I have been meaning to get round to blogging again for months now and wanted to write a post on all things Irish in Luxembourg in March for St Patrick’s Day and then again in April when I attended the Luxembourg Roses Ball (Rose of Tralee), but my Master thesis and just life in general kept getting in the way. So, here I am, back again and determined to remain committed to one of my greatest passions: writing (these posts of course, not my thesis).
Coming from the Emerald Isle myself (admittedly from the northern part or the “wrong” Ireland as people often joke), one thing I’ve noticed during my travels is that we are everywhere. And I’m not just talking about Irish pubs which dot pretty much every corner of the earth. No, I mean you can find Irish people, from all parts, in the most random places, and you’ll nearly always have at least one friend or acquaintance in common. Luxembourg is certainly no exception: I’ve met Irish expats who moved away from their small country to this even tinier place 20+ years ago with the intention of working one or two years and who ended up never leaving, young Irish migrants pursuing their dreams in one of Luxembourg’s many banks and EU institutions, and even a fellow Northern Irish girl studying her Master at the University of Luxembourg, just like me.
I will admit that I never actively sought out the Irish expat community in Luxembourg, nor did I do so when I lived in Madrid, since I prefer, at least when first arriving in a new country, to get to know the locals as well as other international people not from my country. I also didn’t even know just how many Irish people were living in Luxembourg. And yet, the Irish have a way of always finding each other – maybe its our good ol’ luck of the Irish, our evident lack of Vitamin D or an aura of loving the craic (good fun, nothing to do with drugs).
Whether you’re Irish or not, whether you love or hate meeting your compatriots, here are some of the many Irish-inspired events Luxembourg has to offer:
St Patrick’s Day
The obvious one. Sure, it’s not as good as the celebrations back home or, presumably, in certain parts of the US, but St Patrick’s Day
in Luxembourg is still great craic with people from all walks of Luxembourgish life, locals and expats, dressing up in green and drinking a pint (normally several) of the Black Stuff in one of the many Irish pubs or other clubs in Clausen in the capital. Awkwardly enough, this year I spent the evening drinking gin and shots rather than Guinness or green beer (see photographic evidence below). In any case, isn’t it just incredible that one of our national traditions is celebrated in so many parts of Europe and the world? Plus, I love this holiday even more because it’s just two days after my birthday, so it forms part of my annual birthday week celebrations! Sláinte!
Rose of Tralee
For those of you who don’t know, the Rose of Tralee is an international festival in which young women with Irish roots but from across the globe showcase their talents to be crowned the Rose. Coming from the island of Ireland, I of course knew what this competition was about, but it was not until recently when I attended and reported on this year’s Luxembourg Roses Ball that I realised “across the globe” included Luxembourg. In any case, it was a worthwhile and exciting evening with four Ireland-native ladies demonstrating the best qualities of what it is to be a modern Irish lass abroad and what they loved about their new home as well as missed about their homeland. The most relatable part was probably when one of the contestants claimed that the weather in Luxembourg was one of its strongpoints- seriously though, this country is practically Spain compared to Ireland.
British & Irish Film Festival
Taking place each September, the British and Irish Film Season offers screenings of various films from the British Isles, mainly from indepent film-making companies. The festival director (my boss from Dublin- told you we’re everywhere) also organises film screenings during the week of St Patrick’s, such as the most recent one I watched Maze, an interesting take – in Northern Ireland – on the IRA Maze Prison escape of September 1983.
Zeltik Festival
Last year I had the chance of attending Luxembourg’s annual Zeltik festival, a celebration of Celtic music. As well as Irish-sounding tunes, bands played music inspired by the sounds of Scotland, Brittany and Wales, often mixed with influences from as far away as Mexico. Taking part that year were seven bands including the awe-inspiring Red Hot Chilli Pipers, a Scottish rock bagpipe band – and yes, that is as cool as it sounds. Whilst not strictly Irish, the festival offers a pretty cool, modern take on Celtic tradition and even those who aren’t necessarily fans of Celtic music – myself included – can enjoy the atmosphere and beats that won’t fail to get you moving.
Other Irish-Luxembourg Charms
Luxembourg is also home to several Irish sports and language associations such as the Luxembourg GAA Club, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Luxembourg, which promotes the Gaelic language through various musical and cultural events and Cumann Gaelach Lucsamburg, which organises regular Irish language tandems. There are also Irish dance classes and performances and a wide range of events organised throughout the year by the Irish Club of Luxembourg. And, for your over-priced but sometimes necessary fix of Irish foodstuffs, the Eirelux grocery shop is only a bus ride away. Oh, and don’t forget the Irish pubs! Some of the best are The Pyg – the first pub I found beyond Ireland where the Guinness actually tastes like it does back home – and the aptly named The Black Stuff.
So there we have it. Who knew Luxembourg would not only be my second home, but that it would also have a little bit (actually a lot) of my homeland in it?
~ Speaking of Ireland and getting all political, I’m hoping my countrymen will be voting to #RepealThe8th on 25th May 2018! ~
