The party doesn’t stop after the Ceilidh. Join us and the Seoul Gaels in the Wolfhound, Itaewon from 9pm on Saturday, October 18th for a night of Ceol and Craic. If you can sing, dance, read a poem, come along and join in!
Tag Archives: Irish Association of Korea
There’s no place like home.
The following is an account by Donal Ormsby, winner of the grand prize in our St. Patrick’s Day raffle. He and his wife won return tickets to Ireland sponsored by Etihad Airways
I’m sure it doesn’t cross many people’s minds to spend their summer holidays’ lying at home with their parents and family, but for my wife Rosie and I, it was a holiday that we will never forget.
Ireland is where we call home and it always will be, but we had not stepped foot on the sacred soil for almost a year and to us it felt like a lifetime. We were so excited and could hardly contain ourselves as we landed at Dublin Airport to be greeted by our tearful relatives. A quick (fantastically Irish, lots of milk) cup of tea later and we were on the road back to our homes.
The next ten days were just amazing. We got to meet 3 new nieces that had been born in the year that we had been away. Brenna, Rosa and Elyse were as beautiful and funny as we had imagined. We got to spend time with our 2 very large families and all their children. We had a joint birthday party for my mum (65) and myself (30). We also had a party for Rosie’s sister Siobhan who is moving to Barcelona. It was a fun filled 10 days that went in far too quickly. We had left Ireland just 3 days after our wedding day, and, in fact, our wedding day was the last time we saw most of our family. It was an emotional journey home for everyone. Leaving again was very difficult.
We really loved our time at home. We would like to thank The Irish Association of Korea, Seoul Gaels and Etihad Airways for making our summer one of the most memorable we have had.
There is no place like home.
One month in Dublin by Choi In Gyeong.
The following is a piece written by Ms. Ingyeong Choi, winner of the Ireland Korea essay competition about her month in Ireland. We would like to take a chance to thank our sponsors, Etihad Airways, Emerald Cultural language Institute in Dublin and the Embassy of Ireland, Korea and Listowel Writers’ Week for their continued support.
Winning the Ireland Korea essay competition was one of the luckiest things that has happened to me this year. I spent one month in Dublin as the prize.
For the first two weeks, I had hard time getting used to the longer daytime of June in Ireland. It was bright from 5 a.m. till 10 p.m. I usually cannot wake up in the morning without an alarm, but the early sunshine opened my eyes automatically. Besides jetlag, that made me keep yawning during the English class in the Emerald Cultural institute, for some time.
My daily routine in Dublin was attending the Emerald Cultural Institute, a language school, which was part of the prize. What I was looking forward to was meet diverse people from around the world and I did. There were a lot of students who had different reasons to study English: a French surgeon, a Venezuelan official, English teacher from the Czech Republic and Italy, students from Japan, Uruguay, Brazil, Russia, and Spain. Could I imagine conversing with someone from Latin America, before leaving Korea? It was exciting to share ideas in English with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
I took two classes in the mornings, grammar and conversation. The teachers were experienced and gave out interesting topics to discuss. In the afternoon, I participated in an extra conversation class, where I freely talked in a smaller group.
During the classes I learned that I needed to learn more vocabulary and natural English expressions. One month study was not enough time to perfect my English, but the time left me eager to keep practicing English. Learning a language was never-ending, I thought.
On weekends, I went on trips outside Dublin, short excursions to Dun Laoghaire and the Wicklow Mountains. Also, I went on day tours to the Cliffs of Moher and the Giant’s Causeway. It was possible to travel from Dublin to the west coast or to the north end within a day. The prevailing scenes outside Dublin were so green. Indeed, I was in the Emerald isle.
The memorable scenes in the Dublin city were street artists and buskers. There was always music in the Grafton street and the Temple bar. The buskers are from a teenage boy to an old man. The music ranged from modern rock to harp melody. The street musicians made up a unique vibe in Dublin.
Also, pubs. There were pubs everywhere in Dublin. In the wooden interior, with nice music, drinks, and some good company, pubs are perfect places where you can feel alive.
