The Irish Club Of Belgium

St Patricks Day Parade 2009

Saint Patrick's Day Parade Celtic Queen

&

Her Escort "Charlemagne, Lord Protector of the Parade" Contest

Applications  are invited  from single ladies of Celtic descent  aged 18 years  and upwards  to be the first  Saint Patrick's Day  Parade Celtic Queen to acknowledge the  contribution of  the Celtic nations to Belgium. To recognize the multilingual character of Belgium and Irish monastic educational links with the Court of Charlemagne and the emblem of the Brussels Capital Region's links with Charlemagne's descendants, an escort shall be provided for the Parade Queen to be known as "Charlemagne, Lord Protector of the Parade".  Single gentlemen of any nationality aged 18 years and upwards who are conversant in English, French, Dutch and German are invited to apply. The Celtic Queen and Lord Protector will reign for one year and be expected to serve as good will ambassadors for the parade and expected to travel (if invited) to other countries and events with expenses paid. For full details of the eligibility criteria, conditions and application forms, contact Jennifer Collins, parade secretary at patricks.day.parade@gmail.com  or down load forms from

 http://www.brussels-st-patricks-day-parade.be/

All Ireland Appeal for County Tourism Information to get 10,000 Tourists to Ireland -news flash !

The first Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Brussels and indeed Belgium is being held on Sunday March 15. It will be part of the first "Irish in Europe Féile". The primary objective of the Parade and Féile is to create a sufficient Irish awareness to have at least 10,000 residents in Belgium to make a conscious decision to holiday in Ireland this year. The parade committee are organising county information stands from the 13 March to the 22 March in selected venues in a designated "Irish Village" in the "EU District" manned by volunteers from their native counties and tourists who have already been to Ireland who are willing to recommend to guests to visit Ireland and promote the attractions of a particular county.

We will have also a special Health is Wealth Day on Sunday March 22 on living healthy in Brussels and activity holidays in Ireland. This too will be a great opportunity give the small active holiday  operator a break to get free exposure in a very lucrative market.

We would like to make a special appeal to all those engaged in Tourism in Ireland in some form or other to send us their tourist information, literature, business cards, fliers as soon as possible. We will display and distribute this information free of charge on your behalf. Brussels is the third wealthiest Region in Europe and offers Irish people engaged in tourism a ready make market for Belgian residents who will be impressed by the volunteering spirit of the county natives and non-Irish who are giving up their time to promote and help Ireland through he current economic crisis. This personal presence by the volunteers provides the essential human link, individual and personal exposure for tourism products. This marketing exposure is going to make the difference and give the edge for Irish Tourism and in particular for small businesses, who could not afford such exposure but only dream about.

Please send your literature to:

‘Irish in Europe Féile', Saint Patrick's Day Head Campaign Head Quarters,C/0 Old Oak Irish Pub and Restaurant, 26 Rue Franklin,1000 Brussels, Belgium. Mark the county of promotion on the left hand corner of envelope/package. If you have any family or friends living in Belgium, inform them about this promotion and ask them to represent your county stand in the Capital of Europe.

We will explain in another appeal how we intend to use gift vouchers, holiday vouchers, and lunch vouchers in a massif tourism drive organised by 50 volunteers in all of Belgium in 4 languages. Sponsors should in the meantime consult our Parade web site at: www.brussels-st-patricks-day-parade.be or in case of default, our event section in the Irish Club of Belgium website: www.irishclub.be  for more details or contact Parade Secretary at patricks.day.parade@gmail.com .

We look forwarding to working with all 32 counties in helping to keep people in jobs and helping Irish Tourism to not only survive but grow.

On behalf of the organising Committee

Saint Patrick's Day Parade & Supporters Association,

Jennifer Collins
45 Rue François Desmedt,

Brussels 1150
Belgium

Download Poster of St Patricks Day Festival
Download registration form