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.

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.

Seoul Céilí: Irish Music and Dance Festival September 8, 2013

Get your dancing shoes warmed up as you are being served with advanced notice, the Irish Association of Korea’s 2013 Seoul Céilí: Irish Music and Dance Festival has been scheduled for September 8.

Once again, we have the very generous support of Daesung to thank for the use of their excellent facilities at the D-Cube Center in Sindorim Seoul.

Please visit our official event pages on Facebook and Meetup for full details and updates.

Christmas comes early as IAK brings you a full calendar of December events

We’re running quite a lot of events this December and we hope that you have time to come along to one (or all of them).

First up this weekend we have the December Irish Session Jam which will be at Freeport in Hongdae, on Sat Dec 8th at 17:30. This is an informal gathering of musicians playing and celebrating their common interest in a relaxed manner with an audience who likes to listen to good music. More details here.

The following day (Sun 9th at 13:15 near Hapjeong station) there is a opportunity to learn some traditional Irish step dancing. This hour long class is designed for complete beginners. All you need is some comfortable shoes and clothes. Come along, meet new people and learn some Irish dancing! More details here.

The big event in our December calendar is the IAK Christmas party. This year it takes place at Bar Americano on Sat Dec 15th (starting at 7:30 pm). We’ve got some great music lined up for the evening, promotions on drinks and a raffle with fantastic prizes. More info here (and on Meetup and Facebook)

Then what better way to get ready for the NY than to continue on with those traditional Irish step dancing classes. On Sun 30th at 13:15 near Hapjeong station) there is another hour long class designed for complete beginners. All you need is some comfortable shoes and clothes. Come along, meet new people and learn some Irish dancing! More details here.

Ambassador’s message – September 7th

“As we pivot into autumn and summer becomes a memory, I hope you had a good break, whether that involved holidaying in Korea, taking a vacation nearby or, best of all, enjoying a break in Ireland. Before visiting family in the US, I took some time to hike part of the Kerry Way with my son, starting on a glorious day at Waterville. The weather did not keep up over following days but even with cloud overhead, Kerry is beautiful. Between hostelries along the way and Bed and Breakfasts at day’s end, it was a wonderful experience.

Returning from familiar settings reminds me that living far away from home can be a stressful experience as well as enjoyable and exciting. Many us living wihout our networks of family and long-term friends and well known professionals close-by have times when we’d like to speak to someone independent about the issues we are facing and how they are making us feel without having to deal with differences of cultural background.

A service established in July 2011 provides just this space. The Irish Online Counselling and Psychotherapy Service will arrange to speak to Irish people living abroad online through instant messaging, telephone and Skype. They are available outside Irish office hours and they are already speaking to Irish people all over the world. Further information is available at http://www.counsellingonline.ie/ and http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/generationemigration/2012/08/01/providing-support-beyond-the-departure-gates/.

I thought you might be interested in some catch up about the things that are on our radar screens here at the Embassy.

The Irish Association of Korea is hosting its second autumn Céilí at D-Cube Plaza, Shindorim. Last year’s event was wonderful with Irish music and dancing in the amphitheatre there and great facilities and shops in the adjacent shopping mall. If you are free, please join us on Saturday 15 September next, between 1pm and 5pm.

Ireland continues to make progress in terms of meeting its targets under the EC/ECB/IMF programme. Revenue remains on course and our underlying budget deficit is decreasing, though payments in response to the banking crisis continue to be a major burden. As a measure of increase confidence in our recovery, the National Treasury Management Agency returned to the markets with a bond offer last July. This generated strong investor demand with commitments of €5.23 billion.

A full return to the international bond market depends on resolving the crisis in the Eurozone because only that will definitively lower bond yields. Confidence in the Euro has been boosted considerably this week by the announcement by the ECB of using unlimited monetary resources to support the bond market. That the ECB’s council of central bankers agreed to this yesterday, with the support of EU leaders, indicates a new level of determination to protect and preserve the Euro. Markets have already rallied and the Euro strengthened. The key is to sustain this confidence. This and a return of demand in Europe will greatly boost growth prospects in exporting countries like Ireland and Korea.

Ireland does not export natural resources like Russia and the Middle East. Our exports are not based on commodities like South American economies. We offer an educated, talented and flexible workforce, combined with a low rate of tax at 12.5% on trading profits and an excellent business environment that is competitive and facilitates enterprise. In short, we trade on our reputation as a place to invest, to do business and to live.

It was important therefore that Ireland has steadily improved its reputation. According to a recent survey of public opinion within the top G8 countries, our ranking as a reputable country has improved from 17th to 15th (Canada ranked first, Iraq last.) We were 11th in three previous studies and so we have a ways to go but we are moving in the right direction. For more information, visit http://www.corporatereputations.ie.