I had heard a lot about Guinness before visiting Ireland, but I didn’t know Irish butter was so good. I found that Irish butter was superb. My host mother proudly said that it was because Irish butter was fresh.
It is difficult to generalize people of a country, but I had an impression that Irish people liked to dance. On a Saturday night, there was an old man singing and playing the guitar on the Temple bar. An Irish girl jumped in front of him and started to dance. She was quite a good dancer and people around started to sway to the music too. Once, on the Henry Street, I saw a pair of girls dancing to the street music in the middle of the day. Once, in a pub too. I guess good music brings some moves from people, but I witnessed it more often in Dublin.
I think I will always recall Dublin with its buskers. Ireland had many charms. The one month I spent there was stimulating. I felt one month was too short.
At the Emerald Cultural Institute with teacher Desmond
Landscapes of Ireland
Dun Laoghaire
The Cliffs of Moher
The Giant’s Causeway
On the way to Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge in Northern Ireland
Irish Food
Seafood chowder& bread and butter
Irish coffee has whisky and thick cream in it
Guinness beef pie & some chicken dish
Leprechaun on the Grafton street
Top 10 Reasons To Celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Seoul
Here are Top 10 reasons to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Seoul this year at the 14th annual St Patrick’s Irish Festival.
10. Practice makes perfect
Did you know that the Irish Association of Korea has organized the annual St Patrick’s Day Festival in Seoul for over a decade? In fact, this year will be its 14th consecutive event. As the saying goes, “Practice makes Perfect”, and this year’s festival is sure to be bigger and better than before.
한국 아일랜드 협회가 10년이 넘게 세인트 패트릭의 날 축제를 매년 정기적으로 진행해 온 것을 알고 계셨나요? 사실,올해가 바로 14회째 되는 행사입니다.우리가 말하듯이 “실습이 모든 것을 완벽히 만든다“라고 하는데 올해의 행사가 확실히 이전보다 다 크고 더 나을 것입니다.
9. Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day
With over 1,000 Irish expats now living in South Korea, and many more people with a smidgen of Irish blood in them, this year’s festival promises to be as authentic as can be.
남한에 일천명이 넘는 아일랜드인 해외 거주자가 있으며 그보다 많은 이들이 아이리쉬 혼혈계의 사람들입니다.올해 축제는 최대한 이국적인 행사가 될 것을 약속합니다
8. A ready-made lesson for Monday morning!
Come along to the festival on March 15th, then on Monday (which is actually St Patrick’s Day) all you teachers will have some great ideas to discuss with your students. Take a break from spelling and grammar, and get your kids to decorate your classroom with Shamrocks, write a short story about what they would do if they found a pot of gold, draw themselves as leprechaun’s or design a poster outlining everything they know about Ireland and St Patrick’s Day. You’re welcome!
3월 15일 축제에 오셔서 실제의 세인트 페트릭 날인 월요일을 대비해 교사분들이 여러분의 학생들과 대단한 아이디어들을 토론하게 됩니다.철자와 문법으로부터 쉼을 갖고 여러분의 제자들에게 교실을 아일랜드 행운의 상징인 Shamrock(샴록)으로 장식해 보세요.만약 금항아리를 발견한다면 학생들이 무얼 할 것인가를 짧은 글로 쓰기도 하며 그들을 레프리콘으로 그림 그리기도 하고 그들이 알고 있는 모든 아일랜드와 세인트 패트릭 날에 대한 포스터를 만들어요. 여러분 모두를 환영합니다!
7. Get your face painted!
Let’s not lie…everyone, young and old, loves an opportunity to get their face painted! Be it a small shamrock, or the colours of the Irish flag plastered across your face, the St Patrick’s Day festival is the perfect opportunity to leave the make up at home and get creative with the face paint!
거짓말 하지말고…여러분~,나이에 상관없이 모든 이들이 얼굴 페인팅을 사랑하죠!작은 Shamrock(샴록) 또는 아일랜드 깃발 색깔들을 얼굴에 칠해 보세요.세인트 페트릭의 날 축제가 화장품을 집에 두고와도 얼굴 페인트로 창의적이 될 수 있는 완벽한 기회가 된답니다!
