“A warm sense of unity, patriotism, Latvian identity, the dominance of young families, the new generation, quality, splendor, and elegance…” These are just some of the words shared by fellow Latvians in Dublin who came together to celebrate Latvia’s Independence Day in Ireland.
The event began with a solemn retelling of Latvia’s history, focusing on the proclamation of independence on November 18, 1918. Highlights included excerpts from the historic event at the Latvian National Theatre, read by Indra Doma, Sanita Zvirgzdina, and Dainuvite Vilcuka. The younger generation listened intently, deepening their connection to their heritage.
Messages of congratulations followed from Latvia’s President Edgars Rinkēvičs, Latvia’s Ambassador to Ireland Juris Štālmeistars, and the Chairperson of the Latvian Society in Ireland (LBĪ) Inguna Grietiņa-Dārziņa. Together, the audience sang Latvia’s national anthem with heartfelt emotion.
The cultural program commenced with a choir performance by eLVé, featuring Mārtiņš Brauns and Rainis’s “Saule. Pērkons. Daugava.” and Inguna Grietiņa-Dārziņa’s “Latvju tautu daudzinot.” Fourteen Latvian artistic groups from cities across Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as from Latvia itself, contributed to this vibrant concert.
During the evening, special awards titled “Latvian Heart Work in Ireland” were presented to dedicated individuals: Baiba Gaigr, Gita Stavause, Gaidis Dārziņš, Laine Nigule-Belenusa, Teiksma Kuznecova, Juris Eksts, Inita Liepiņa, Inga Valtere, and Ritma Prokopčenko. Their contributions were met with deep gratitude and pride.
The concert finale featured not only traditional Latvian dances performed by the Pastaliņas and Rietumkrasts groups but also an Irish dance performance by Linda Ozolina, an international competition laureate.
A special thank you goes to the more than 70 young families who participated in the concert, giving their children the opportunity to learn about Latvia and their Latvian roots. Heartfelt thanks to all participants, including:
- The Latvian Children and Youth Choir in Ireland (LABKĪ)
- IGD Studio
- Choir eLVé
- LBĪ Weekend School Saulgriezīte
- LBĪ Drogheda Latvian School Ābolītis
- Dzīvā Dieva Draudze
- Mayo Latvian School Graudiņš
- Tulow Latvian School
- Dance groups Pastaliņas and Rietumkrasts
- Representatives from Longford Latvian School
- Musician Miks Saulītis
- Singer Dzintars Giertmanis
- Special guests from Latvia, the children’s vocal ensemble Karameles led by Eva Leimane.
The celebrations continued with a festive ball featuring musicians Anna Wohl from Scotland, Īstais Mārtiņš from England, and Arnis AI from Ireland.
Enormous gratitude to the organizers: Inga Zvirgzdina, Aleksejs Pavgonens, Indra Jākobsone, Juris Eksts, Antra Eisaka, Liene Eškina, Sanita Zvirgzdiņa, and Inguna Grietiņa-Dārziņa. Thanks also to the more than 200 participants who joined in celebrating one of Latvia’s most important holidays.
Thank you to Latviesi.com and LTV News for covering the event in the media, and to Dublin City PPN for their support.
Special thanks to Latvia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of Latvia in Ireland, and the Diaspora Support Program for co-funding the event.
Gratitude to Mustache Design and Advertising for the beautiful awards, and to photographers and videographers Julia Sereda, Bogumił Markiewicz, and Aleksandrs Patkovskis for capturing the event’s spirit—photos and videos will follow in upcoming posts.
The event was supported by Dublin City PPN Migrant Thematic Group, to celebrate Inclusion and Integration Week 2024: Dublin, a city for all.
