Ambassador-at-large Courtney Walsh is the centre of attraction as two attractive green 'Irish Jamaican' women, Charlotte Chantiloupe (left) and Niosha Graham (right), entertainment coordinators at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort and Spa, give him a lei on arrival at the Irish Fest launch on Tuesday. - Photo by Janet Silvera

Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Jamrock meets Shamrock in an orgy of activities that will climax with the debut of the legendary Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort and Spa, Ocho Rios' first-ever 'Irish Fest' - a celebration of Celtic pride on St. Patrick's Day, Saturday, March 17.

Those in the know are already prepared to trade in reggae, Red Stripe and jerk chicken for traditional Irish music, a pint of Guinness and Irish stew to celebrate the fighting Irish team that will go up against Pakistan in exactly 23 days from today at Sabina Park in Kingston.

As Ireland's greatest national holiday, St. Patrick's Day marks the anniversary of the death of a missionary who became the Patron Saint of Ireland. But the Irish are not perennial mourners, so the day is usually a happy holiday for them - be it Dublin, New York, Boston, Kingston or Ocho Rios.

And Ocho Rios is where the penultimate musical games will be played when the Duffy Brothers, an Irish pop band reminiscent of the Backstreet Boys, will headline the evening, performing a fantastic fusion of traditional Irish music with Celtic rock in the splendour of the white-sand beach resort.

Coming straight out of the Emerald Isle, The Duffys will be accompanied by the Ashling Celtic Dancers, who will perform classic river dance routines.

Unveiled Tuesday, at a press conference at the Courtleigh Hotel and Suites, St. Andrew, the country's Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Aloun Assamba quipped about the love of Jamaicans to have a good excuse to party and 'build a vibes'. "So, as a multicultural melting pot, when St. Patrick's Day comes around, it will be the perfect reason to link up with our Irish friends and have a blast," she said.

Mini-Irish Fests

Innovatively, Sunset Jamaica Grande will have a series of blasts, by way of mini-Irish fests to be staged at the popular Verandah Club on Friday, March 2, and the club renowned for partying Irish men, New Kingston's 'Upon the Roof', on Thursday, March 8.

The miniature parties move to Ocho Rios on Wednesday, March 14, at Margaritaville Ocho Rios' all-inclusive pool party, culminating at the Sunset Jamaica Resort three days later.

According the resort's managing director, Ian Kerr, this party could not have happened anywhere else in Jamaica and have the same impact. His resort is booked with fans of the Irish cricket team, when they play in the first round of matches.

"Not only will we be serving the best Irish stew and corned beef on our all-inclusive menu, but the resort will betransformed into a sea of green," noted Mr. Kerr.