Tourism Ireland celebrates St Patrick’s Day with “Green Button” festival

Clover head decoration on head of girl close-up. Saint Patricks day, parade in the city, selectriv focus, copy space
By Alexandra Coulton


Happy St Patricks Day, folks!

To celebrate, Tourism Ireland has rolled out a special music billboard festival across four cities and time zones to showcase Irish artists as they emerge from lockdown and return to performing and gigging.

The Green Button Festival will be rolled out across Sydney, Milan, London and New York, with Sydney siders encouraged to head down to the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay today between 11am and 7pm where they will be treated to an array of Irish and Northern Irish musicians playing to people around the world.

Those who are not able to be there in person, including residents in other parts of Australia, can also access the festival via the QR Code HERE to trigger sound and vision recordings of some of Ireland’s top talent performing at various locations around the island.

Acts include Hothouse Flowers performing at Temple Bar in Dublin, Clannad and Denise Chaila in County Donegal, Ailbhe Reddy at Dublin Castle and The Pale playing on top of the Tower Museum in Derry~Londonderry.

Ryan McMullan will be among several acts appearing from the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast, which was named a UNESCO City of Music late last year. And also available on-screen will be acts such as contemporary folk band Kila, DJ and vocalist Gemma Bradley, and Riverdance, performing at the Giant’s Causeway and Cliffs of Moher.

Quentin Long (International Traveller), Rosie Keane (Consulate General of Ireland), Cassandra Saga Kerr (Commercial Manager NSW Qatar), and Sofia Hansson Regional Manager Tourism Ireland ANZ

Earlier this week, Tourism Ireland treated industry friends and partners to an intimate St Patrick’s Day lunch at Sydney’s Centennial Homestead, where Sofia Hansson, regional manager of Tourism Ireland expressed her gratitude to key partners and the media for their continued support in promoting the island of Ireland as a must-see destination.

“Tourism is an extremely important industry for Ireland,” she said.

“Before COVID-19, in 2019, we welcomed almost 11.3 million overseas visitors to the island of Ireland with around 250,000 from ANZ. Tourism was one of our largest indigenous industries, supporting around 325,000 jobs in communities right across the island.”

Rosie Keane, Consulate General of Ireland, said with Australia being home to the third-largest Irish diaspora in the world, “a trip to Ireland brings an opportunity to renew those familial bonds, and to rediscover one’s ancestral heritage.”

“Ireland is known as the land of a hundred thousand welcomes, and for good reason. Whether you are of Irish descent or a newcomer to our shores, you can be assured of a very warm and lively welcome once you touch down in Ireland,” she said.

Featured image: iStock/Svetlanais

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