The Embassy of Ireland has expressed gratitude to the National Heritage and Conservation Commission for allowing them to “Green Victoria Falls for the second time in celebration of the Irish festival of Saint Patrick.
Embassy of Ireland Head of Mission Pronch Murray said the greening of the Victoria Falls is symbolic of the close friendship between Zambia and Ireland. Mr. Murray said the friendship between the two countries dates back over a hundred years which coincides with the arrival of the first Irish missionaries to Zambia.
He stated that the greening took place on the 9th of March in preparation for the celebration on the 17th of March. St. Patrick is the Patron Saint of Ireland and is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century. His life is celebrated on March 17, each year which is the anniversary of his death. Ireland has been running the Greening initiative since 2010 and in 2021, close to 500 landmarks in over 50 countries were illuminated in Green.
The Head of Mission explained that the global greening initiative has been conceived as a moment to connect Irish people all around the World whilst also promoting an awareness of Ireland. Mr. Murray added that in 2019, the Victoria Falls was the centerpiece of Greening landmarks and was extensively covered in the Irish media as an inviting tourism destination as the world adjusts to life under the new normal. This is contained in a press statement issue to ZANIS by the Embassy of Ireland in Zambia.
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