The primary focus of these events is being social and having fun. One such occasion is the upcoming annual Golf Tournament. The Tournament is not your typical round of golf. Fortified with a good Irish breakfast, and a few beers, your handicap is measured out in a length of string – the higher your handicap is, the longer your piece of string will be! Each player then uses their piece of string to get them out of tight situations and bring them a bit closer to the hole. This gives even the non professional a good chance of winning with plenty of fun along the way. The Society also hosts a Christmas Party which provides entertainment for the whole family which includes a visit from Santa Clause himself. There is also a tasty Irish stew and plenty of traditional Christmas fare including mince pies and mulled wine of course to be had.

Apart from these annual events, the Society organises a number of soccer matches, barbeques and set dancing (traditional Irish dancing) classes throughout the year. The set dancing classes began early this year and currently take place every second Thursday evening at Bubbles O’Learys Irish Pub. Each time we learn a new dance, so newcomers will have no problem in learning the steps and joining in and it’s a great way in getting fit! The success of the classes led to the emergence of the ‘Kampala Kickers’, a group of local Irish dancers, who gave a lively performance at this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Ball.

The Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations in mid March remain the centre piece of the annual Irish Society programme. St. Patrick’s Day, 17th March, is our National Day which celebrates the life of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick was a missionary who not only converted the Irish population to Christianity but who is also to have said to have banished the snakes from the island of Ireland! However, Saint Patrick’s Day is now much more than a religious holiday – it is also an international festival of Irish music, dance, food and culture. In Uganda, the Irish Society festivities kick off with a soccer game against our old long standing rivals, England, followed by a night of celebration or commiseration with Irish food and live music. With little time to recover, the next night is the Irish Society Saint Patrick’s Day Ball, which is renowned for being the best night of entertainment in Kampala. Every year a band is flown in from Ireland and this year’s group, ‘Riff Raff’, was a huge success - getting everyone out on the floor dancing and singing. And of course there are also the free flowing pints of Guinness draught, along with a large selection of the best Irish cheeses and Irish whiskies. Added to all these is a secret ingredient that many others strive to emulate – best known as ‘CRAIC’, which is a Gaelic word that doesn’t have an exact translation in English. It simply means an innate ability to have a really good time.

The proceeds from the St. Patrick’s Day Ball and other Irish Society events are used to support a number of local Ugandan Charities, with an Irish connection. This year over 13 million Uganda Shillings was raised.

Membership of the Society is open to all Irish citizens and their families and those of Irish descent but Irish Society events are open to everybody and all are very welcome to join in. Should anyone wish to join the Society, you can pick up a membership form at the Irish Embassy, 25 Yusuf Lule Road, Kampala or email maryoconnor2@eircom.net for an electronic version. Please return completed membership forms and membership fee to Mary O’Connor, Secretary of the Irish Society, c/o the Embassy of Ireland. Annual membership costs 20,000 Uganda Shillings and this enables the member to participate, at a reduced cost, in all Irish events mentioned above throughout the year and to receive information about all upcoming events