Montserrat's St Patrick's Day Festival

Overseas visitors are invited to join the craic in Montserrat as it celebrates its unique St Patrick's Day Festival from March 14th - 21st 2009.

Known as 'The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean', Montserrat is the only country outside Ireland where St Patrick's Day is a public holiday.

The week-long St Patrick's festival provides a dynamic mix of Irish and African heritage, with some traditional Caribbean entertainment thrown in, to make this one of Montserrat's most popular annual events.

Irish musician Martin Healy will be visiting Montserrat for his third consecutive St Patrick's Day Festival in 2009 and comments: "The people of Montserrat have the very same welcoming and friendly attitude to visitors that we have at home in Ireland.

"They appreciate that people have travelled great distances to visit their beautiful country and they are genuinely friendly, which is what keeps drawing me back."

The Dublin-based Martin Healy Trad Band will participate in the celebrations, playing at various musical events throughout the week.

Also on the programme of activities for the week is a Kite Festival; an Irish Cabaret performed by the Emerald Community Singers; a Freedom Run or walk followed by a community breakfast; a nature hike; plus various concerts, church services and other commemorative events.

Events will take place in parks and buildings across the north of the island, while much of the activity on St Patrick's Day itself (March 17th) will centre around Festival Village.

Here, stalls will sell traditional food, locals will gather to play traditional games such as dominoes and marbles, and masquerade dancers will put on colourful displays.

Montserrat's Irish heritage dates back to the 17th century when the island became a haven for Irish Catholics who were persecuted on other Caribbean islands. By 1678, a census showed that more than half the people on the island were Irish, so it is hardly surprising that the Irish had such a strong influence on the island's developing culture.

This history is still evident today from the moment visitors arrive at the John A. Osborne airport in Montserrat and receive a shamrock-shaped stamp in their passports.

During St Patrick's Day, visitors will notice many locals wearing national dress - in which green is the dominant colour - and both Guinness and 'Green' Heineken are available in bars aside the customary rum punch cocktails.

African-inspired events such as the Freedom Run fun-run and masquerade dancing commemorate the slave history in Montserrat, specifically an unsuccessful uprising that took place on St Patrick's Day in 1768.

There are no direct flights from the UK or Ireland to Montserrat.

Travellers interested in visiting the St Patrick's Day festival can travel to Antigua, from where ferries and flights are available.

For all the latest information on travel to and accommodation in Montserrat, plus full events listings for St Patrick's Week, please see Visit Montserrat.

Chris O'Toole