Pinoys to showcase Ati-Atihan in Ireland

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan - Filipinos will join the National Day of Ireland, the feast day of Saint Patrick, on March 17 in the capital city of Dublin.

Expected to draw 650,000 spectators, this year's Saint Patrick's Day parade is the grandest and the greenest celebration in Ireland. The Dublin Saint Patrick's Festival will begin with the festival parade on March 17 until Sunday of March 20.

Spearheaded by Filipino Community Network (FCN), a partnership initiative of all Filipino-related communities, organisations, associations and groups in the Republic of Ireland, Pinoys will showcase the Ati-Atihan festival starting at Parnell Square North

FCN Cultural Committee chairperson Maria Ednalyne Golpo said the organization will pattern the Ati-Atihan concept of the rowdy Kalibo Ati-Atihan festival. Every Saturday in Dublin, the Ati-Atihan participants and drummers are holding practice sessions prior to the festival parade.

Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Saint Patrick is also credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass, where March 17th is the traditional day for offering prayers for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins.

Meanwhile, FCN was established to build a strong and vibrant Filipino community and to promote its heritage, fosters unity, and encourages cooperation, collaboration and networking with government organisations, non-government organisations and other cultures.

Other activities of FCN this year are the Grand Santacruzan on May 21, Philippine Independence Day (Fiesta sa Nayon) on June 11, every Saturday of August for students (Primary, High School and College) Buwan ng Wika, Penafrancia Festival (Fluvial Parade) on September, and Paskong Pinoy on December 10.

The cultural events were adopted during the first community leaders general assembly meeting in the Philippine Embassy on January 28, 2011 by FCN, the umbrella of all the Filipino organizations and associations in Ireland.