Here in Seoul, we will have a unique platform to highlight Ireland’s road to recovery and the future of the Eurozone when former Taoiseach John Bruton addresses the 13th World Knowledge Forum on 10th October next. The forum, organised by the Maeil Media Group whose daily business newspaper is the fourth largest in the world by circulation, convenes some 3,000 leaders, policy makers and academics for presentations and discussions.

While the Foreign Direct Investment sector in Ireland has driven our growth since the 1960s and comprises the bulk of our exports, Ireland does have a vigorous indigenous sector and I will profile some of our leading exporters over the coming months. I am often asked, for example, what does Ireland export to Korea? I will look at some of those stories but also further a-field to give you a sense of Ireland’s economic future from the perspective of our entrepreneurs.

Have a good weekend,
Best wishes,
Eamonn

Eamonn McKee
Ambassador

Daesung D-Cube City wins in the MIPIM Awards 2012!

Remember we asked you vote for D-Cube City in the MIPIN awards?

Well thanks to those of you that did vote, because D-Cube City has won the People’s Choice Award. Congratulations to Daesung and everyone at D-Cube!

And hopefully we will see some of you at the D-Cube City Plaza at the 2012 St Patrick’s Festival this Sat March 17th from 12:30 to 18:00. It looks like being a great day!

Schedule for St Patrick’s festival

We have the schedule for next Saturday’s free St Patrick’s Festival. There should be lots for everyone to enjoy:

12:30-13:00 US 8th Army Band
13:00-13:20 Introductory speeches by Irish Ambassador, Dr. Eamonn McKee and IAK chair Conor O’Reilly
13:20-13:50 Banu (traditional Irish group)
13:50-14:20 Step dancers + audience dancing (spot prize for best dancer)
14:20-15:00 Have No Name (Korean U2 tribute band)
15:00-15:30 Bard (Korean traditional Irish band)
15:30-15:45 Step dancers + audience dancing
15:45-16:00 Bard (Korean traditional Irish band)
16:00-16:30 Audience dancing (spot prize for best dancer)
16:30-16:45 Banu (traditional Irish group)
16:45-17:20 Dara Sheehan (Irish contemporary)
17:20-18:00 Sweet Murphy’s Fancy (contemporary rock band)

Here’s a clip from Have No Name (when they were known as Deafening Street)

All performance times and performers may change at the organisers discretion.

The evening hooley at the Rocky Mountain Tavern will have 2 floors of music, on the smoke free first floor level we will have performances by Dara Sheehan and Irish traditional group Irish Tea. Things are going to be a bit noisier on the second floor with Have No Name, The Drunk Democracy and Sweet Murphy’s Fancy all playing. Don’t forget the 6 nations rugby match (Ireland v England) will be shown at 02:00 am (internet feed). Tickets for the evening event will be available at the door (price 10,000 krw, drinks promotions on the evening).

Look here for full details

Last Ceili Dancing before St. Patrick’s Day!

Join us this Saturday, March 10th, for the last ceili dancing before St. Patrick’s Day.  Whether you’re polish off your dancing skills or just beginning, come along, have some fun and meet new people.

Further details here.

St Patrick’s Festival 2012!

 

The IAK are proud to bring you St Patrick’s Festival 2012. This is the 12th year we’ve run this festival in Korea and we think this year will be one of the best. It takes place in the D-Cube Plaza near Sindorim station on Saturday March 17th (just over 2 weeks away), starting at 12:30 pm and finishing at 6 pm, and remember it is completely free. On stage we will have a great mix of music from Irish, Korean and international musicians, we’ll also have lots of Irish dancing and will be encouraging the audience to participate. Off stage we will have a range of Irish foods to sample, fun for kids (including face painting and balloon art), sporting demonstrations by the Seoul Gaels. Celebrations will continue after the daytime festival with a St Patrick’s party in the Rocky Mountain Tavern in Itaewon running from 7 pm til late. So put on your green clothes and come along on March 17th, everyone can be Irish for one day!

For full details look here http://iak.co.kr/events/st-patricks-2012/

Dance your way to St. Patrick’s Day!

Due to the popularity of previous Irish dancing evenings, I.A.K.  is holding two more dancing events before St. Patrick’s Day.

This Saturday, March 3rd  come along to the Columban Centre from 8pm-10pm.  The centre is located at Line 4 SungShin Women’s University (성신여대입구), exit 4.  You will see a sign on the wall and just walk straight for 50 mts.

Saturday March 10th the dancing will take place in 우용오수빌 from 8pm to 10pm.  Heogi Station (회기역), Line 1 exit 1.  Walk straight, turn left at Family Mart.  The dancing is in the basement of the building on the left (우용오수빌)

If you’ve never tried Irish dancing before don’t worry, it’s great craic (Irish word for fun) and a great way to meet new people. For all upcoming events check out the website www.iak.co.kr

A bit more info here (and links to the meetup/facebook events) http://iak.co.kr/events/irish-ceili-and-set-dancing-mar-3rd-2012/