19th May
Altan Concert in St Patrick’s Cathedral – World Refugee Day Fundraiser
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, is preparing to give those seeking refuge in Ireland a warm welcome on World Refugee Day in June. People living in Reception and Integration Accommodation Centres in the Eastern Region will be invited to the cathedral for a Welcome Dinner on that day.
To help fund this event, Saint Patrick’s has announced a partnership with the exceptionally talented group, Altan, who will perform at a fundraising concert in the cathedral on Saturday May 19. The concert will be on the theme: ‘An Irish Welcome’.
Altan have been travelling the world bringing their music to audiences far and wide for more than 30 years. They have just launched a new album, ‘The Widening Gyre’ and this event will be their first concert in Ireland in 2018. The funds raised will be put directly towards the Welcome Dinner for people who are seeking refuge and support in Ireland.
The cathedral’s Dean, the Very Revd Dr William Morton, said it was fitting that Saint Patrick’s and the church be associated with World Refugee Day. “Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is a place of welcome, friendship, openness, acceptance and inclusiveness, and therefore it seems so fitting that these wonderful events are being hosted within it and that, as a church, we are identifying with World Refugee Day and helping to combat the social issues which are involved. To make the World Refugee Dinner possible I am delighted that the concert by Altan will be taking place in Saint Patrick’s. This is terrific news, and, in raising funds for the dinner, the concert will also greatly highlight the charitable outreach of the cathedral,” he said.
Tickets for the concert are on sale now. Admission is €30 per person and tickets can be purchased on the Cathedral website www.stpatrickscathedral.ie. Doors open at 7.30pm. For additional information on the concert please contact Kelley Bermingham, Community Officer, on 01–4539472 Ext 210 or email community@stpatrickscathedral.ie
MORE ABOUT WORLD REFUGEE DAY WELCOME DINNER
World Refugee Day is June 20 2018. On this day, Dublin City Interfaith Forum will host an Interfaith Prayer Service at the Famine Memorial Statues at Custom House Quay which is open to all. A procession will then move through the city to the cathedral where the invited guests will be treated to ‘An Irish Welcome’.
A host of people who currently reside in Reception and Integration Accommodation Centres throughout the eastern region will be welcomed for dinner in the cathedral. Food will be produced and served by corporate partners, volunteers and staff. Throughout the day there will be a United Nations Refugee Tent on the Cathedral’s north lawn adjacent to Saint Patrick’s Park. People who would like to learn about the journey of a refugee will be encouraged to explore this space which will have an interactive element. The event will complement other United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), initiatives including the Refugee Food Festival initiatives which are taking place to mark World Refugee Day.