Festas a-plenty in the Eternal City

Rome: The Trevi Fountain did not run green, pipe bands did not march around the Coliseum but Ireland's small resident Roman …

Rome:The Trevi Fountain did not run green, pipe bands did not march around the Coliseum but Ireland's small resident Roman community celebrated St Patrick's Day in traditional fashion yesterday when "gli irlandesi" gathered on a brilliantly sunny morning for a special mass at St Patrick's Church.

There was a time when Paddy's Day morning in Rome was rendered traumatic by a fruitless search for shamrock, or any green sort of plant that resembled shamrock. In years gone by the national carrier, Aer Lingus, used to come to the rescue with a batch of the stuff delivered fresh on St Patrick's morning.

These days the resident Irish have learned to be inventive. The Irish Augustinian community, for instance, have been growing the stuff on their rooftop, over St Patrick's. Thus it was that everyone, including Attorney General Rory Brady, representing the Government, was offered a sprig of green at the church doorstep.

Earlier this week the complex history of relations between Ireland and the Holy See were recalled with the launch of a new book, Reflections at an Anniversary, celebrating 75 years of Vatican-Ireland diplomatic relations.

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Presenting the book at the Irish Pontifical College, Vatican Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo recalled that, curiously, the Irish hierarchy back in 1929 was reticent about establishing diplomatic relations with the Vatican, fearing that the Holy See might be subject to British diplomatic influence on Irish church appointments. Times have changed, concluded the archbishop.

Indeed, they have. We suspect that back in 1929, Irish pubs offering a special "Festa di San Patrizio" were not to be found on every third Roman street. Deep in the heart of the Eternal City, late into the night, Ireland continued its subtle conquest of the world.