Dear Readers,
I am delighted to welcome you to this special Irish issue of the newspaper. I hope that it
will help you to understand more about the country, its history, landscape, people and
culture. Some of you are already among the many people all over Russia who take an
interest in Irish music, dancing, and even the Irish language.
This edition of the newspaper is particularly timely, as it is being published just before
our national holiday, St. Patrick’s Day, 17th March. The day is celebrated not only in
Ireland, but by Irish people and friends of Ireland all over the world (even in Moscow,
with concerts of Irish music, and a big parade on Novy Arbat on Sunday 16th March).
Although we are very proud of our Irish language, which has a rich heritage of literature,
the English language is now the everyday language of most Irish people. Students from many
countries find Ireland a pleasant and welcoming place to further their studies of English.
You can read about the experiences of some Russian students on page 12. If you wish to
follow in their footsteps, we will be happy to make you welcome. I am sure you will enjoy
your visit.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
James C. O’Shea,
Cultural Attache, Embassy of Ireland, Moscow
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