Irish people living in Australia look forward to the St. Paddy’s celebration much like the Irish-Americans. This is a day when Irish heritage is celebrated all over the world, and Australia is not an exception considering that 30 percent of the population – give or take – is of Irish ancestry.
The Irish in Australia
Ever since the recession in Ireland, more and more of the Irish population has flocked the country to move to Australia in search of something better, a better job, a better life.
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But the Irish have been migrating here since long before the recession. In the mid-1800s, difficult conditions of the time determined many to seek their fortunes thousands and thousands of miles away from home.
Equal numbers of Irish men and women came to Australia to find a home here. Many settled in Victoria and found work as fishermen and whalers, on the goldfields and farms, some even becoming professionals and owning properties.
Although mass migration of the Irish ended before the twentieth century, those who did settle in Australia established an Irish culture that prevails today in some of the country’s biggest cities. Melbourne holds a big celebration every year on St. Patrick’s Day with city venues getting into the green grove and people enjoying a well-deserved break from mundane life.
St. Patrick’s Day in Melbourne
St. Patrick’s isn’t a national holiday in Australia and many people are working on this day, but festivities are still at large, and they pretty much go about the typical way: people wearing green outfits, enjoying Irish beers and spirits with a green twist, Irish breakfasts and joining the party fun wherever it happens.
There are a number of cities that celebrate St. Paddy’s big style and the list includes Brisbane, Canberra, and Adelaide, but when it comes to the places where Irish culture remains deeply embedded in everyday life, it’s Melbourne one of them and perhaps the city with the strongest Irish influence.
- Irish pubs in Melbourne are opening early in the morning to serve full Irish breakfast and stay open until the wee hours to let people celebrate with live Irish music all night long and, of course, Irish beer.
- Breweries and beer halls are hosting boilermaker events to give people the perfect beer experience in one of the most perfect places to be than the outside on St. Patrick’s.
- Various pubs have activities like face painting, Irish dance showcasing, whiskey tastings and Irish live music to entertain guests from morning until dawn, many of the events happening through the weekend.
- Restaurants and food courts prepare Irish inspired food menus and offer Irish food specials all day.
- Markets sell traditional Irish goods and handcrafted items.
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With Australia now being the third most popular country where the Irish migrate, celebrations are getting bigger and bigger every year. There is already a well-established community not just in Melbourne but in Western Australia too, which is where most of the Irish citizens move to nowadays in the country. Perth is one of the cities that host the St. Patrick’s parade and again a city where many events take place much alike those in Melbourne.