15 March 2000

Go n eiri an bothar leat  Guinness St Patrick’s Day Celebrations

Go n eiri an bothar leat – the luck of the Irish to you! Irish fever will take the city by storm this week with much of the focus on the Guinness sponsored celebrations, which will take place at the Bridge of Remembrance end of the City Mall.

Lunchtime entertainment features local Irish band Shebeen alongside four of Christchurch’s top dance schools; O’Neill School of Dance, Kay-Hallissey School Of Dance, the Gaelic Dancers and Tralee. At 5.00pm, ‘Those Two Guys’and ‘Grandad’s Axe’ will kickstart Christchurch’s evening celebrations performing until 9.00pm.

St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland lived between 415 and 493 AD (although this is disputed). Legend has his most famous feat as ridding Ireland if its snakes, although factually this is disputed as well. What we do know for sure is that the day is celebrated world-wide and the first St Patrick’s day parade took place in Boston in 1737.

St Patrick was a gentleman
Who through strategy and stealth
Drove all the snakes from Ireland,
Here’s a toasting to his health;
But not too many toastings
Lest you lose yourself and then
Forget the good St Patrick
And see all those snakes again

The day’s celebrations are sponsored by Guinness New Zealand and produced by Christchurch City Council Leisure (lunchtime performance) and the Terrace Bars Committee (evening performance).

Concert details
Venue	Bridge of Remembrance end of City Mall
Date	Friday 17 March 2000
Times	12.00pm to 2.00pm and 5.00pm to 9.00pm

For more information contact:

Gillian Galbraith
Event Coordinator

• 371-1255
• 025 865-558.