Happy St Patrick’s Day
Posted 17 March 2008 // Helen Rickerby
Celebrating St Paddy’s Day
The 17th of March is, of course, St Patrick’s Day, and that seems like a good time to celebrate the Irish contribution to New Zealand – and Te Ara.
The Te Ara entry on The Irish traces their long history in New Zealand. Some arrived before 1840 as whalers, sealers and traders. Other early arrivals included the many Irish soldiers with the Royal New Zealand Fencibles, who were stationed in Howick to defend Auckland during the New Zealand Wars.
Settlers from Ireland continued to arrive in New Zealand throughout the 19th century and into the 20th, bringing with them the tradition of celebrating St Patrick’s Day with parades, sports, dances, horse races and, as you might expect, drinking.
If, like me and more than half a million other New Zealanders, you have some Irish heritage, now’s the time of year to claim it!
