebook.com/irishassociationofkorea.