I didn't want to say anything because some may think I'm doing it politically, but I feel obligated to speak or rather write about this event, St. Patrick's Day, and the privatization that has been done with it, perhaps due to lack of interest or the lack of desire to work from some and the opportunity seen by others.
St. Patrick's Day is an Irish event that was recovered in 2013 within the fair "La Tiñosa el sabor de la Tradición" (La Tiñosa, the taste of Tradition), under my direction. It was not easy to carry it out, especially because it was done non-profit with the technical support of the City Council. So I had to manage it in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Then came my time at the head of the Tourism Council of Puerto del Carmen, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Throughout these seven years, I always had the support of the Irish community with whom I worked side by side (some are no longer with us but their mark remained).
A saint was bought and donated to the church of La Tiñosa, which is still there today, and, moreover, I can now say that the saint shared a home with me for months until it could be placed in the church.
And, among the many coffees and the occasional Guinness, a crazy idea was born to create a Hurling championship, a sport as traditional for them as Canarian wrestling is for us, which, in addition, we were going to do on the beach.
Perhaps Lanzarote is the only place in the world where we play Hurling on the beach, adapting the measurements of the terrain, number of players and time to the new playing surface.
Some Irish people thought I was crazy when I proposed such an idea, but you know what? It went ahead and even teams came from Ireland, sponsored by the bars. Each bar had its team and we had an incredible morning playing. What's more, I myself played and experienced what it feels like to receive a good blow with the stick.
Undoubtedly they were great events during the years that I was in charge and, despite how difficult it became at the beginning, everything worked out, especially the mix of cultures between Irish and us, as well as the rest of the nationalities that live in Lanzarote or simply visit us.
I even received a letter from the President of Ireland thanking me for the effort. Not mine, but that of all those involved each year in highlighting Irish culture and the island of Lanzarote for the warm welcome to the Irish community.
Our motto was: "Be Irish for a day. Let's enjoy their culture, their music and, of course, their gastronomy and their national beer, that delicious Guinness".
The multiculturalism of a destination is not about celebrating a St. Patrick's Day with a Canarian party and some wrinkled potatoes or, as this year, leaving aside great Irish musicians and bands that live with us to bring, based on money, tribute bands from other locations that have nothing to do with Irish culture (such as an English tribute to Queens or the tribute to Tina Turner).
I don't detract from their value, but they have nothing to do with Ireland.
During the first years I had to work with the Irish to make them see that celebrating St. Patrick's Day was not about making money that day but about creating a brand, even if money was lost that day the destination gained in value during the rest of the year.
And now it turns out that all that work, from one moment to another, breaks down, the management is given to a private company, and it is also done directly, without public bidding, and as soon as they arrive they impose criteria and rules as varied as that everyone must work with the same beer.
Suddenly businesses appear that are invited 'as a friend', without any criteria, there has been no call or invitation except the one made 'as a friend'.
And the worst thing is that everything is done with public money. Surely we will never know how much it will cost us because transparency disappears as soon as the money comes from many administrations. But you can be sure that it will be much more than what is spent on festivals in our towns or even much more than what will be spent on Canary Islands Day and perhaps even more than what was spent on the past Carnival of Puerto del Carmen.
Gone is the involvement of many Irish people who for years have collaborated in one way or another, and we also see how in social networks the majority of the Irish community tells their friends that the party in the square is a concert party that has nothing to do with St. Patrick's Day, hardly any Irish music, and that if they want to spend an authentic Irish day they should enjoy any bar, there they will have real music, Irish gastronomy for all audiences.
Without a doubt, it is about being Irish for a day, not about the Irish dancing a sorondongo, but some do not understand it or do not want to understand it and insist on making it seem that the massive anger of the Irish community in networks is summarized with the following phrase: The Irish don't like us.
The reality is that all they want is for us to know and enjoy their culture, their music and their gastronomy.
Without a doubt, this will be the first year that I will not share a Guinness in the Varadero, although my absence and that of many will be covered by many other people who will enjoy two days of varied music and gastronomy.
On Monday we will see photos with many people down there and the organizing administrations selling the event with great success in participation, without taking into account the gap caused again between the Irish community and us. But, what does it matter, tomorrow will be another day!
