Guests celebrate Irish culture
The St Patrick's Day held at the Westville Country Club was a feast of smiles amid the music and Irish dancing.
ST Patrick’s Day lunch celebrated by the Irish South African Association KZN Chapter (ISAA) at the Westville Country Club on Saturday was a feast of smiles amid the music and Irish dancing.
The room was packed with friends of the Irish from across eThekwini.
The guests sang along to favourite Irish tunes delivered with a flourish by the duo of Dave ‘Leprechaun’ Monks and Marion Loudon.
Professor Donal McCracken’s lively account of Irish heroes and eccentrics in SA left the guests in stitches.
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The audience was also charmed by more than a dozen junior dancers from the Celtic Heartbeat Academy of Irish Dance KZN – the youngest of whom was four! “Irish dance is a truly unique, beautiful and lively dance form and people are drawn to it by the music and rhythms,” said Melissa Alberts, who co-owns the academy with her twin Samantha.
Tom Brazil, visiting from Pretoria to represent the Embassy of Ireland, applauded the high standard of Irish dance in SA.
“It’s great to be able to enjoy live Irish music and wonderful Irish dancing from local children here,” he said.
ISAA KZN chairperson and Kloof resident, Dr Julian Buckels, thanked First Resorts who donated a holiday voucher that was auctioned on the day, raising R3000 for the dance academies.
“Three older dancers from the Celtic Heartbeat Academy and the Stow Academy of Irish Dance have won places at the World Irish Dance Championships in Dublin next month,” he said.
Brazil, the Embassy’s Trade and Economic Secretary, toasted the Durban Irish community and shared a St Patrick’s Day greeting from the Irish President, Michael D. Higgins, who urged people to see beyond the self and see the other as a friend.
“It is by showing empathy, compassion and solidarity by helping those fleeing distress, by offering our hearts and doors to those in need, and giving people an opportunity to build a better life for themselves and their families, that we demonstrate our commitment to bringing into being values which have the power to transcend borders,” read Higgins’ message.
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