One of the more popular aspects of Irish music is the sing-along of wellknown Irish melodies. Some of these that were enjoyed during the evening included “Cockles and Mussels,” an old Irish song about a young lass called Molly Malone, which dates back to the 17th century and has since become the unofficial anthem of Dublin.Irish culture has always been popular in Israel, and recently even more so as additional venues of Irish folklore and culture have become available. These include the Irish film and music festivals at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque, the Irish Studies Seminar at Ben-Gurion University, the Samuel Beckett Lecture at Tel Aviv University and a number of Bloomsday activities in June. Bloomsday was derived from the Irish author James Joyce’s classic novel Ulysses, based on life in Dublin during the early 20th century and centered on the principal character Leopold Bloom.Irish pubs such as Murphy’s, Molly Bloom’s in Tel Aviv and Dublin Pub in Herzliya have become popular watering holes for young and not-so-young beer drinkers who have become fond of the dark, slightly bitter stout brews that have made Ireland famous throughout the world.Love of Irish music and culture was very much in evidence at Murphy’s on this particular evening. As noted by IIFL chairman Gafson, “We have people here tonight from abroad, including Ireland, and from as far away in Israel as Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. We’ve all come together to celebrate the close ties between Israel and the Republic of Ireland – especially with song and dance!”The Ireland Israel Friendship League was founded in 1967, which was a long time before full diplomatic relations came into effect between the two countries in 1994. There are now approximately 2,000 Irish citizens living in Israel. Despite Ireland’s small Jewish population, more and more Israelis are visiting the country, especially to popular tourist spots like Dublin, Cork, Limerick and of course the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, about eight kilometers from Cork.
When Irish eyes are smiling
Nearly 200 expats and their friends celebrate a festive ‘Paddy’s Night Reunion Celebration’ in Netanya.
One of the more popular aspects of Irish music is the sing-along of wellknown Irish melodies. Some of these that were enjoyed during the evening included “Cockles and Mussels,” an old Irish song about a young lass called Molly Malone, which dates back to the 17th century and has since become the unofficial anthem of Dublin.Irish culture has always been popular in Israel, and recently even more so as additional venues of Irish folklore and culture have become available. These include the Irish film and music festivals at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque, the Irish Studies Seminar at Ben-Gurion University, the Samuel Beckett Lecture at Tel Aviv University and a number of Bloomsday activities in June. Bloomsday was derived from the Irish author James Joyce’s classic novel Ulysses, based on life in Dublin during the early 20th century and centered on the principal character Leopold Bloom.Irish pubs such as Murphy’s, Molly Bloom’s in Tel Aviv and Dublin Pub in Herzliya have become popular watering holes for young and not-so-young beer drinkers who have become fond of the dark, slightly bitter stout brews that have made Ireland famous throughout the world.Love of Irish music and culture was very much in evidence at Murphy’s on this particular evening. As noted by IIFL chairman Gafson, “We have people here tonight from abroad, including Ireland, and from as far away in Israel as Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. We’ve all come together to celebrate the close ties between Israel and the Republic of Ireland – especially with song and dance!”The Ireland Israel Friendship League was founded in 1967, which was a long time before full diplomatic relations came into effect between the two countries in 1994. There are now approximately 2,000 Irish citizens living in Israel. Despite Ireland’s small Jewish population, more and more Israelis are visiting the country, especially to popular tourist spots like Dublin, Cork, Limerick and of course the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, about eight kilometers from Cork.