6. Your chance to try Ceili Dancing.
Can you think of anything better to be doing on a Saturday afternoon than kicking your legs up in the air, swinging your friends around in circles and generally having a great time with hundreds of other friendly, happy people while listening to amazing live, traditional ceili music?!
토요일 오후에다리를 차며 친구들과 원으로 돌며 다른 수백명의 행복한 이들과 놀라운 라이브,전통 케일리 음악을 들으며 대단한 시간을 보내는 것보다 더 다른 좋은 일이 있을 수 있을까요?
5. A full day of FREE, live entertainment.
That’s right…we said FREE. Come along and enjoy a full day of live music, with Irish acts, Korean acts and even an international act which is being flown in especially for the event. From pop and rock, to traditional ballads and even a solo bag pipe performance, this is not a day you want to miss. Did we mention it’s free?!
맞습니다.저희가 무료라 했습니다.자 ,다 오셔서 톡별히 이 행사를 위해 준비된 하루 종일 열리는 라이브 음악,아이리쉬 공연,한국 공연 그리고 더 나아가 국제공연을 즐기세요.팝에서 록,전통 발라드에서 솔로 백파이프 공연까지 이 날은 여러분이 놓치고 싶지않은 날입니다.저희가 무료하고 했지요?
4. Watch some of Asia’s top Irish Dancers
Tap Pung is a group of 5 Korean Dancers who have perfected the art of Irish dancing. They have always been one of the most popular acts at the St Patrick’s Day Festival and at our now annual Seoul Ceili and thus are returning again this year to entertain the masses. Be ready to be impressed.
탭풍은 완벽하게 아이리쉬 댄스를 예술로 승화시킨 다섯명의 한국인으로 구성된 그룹입니다. 그들은 항상 세인트 패트릭의 날 축제에서 제일 인기있는 공연중의 하나이며 현재 저희의 매년 정기 서울 케일리에서 공연합니다. 감동 받으실 준비를 하세요.
3. Try your hand at Gaelic Football
The St Patrick’s Day Festival in Seoul, unlike Ireland, does not simply revolve around music, dance and drinking. We aim to showcase everything Ireland has to offer, including sport. The Seoul Gaels Gaelic Football team will have a tent at the festival, and will be giving you the opportunity to try out gaelic football and consider signing up to the club.
서울의 세인트 패트릭 데이는 단지 음악,무용 그리고 술자리를 의미하지 않습니다.저희는 아일랜드가 선보여야 할 스포츠를 보여드릴 것을 목적으로도 합니다.서울 게일스 게일릭 축구팀이 축제 텐트에서 게일릭 축구를 시도해 볼 기회를 드리며 클럽에 등록할 수 있도록 도와 드립니다.
2. Feast on some delicious, traditional Irish food.
Can you say….bangers and mash? Or how about a liquid lunch of a nice, cold pint of Guinness? Luckily for you, The Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel, which is right next to the festival venue, will have delicious Irish food on offer at very reasonable prices. Be sure to fill up early…nobody should dance on an empty stomach!
뱅거스와 마쉬 라고 말해보실 수 있나요? 또는 좋고 차가운 기네스와 함께 곁들인 점심 식사는 어떨까요? 행운의 당신에게 쉐라톤 서울 디큐브 시티 호텔이 축제 장소 바로 옆에서 맛있는 아일랜드 음식을 저렴한 가격에 제공해 드립니다.일찍 와서 드셔 보세요.어느 누구도 빈 속에 춤추길 원치 않잖아요!
1. For the craic!
If there is one phrase the whole world associates with Ireland, it has to be “For the Craic!” We are known for doing many wild and hilarious antics, just for the ‘craic’. (Craic is Irish for fun, in case you didn’t know!) So if there is one reason you decide to come along on March 15th….let it be for the craic ;the fun, the hijinks, the shenanigans, the laughter, the stories, the banter. It’s sure to be mighty.
