By Our Reporter
The Irish community in Uganda has held St Patrick’s Day celebrations, in honour of the globally recognised holiday that celebrates Irish culture and heritage.
The celebrations in Uganda were in partnership with Guinness, their country’s biggest export. On Saturday, a fundraising gala was held at the Sheraton Hotel to raise funds to support local charities here in Uganda.
The dinner was attended by dignitaries like Irish Ambassador, Kevin Colgan, US Ambassador Natalie Brown, Joseph Rutabana, the Rwandan High Commissioner to Uganda and members of the Irish Society.
During the event, there were a number of exciting performances from both an Irish Band, The Kampala Midnight Special and an elite Ugandan acrobatic dance group named Hiccup Circus who kept guests entertained throughout the evening.
Guests who attended the dinner donated sizeable donations purposed for different charity benefits.
Come April, the Irish Society will do a call for proposals to different selected charities in the country to disburse the proceeds raised at this year’s ball. The gesture is part of Ireland’s activities to cement the good relationship between the two countries.
St Patrick’s was originally celebrated as a Christian holiday in Ireland to honour the country’s patron saint that was killed in the fifth century. It has morphed into an annual celebration of Irish culture across the world.