We have also received an invitation from Patricio R. Sullivan, President of the FEDERACION DE SOCIEDADES ARGENTINO IRLANDESAS, who through Mr. Dickie McAllister, have offered their support to our newborn community. The various celebrations on 17 March in Buenos Aires will count with the visit of Mr. Dermot Ahern, T.D. Irish Minister of Foreign Affaires and Irish Ambassador to the Southern Cone Mrs. Philomena Murnaghan.

Almost a year later after this project began we are glad to count with around one hundred registered members who have demonstrated their interest in the community. Though slow, this registration is constant and sustained. The specific interests differ but are mainly concentrated in the following topics:

- Search of Irish ancestors and relatives
- Interest in Irish language
- Irish traditions and culture
- Intellectual and commercial exchange

The community is slowly shaping up to what it will look like. We have received several offers to support and continue developing this project which we will happily implement in due course.

We want to highlight that we have received the support from the Embassy of Ireland in Buenos Aires in the name of Ambassador Mrs. Philomena Murnaghan who has shown great interest in the Irish community in Uruguay. The Federación de Sociedades Argentino Irlandesas has also offered their support and experience which they have acquired by coordinating the activities of more than 40 Argentine-Irish Societies. Thank you Messrs. Patricio Sullivan and Dickie McAllister.

We greet our fellow countrymen and wish them good luck!

http://www.skerriesrfc.ie/news_190108_03.html

The Generation Game por David McWilliams

In May last year, we had the “First Great Uruguayan-Irish Gathering” at The Shannon Irish Pub in Montevideo. On such occasion we were honored with the company of a team from Tyrone Productions who together with RTE Television of Ireland filmed some sequences for the documentary conducted by Irish economist David McWilliams. Towards the end of 2007 the book and video “The Generation Game” was issued with the material David and the team of Tyrone Productions had collected from their travels to various corners of the planet Uruguay included.

You can access an internet version on the following link:

On 17 March 2008 St Patrick’s Day is also celebrated in Montevideo. It is the national celebration to honour Ireland’s Saint Patron. As well as in Ireland itself it is a popular celebration in the main cities all around the world and here in Montevideo it has become a popular celebration in the last few years. It is also celebrated in some places other than our capital city with Irish style dance and music. On St. Patrick’s Day it is a tradition to wear something green and the Saint’s symbol: the shamrock. The shamrock was used by St. Patrick to represent the Holy Trinity in his Christianising mission of the Irish Celts. He was the first Christian Church Bishop in Ireland for some thirty years. After retiring he died in Ireland on a 17 March around the year 460. You can read more in the "Tradition" section.