A BELATED HAPPY PADDY'S DAY TO EVERYONE!
Us with Eamon O Cuiv, Minister for the Gaelteacht and his wife!
NB (We've gotten a bit behind ourselves with the blogs in the last few weeks. We've had shocking internet lately but we now have our game-faces on and will catch up asap.)
After a late return Delhi the previous night, we woke up exstatic about our favourite day of the year and the party that lay ahead of us that evening at the Irish Ambassador's house. It was bit surreal being in Delhi on Paddy's Day which must be one of the only cities in the world without an Irish Pub.
We enjoyed a lie-in in our hotel before hitting the road to the Pakistani embassy to collect our passports. Realising that we'd lost our slips to redeem our passports, the trip was a waste of time and we needed to come back the following day to collect them again.
After the ordeal at the Pakistani embassy, Dave and Fintan rushed back to the hotel to get ready. Dave had brought his beloved and beer-stained green shamrock waistcoat with him the whole way from Sydney specifically to wear on this day so there was no way it wasnt being worn to the embassy.
Arriving among all the other country's ambassadors chaufeur-driven cars, we pulled the Hummer right up front clad in Irish flags and blaring Damien Dempsey. With awkward and bewildered looks from the security staff, we were allowed to park the car in a spot reserved for a news crew.
Dave and Fintan with a few of the Irish revellers
When we entered, we were greeted by the ambassador and Eamon O Cuiv, The Minister for the Gaelteacht, who was attending the party on behalf of the Irish Government. The garden was packed out with the diplomatic crowd and some prominent Irish expats. Sponsored by Guinness and Jameson and with a Trad Irish Band for entertainment, the night promised to be a classic!
Video of Trad Band Above....If you cant see video go to http://crazyjourneyhummer.blogspot.com
We mixed in with the crowd, and word of CRAZYJOURNEY got around quickly. We met some legends amongst the crowd like Dave Freeman (aka BOOTS), a Mayo Hero who is over working with an oil company in India. We also met Father Finn, an Irish Priest who has been living in India for nearly 50 years setting up schools for disadvantaged kids who had some classic stories and was a constant source of amusement. Fintan randomly bumped into John Doran, a mate he knew from America. Towards the end of the night we were lucky enough to have a chat with Eamon O Cuiv and his wife. They were fascinated by the drive and he was good enough to give a donation and get in a photo with us and the car.
Fintan and Dave with the legend Father Finn!
We had great craic with the trad band and chatting away to loads of Irish people but it’s still tough being away from Dublin and the Baggot Mile on Paddy’s Day!
With the embassy party finishing at around 11pm, as per usual on Paddy’s Day things escalated and our Delhi hero, Dave Freeman organized an after-party for the more rowdy crowd to push on to in the Bar of the British High Commission of all places! The large loud mob headed that way including all members of the trad band. We all had great craic signing into the British Embassy as members of the 1916 Easter Rising. Needless to say the drinking went on late and the craic, ceol agus caint was ninety, with Dave reveling and playing Damien Dempsey’s ‘colony’ song inside the embassy!
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