Discover ‘Norn Iron’ – Shona Lá Fhéile Pádraig!

What’s the reason to mention the ‘Game of Thrones’ in a blog reflecting on Northern Ireland on St Patrick’s Day? Simple and glorious: this American fantasy drama television series is filmed in a Belfast studio and on location elsewhere in Northern Ireland, Malta, Scotland, Croatia, Iceland, the United States, Spain and Morocco.

If you have ever read ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ by Jonathan Swift you might be interested to know that Cave Hill, a balsatic hill overlooking Belfast that rises to almost 370 metres (1200 ft) above sea level is thought to had been the inspiration for the book. Swift imagined that the Cave Hill resembled the shape of a sleeping giant safeguarding the city. Cave Hill is distinguished by a balsatic outcrop known as Napoleon’s Nose due to its supposed likeness to the profile of the French Emperor Napoleon.

When you google ‘Northern Ireland’ or lovingly known as ‘Norn Iron’ to locals you will immediately find search results on discovering Northern Ireland and its beauties. And indeed, from various walking tours, to visiting castles and monuments, enjoying tasty food, there are many adventurous things you can do if you would like to visit Northern Ireland. With an impressive landscapes and at times challenging history, it is one of the countries composing the United Kingdom along with England, Wales and Scotland. You might recall that in 2013 Northern Ireland was famous for hosting in County Fermanagh the 39th G8 summit, at the Lough Erne Resort, a five-star hotel and golf resort on the shore of Lough Erne.

Many people around the world today are celebrating St Patrick’s Day, a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (c. AD 385–461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick’s Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, as well as celebrating the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, céilithe, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. Christians also attend church services and the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol are lifted for the day.

On St Patrick’s Day it is customary to wear shamrocks and/or green clothing or accessories, as St Patrick is said to have used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish.

From what I have heard, in Macedonia each year there are festive celebrations on this day. But that’s not all that connects our two countries. We in the Embassy in Macedonia are witnesses of the strong link of cooperation between Macedonia and Northern Ireland. There is a strong track record of cooperation between the Northern Ireland Cooperation Office (NI-CO) with Macedonia in the areas of reform of the public administration, probation, police reforms. One of the biggest British investments in Macedonia, software company Endava, is led by a Northern Irishman, and one of our fellows from the Diversity Fellowship programme we sponsored in 2014 was based in Northern Ireland while in the UK.

If you ever like to try some food that Northern Ireland is known for, you might try ‘Champ’ which is made by combining mashed potatoes and chopped spring onions (known as scallions in Northern Ireland) with butter and milk, and optionally, salt and pepper. It is simple and inexpensive to produce. In some areas, the dish is also called ‘poundies’ and it is very similar to what here is known as ‘kompir salata’ only without the butter and milk.

To conclude, some trivia: the largest lake in the British Isles is Lough Neagh, with an area of 151 square miles (392 km²), supplies 40% percent of Northern Ireland’s drinking water. It is about 20 miles (30 km) long and 9 miles (15 km) wide. Eel fishing has been a major industry in Lough Neagh for centuries. European eels make their way from the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, travelling some four thousand miles along the Gulf Stream to the mouth of the River Bann, before making their way into the Lough. They remain there for some ten to fifteen years, maturing, before returning to the Sargasso Sea to spawn. Today, Lough Neagh eel fisheries export their eels to restaurants all over the world.

For all people that will celebrate St Patrick’s Day today, I wish that you have good celebration in excellent spirit. Shona Lá Fhéile Pádraig!

Charles Garrett, British Ambassador to Macedonia

Photo credit Discover Northern Ireland