아일랜드와 연관된 어느 한 단어가 있다면 즐거움을 위하여!라고 해아만 할 것입니다.우리 아일랜드인들은 많은 거칠고 기막힌 일들을 단지 즐거움`-Craic(크레익`)을 위해 하기로 알려져 있답니다.(혹시 모르시는 분들을 위해 Craic(크레익)이란 아일랜드 전통어로 즐거움을 뜻합니다) 그러므로 여러분이 어느 한가지 이유로 3월 15일에 오신다면 … 즐거움이 되기로 합시다. 그 즐거움,그 법석댐과 시끄러움,웃음과 이야기들 그리고 즐거운 농담들 모두….정말 확실히 이 축제에선 거대할 것으로 보입니다.
Let’s show the world that Seoul is a happy place!
As the St Patrick’s Day Festival quickly approaches, excitement levels are sharply rising within the IAK and many of the 1,000 plus Irish expats living in Korea. To celebrate, we have decided to do what we Irish do best….to get outside and dance!
We want to show the world what an incredibly fun and happy place Seoul is, and we would like YOU to be apart of the magic!
We are making a re-make of the Pharrell Williams “Happy” music video, which has been copied in big cities all over the world. If you would like to join in the fun, simply ask a friend to film you (and your students, friends, boss, dog, child…!) dancing somewhere outdoors in Seoul for 5-10 seconds. Then email the video clip to iak.publicity@gmail.com.
Here is a video made by people in Dublin showing that they are also VERY VERY happy! `Join us in showing everyone that Seoul is a happy place too.
St. Patrick’s Day Festival 2014
With March fast approaching and the snow slowly starting to melt, the Irish Association of Korea is gearing up for our biggest event of the year….The St. Patrick’s Day Festival 2014.
Thanks to the kind support of Daesung Corporation, D Cube City, Korean Air, The Seoul Grand Hyatt Hotel, Groove magazine, Etihad Airways, Asia Ireland Chamber of Commerce in Korea, and the Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel, the 14th annual St Patrick’s Day Festival will take place in D Cube Plaza, Sindorim from 12pm until 6pm on Saturday March 15th.
The open air concert which has become synonymous with Saint Patrick’s Day in Seoul, attracting up to 10,000 spectators in the past, will be the centerpiece of the Irish Association of Korea’s festival this year.
The festival is known for its keen participation from members of both the Irish and Korean community and this year will not disappoint with traditional folk-dancers and musicians playing Irish music, both traditional and popular rock, coming from all over Korea and further afield.
Musicians from Ireland will also feature heavily on the bill and the festival will offer an opportunity for the public to get involved – traditional folk-dancing, which has grown in popularity every year, will take place at the main stage. The dancing gives everyone, young and old, a chance to come up and try some of the lively dances.
The festival has also become a major international family event, as children can get their faces painted; listen to some traditional storytelling; and sing and dance to the live music.
A display of Gaelic football – a unique national sport from Ireland – will be hosted by the Seoul Gaels Gaelic football team, one of the most successful teams in Asia.
The Irish Village will also return to the festival this year to create a separate area away from the main stage which will offer a more laid back atmosphere. At the Irish Village you will be able to listen to Irish traditional music, try your hand at playing some instruments or taste some traditional Irish cuisine.
This year there will be a Costume Competition (kindly sponsored by Sona and AngloInfo Seoul) and a large raffle with the main prize a pair of return flights to Dublin from Seoul (thanks to sponsors Etihad Airways). Tickets will be sold on the day and the raffle draw will take place before the end of the festivities.
After the main event, the festivities will continue in the Rocky Mountain Tavern in Itaewon from 6pm until 12am for The Official IAK Hooley. Tickets are 10,000 won and will be available at the festival and at the door.
To stay up-to-date, sign up to the official Facebook Event page HERE.
IAK Annual Christmas Party
The Irish Association of Korea has organized an Irish themed Christmas Party in Reilly’s Taphouse Gastropub in Iteawon on Saturday December 14th.
