The Diplomat
The gaiter Bras Rodrigo -organizer of the San Patricio Parade in Madrid-, the brass band St. Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band -coming from Dublin-, traditional Irish dance dancers from University College Dublin (UCD) and members of Arcana U2 Massive Heads, the famous heads-up who accompanied U2 on their return to the stage in 1993, offered last Friday a surprise concert at the Sol station of Madrid Metro as an advance of the great San Patricio Parade that ran this afternoon along the Gran Vía.
The event was also attended by Brian Glynn, ambassador of Ireland; Jorge Rodrigo, councillor for Housing, Transport and Infrastructure of the Community of Madrid; Ignacio Vázquez, CEO of Metro de Madrid, and Susan Bolger, director of Tourism of Ireland in Spain.
During the pre-performance presentation, the Irish ambassador, Brian Glynn, did not hesitate to thank the presence of the Irish prime minister, Micheál Martin, at the opening of the IV Week of Ireland last Tuesday with the renaming of the Gran Vía Metro station highlighting that “the Green Way is the green heart of this celebration we organize every year with great enthusiasm to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day (17 March), which is much more than a religious figure, it is a living symbol of Irish identity, of their joyful spirit and a deeply communal celebration”.
“St. Patrick’s is our gift to the world,” said Glynn, who also recalled that the Irish are five and a half million in Ireland, but worldwide there are more than 70 million people. “which has made our culture travel as far as possible, making this holiday of Ireland become a global festival. Ireland’s green color expands beyond its borders to become a celebration open to all,’ he said.
“This week does not just exalt Ireland. With her we celebrate the deep connection between Spain and Ireland, two countries separated by miles but united by culture. We share a history marked by music, literature, oral tradition and a warm character that makes us know each other”, he concluded.
Likewise, Jorge Rodrigo, Housing, Transport and Infrastructure Councillor of the Community of Madrid, wanted to emphasize that “the Week of Ireland and St. Patrick is a holiday in which no one is strange and a great opportunity to approach a culture that has conquered the world.” All activities and schedules of the Irish Week can be found at www.semanadeirlanda.es.
