On March 10 2018, the St. Patrick’s Society held a very successful and enjoyable evening to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the Pestana Viking Hotel, Armação de Pêra. An added bonus was that on the same day the Ireland Rugby Team won the Six-Nations Championship!
A potted history of the Society, for those who are interested, follows:
By December 2002, many of the Irish people then living in the Algarve realised there was no organised way of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in the province, apart from get-togethers in the many Irish pubs along the coast.
At that time many, if not most, of the Irish expatriates here had spent a major part of their working lives outside the land of their birth, and they recalled with nostalgia the efforts of other Irish expatriate groups throughout the world in joining to celebrate their National Day.
They also felt that there could be a case for a slightly more formal way to mark the event, which would give the ladies an excuse to dress up a little, not to mention the gents!
So, enough volunteers, of other nationalities as well as a core of Irish, were found to organise the first St. Patrick’s celebration on March 17, 2003 in Gramacho Golf clubhouse. It proved to be very successful and resulted in the formation of the Society.
This year’s party in the Viking Hotel was widely acclaimed to be one of the most enjoyable.
Membership has always included non-Irish people, which makes the Society alive, interesting and viable, with a varied programme of events during the year. Present membership stands at 80+, and we always welcome new blood, new ideas, and new “helping hands”!
Come and join us!
Our contacts are:
T: Jim 282 431 595 | Neil 966 846 267
E: st.patricks.society.algarve@gmail.com