It promises to be a fun-filled night involving great drinks offers, live Irish music and a chance to win some amazing prizes including a giant box of Tayto crisps! Doors open at 8pm and entry is 10,000 won. We hope to see you there. For more details, join the Facebook event HERE.
Imjin River: Battlefield Tour
Imjin River was one of the critical battles of the Korean War, and perhaps the most tragic. It was also one where two Irish units – the Royal Ulster Rifles and the Irish Hussars – proved their worth in the sternest test of war – a battle against overwhelming odds. 
Andrew Salmon, who recently presented to the IAK and guided re-visiting veterans around the “Happy Valley” battlefield during the summer, will lead this IAK organised tour, which will take in the full valley where the RUR fought, stop at their final “backstop” position, and recount the stories of the men who survived. If you have seen him talk or read his books, you’ll know that this will be an unmissable chance to learn more about the war and these battles.
News from the IAK Committee
Over the weekend the IAK held its annual assessment meeting. At this meeting we talked about the past year, which we believe was very successful, and of course the association’s outlook for the next twelve months.
While there was much discussed at this meeting and many formative decisions made, what is of most significance is an update on the make-up of the committee. We don’t usually hold formal elections unless they are entirely necessary or called for. However, as of Saturday the IAK is proud to announce that we have a new Chairperson, Shauna Browne.
Shauna has been tirelessly promoting our cause since she joined up in 2011 and has been a revelation in terms of getting events running. She started off working as our PRO, and made great strides promoting and building a strong Facebook and Meetup following. It didn’t take her long to start getting involved in all other kinds of activities, none more so than dancing and music,
Last year, she accepted the role as vice-chair of the association, a position opened up by the necessity to allow for more flexibility and to create a more streamlined decision making process. It also allowed for Shauna to concentrate on more activities than just promoting our events, and she grew to the task admirably. She was instrumental in our 2013 St Patrick’s Day Festival, and the recent Ceili, where she is always a familiar site leading and encouraging dancers, not to mention playing music on stage. To be honest, if there has been an Irish event run in the past twelve months it is sure to have had Shauna’s stamp on it somewhere.
As Chairman over the past year it has been a welcome reassurance to have Shauna with me. As I have a young family, I couldn’t guarantee my attendance at many evening and Seoul events. It was at this time that I started working closest with Shauna (probably mostly through kakao talk!) and I began to understand that here was a person who I could recognise my own can-do attitude.
For myself, I am both happy and sad to be stepping down as Chairman. It was a very productive two years for me in the IAK, where I realised many different goals and was granted some unforgettable experiences.
When I set out in 2011 I aimed to make the community more close, and to make the IAK more visible in the Irish community. While I now realise that because of the nature of the Irish community I can never really achieve that, I can at least start to set the train in the right direction. With small numbers and restricted commitment, it will always be an uphill battle but it is an area I hope to continue working on with the IAK.
Another project I am particularly proud of is the Irish Korean Essay Competition. As a lecturer in a university here I realised the importance of attracting the many enthusiastic learners of English to Ireland. While our competition is young, our prize is still significant. This November will see the third essay competition taking place.
Finally, it was this April where I was really humbled and honoured by my position, as I laid a wreath at the foot of the memorial for the Irish who fell during the Korean war. While so much went on behind the scenes for the establishment of this small monument, it was this simple ceremony on a damp morning at the Yongsan Korean War Memorial that made the long hours of preparation worthwhile for all concerned. The IAK is by no means an official representative of the Irish community here, but I think that I was honoured for being the representative of all the Irish in Korea, from the past, the present, and the future.
That’s enough about me though, as it is time to welcome Shauna into the hot-seat. I am sure that she has her own goals and aspirations as chair of the IAK. I think we shall see renewed energy in our activities and I hope that everyone will continue to support Shauna as much as they have supported me over the past two years.
Thank you again to everyone who has been my friend and offered support to our organisation, and I look forward to a bright and vibrant future for the Irish Association of Korea.
