Irish flag raised to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day on the Spanish Costa Blanca

THE IRISH flag was raised in a special ceremony in Torrevieja’s Plaza de la Constitución on Friday to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day.

The honor of flying the green, white and orange flag went to Frank Durcan of Castlebar in County Mayo.

A well-known political figure in the area, he held a county council seat for 40 years until he retired in 2019.

The event was attended by the parish priest of the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Plaza, Manuel Martínez Rocamora, as well as the mayor of Torrevieja, Eduardo Dolón, and the councilor for International Residents, Gitte Lund.

After the flag was raised, an Irish dance display took place and the Irish national anthem was sung.

The event, which was attended by Irish residents in the Torrevieja area, ended with the delivery of lucky green shamrocks to the special guests.

The shamrock was used by Saint Patrick to symbolize the Holy Trinity during the spread of Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century.

Other local celebrations during the day included the big parade in Cabo Roig, which took place for the first time since 2019 due to cancellations due to the pandemic and bad weather.