690 landmarks in 66 countries to go green for St Patrick's Day
Arabian Desert, Dubai going green for St Patrick's Day. Picture: Tourism Ireland
Some 690 landmarks in 66 countries around the world will go green this year to mark St Patrick’s Day.
Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening will see a number of famous sites illuminated in our national colour, including the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls, the Sydney Opera House, the ‘Welcome’ sign in Las Vegas, the Sky Tower in Auckland and the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.
This year, there are a number of new buildings going green, including:
- The Oculus transit hub near the World Trade Center in New York,
- The village of Portmeirion in North Wales, the largest fountain in the world,
- The Palm Fountain in Dubai,
- The tallest building in South America, the Torre Costanera in Chile,
- Bled Castle in Slovenia
- Cairo Tower in Egypt.
Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said: “This year, in particular, we aim to bring some positivity and hope to our Diaspora across the globe.
“More than 70 million people around the world claim links to Ireland and St Patrick’s Day is a truly unique opportunity to reconnect them with their heritage.
“At a time when Irish people overseas cannot travel home, we want to shine a green light in as many locations around the world as possible, giving our Diaspora a sense of connection with home and reminding them that we cannot wait to roll out the green carpet and welcome them back, as soon as it is possible to do so.
“This year, against the ongoing backdrop of Covid-19, our St Patrick’s Day programme around the world is more important than ever before. During this challenging time, we want to mark St Patrick’s Day and to keep Ireland to the fore in a positive light, on the day when people everywhere are thinking about Ireland.”
Meanwhile, closer to home, the tourism body has created an “Orchestra of Light” to wish people a happy St Patrick’s Day.
A new video featuring a swarm of 500 drones animating the skies of Dublin in a light show has been unveiled to mark the national holiday.
In the film, the drones light up the Dublin night sky, illuminating some of the city’s well-known landmarks, including the Samuel Beckett Bridge.
Mr Gibbons said they are “delighted to partner with St Patrick’s Festival and Dublin City Council, to create this wonderful light show celebrating our national day”.
“We are sharing the film with our millions of fans and followers on social media around the world – wishing them a Happy St Patrick’s Day and reminding them that we cannot wait to roll out the green carpet and welcome them to the island of Ireland, as soon as it is possible to do so.”