Kindest regards
Conor O’Reilly
ex-Chairman of the IAK
Committee Officer Update
Shauna Browne has been elected as Chairwoman of the IAK for the first time. Shauna comes from Tipperary and lives in Paju. She has been living in Korea for four years and has been with the IAK since 2011. She is active on the Irish music circuit in Korea, as well as maintaining a healthy blog of her adventures here.
Follow Shauna on twitter: @iamshaunabrowne
The IAK would like to congratulate Janet Newenham on her new position of Public Relations Officer with the IAK. Janet, a native of Cork and a resident of Paju in Gyeonggi-do, will be busy working on our publicity here in Korea.
Follow Janet on twitter: @janennewenham
We would like to wish Eamonn Maher, our secretary, all the best in the future as he returns to Ireland in January. Eamonn has been working hard as our secretary and as a enthusiastic committee member, getting his hands dirty on all occasions. Of course, his toughest job was undoubtedly making sure Conor followed up on most of his responsibililites…but that’s another story!
With that in mind, the IAK currently have an opening for a secretary in our committee. The main job of the secretary is to communicate about meetings, and to keep minutes.
The IAK is also keen to encourage new committee members to assist in our many activities throughout the year. If you have any experience working promoting events or managing a small non-profit, or if you absoluntely no recognisable skills but bags of enthusiasm and energy, we’d love to hear from you. The IAK works year round promoting Irish culture in Korea and the more hands we have the better job we can do. For details of how you can get involved please email us: irishassociationkorea@gmail.com
Korean War Veterans’ Continued Activities in Ireland.
I received a recent email from Ms Carol Walker, Director of the Somme Association and Somme Heritage Centre, with a full update of the recent activities of the Korean War Veterans who visited Korea in last April. The 60 year anniversary for the signing of the Armistice allowed for the special celebration and get together in Dublin, where veterans from near and far converged.
I’ve copied in Carol’s email here for those interested in keeping up to date with the veteran’s activities:
Dear Conor I would like you to pass on my thanks to all the members of the Irish Association of Korea for their kind donation to the Irish Veterans. We had an event on Saturday to mark the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the Armistice and we got all those who travelled to Korea in April together in Dublin at the Museum in Colin’s Barracks. All the Veterans were in attendance. The day started in Belfast at 0930hrs when a wreath was laid at the original Memorial from Korea. We then travelled down to Dublin and met with the other Veterans who had travelled from Dublin, Galway, Wicklow and even Mr Gorman from Kent. We had lunch at the Museum and then watched all the photos from the trip on a large screen, much to the delight of the Veterans and it all brought back lots of fond memories of our trip to Korea. It was here that I was able to present all the Veterans with a cheque for £200 each thanks to the IAK and pay for the gathering. They asked me on their behalf to pass on their thanks. As you can imagine there was lots of happy exchanging of memories. We then went on a tour of the Museum and met up again for a much needed cup of tea at 1700hrs. The group then moved to the Ashling Hotel, were those who had travelled were staying and where we were all meeting again in the evening for dinner. I had expected the Veterans to take a rest but no we ended up in the pub next door were some Guinness and whiskey was consumed. Dinner in the evening was a success and again lots of great memories were exchanged. This finished about 2200hrs when those sensible among us went home or too bed (this wasn’t actually too many). I bet you have guest it but in good old fashioned Irish tradition we ended up in the pub next door again, were the crack was great and again the whiskey and Guinness flowed. This ended at 2am with Aubrey Bunyan, Spencer McWhirter and Mr Michael Kelly being the last men standing. Mr Kelly who didn’t partake in the drinking made sure everyone got home to bed. We all met up for breakfast in the morning at 0930hrs and laughed about events. We sadly said our goodbyes but promised to all meet up again soon. I drove some of the Veterans home and they never stopped talking for the two and half hours it took. I thought they would sleep for the journey but I was wrong. I was exhausted but again the Veterans showed the stamina they had shown us all while on their revisit to Korea. Many thanks for everything and I hope we may all meet again in the future. Best regards CarolWe will endeavour to keep you updated on their continued efforts both at home and on any trips they take to Korea.
Irish Association of Korea 한국아일랜드협회 