St. Paul’s to turn green tonight marking Irish national feast

The façade of the St. Paul’s Ruins will be cast in green tonight in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, announced the Irish Chamber of Commerce in Macau (ICCM), the first of many events marking the cultural and religious occasion.
“The initiative came about following [the example of] a number of other cities turning their monuments green,” Niall Murray, Chairman of the ICCM told the Times.
“These included the Sydney Opera House, the Empire State Building in New York, and even parts of the Great Wall of China, near Beijing,” added Murray.
The green lighting will take effect after sundown, at approximately 7 p.m.
Additionally other celebrations are being planned for the weekend.
On Saturday night a gourmet six-course Irish menu with Irish craft beers and spirits will be held at the Grand Lapa Hotel, before it is followed by a cocktail reception and dancing and entertainment lasting until the early hours of Sunday morning.
According to Murray, the special guest of the night will be the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Críona Ní Dhálaigh, hosted by the Irish Consul-General for Hong Kong and Macau, Peter Ryan.
Organizers say the dress code is “cocktail or Irish-themed attire.”
Tickets are priced at MOP1,200 per person, with a discount for ICCM members, and can be purchased from The Irish Bar, Irish Coffee House, Premiere Bar and Tasting Room.
The celebrations will continue into Sunday with a festive St. Patrick’s Day parade in Taipa’s Avenida da Praia. Irish dancers and pipe players are set to perform and as many as 20 groups or associations are expected to join the parade, including a band from the University of Macau, according to event organizers.
They will gather in the park alongside the Praia de Nossa Sra. da Esperança at 1:30 p.m. and depart at approximately 2 p.m.
“These events are being done in conjunction with many events globally,” said Murray, “that help the more than 70 million people of Irish descent around the world to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.”  DB