About Us - Cape Town
The Irish South African Association exists to facilitate social contact between Irish people, people of Irish descent and anyone who has any interest whatsoever in the Irish & in Ireland. All are welcome to join the Association & to attend our many functions held throughout the year( in Cape Town, approximately monthly from March to November). Our "Flagship Event" is of course our Annual St Patrick's Night Dinner & Dance held on Mar 17th each year.
Our 9th Annual St Patrick's Dinner & Dance took place for the second year running at the Pigalle Restaurant, Somerset Road, Cape Town on March 17th 2010. 350 people ate, drank & danced the night away in what can truly be describes as opulent surroundings.........From start to finish the event certainly had the "Wow" Factor.........The venue itself is amazing & really lived up to expectation on the night. We enjoyed a wonderful display of Irish Dancing from the Dance Trax studio; a 5 Star meal by Pigalle & Music from the Irish Band Shanty.........everything was truly wonderful & the event was deemed a huge success by all present.
Our principal Guest of Honour at Pigalle was visiting Irish Government Minister, Mr Peter Power T.D., Minister for Overseas Development Assistance in Dail Eireann (the Irish Parliament). Our other Guests of Honour were H.E. The Ambassador of Ireland, Mr Colin Wrafter, his wife Aisling de Burca & the newly installed Catholic Archbishop of Cape Town, Very Revd Stephen Brislin.
As this year’s event was once again deemed such a huge success by both our own Committee & by all our guests we have decided to return to Pigalle for our 2011 St Patrick’s Celebrations when the ISAA Cape Town will also celebrate its 10th Annual St Patrick’s Night Dinner & Dance. Once again we promise all our guests a “night to remember” at Pigalle as we celebrate the Feast of St Patrick & Ireland's National Day also a milestone 10th Birthday for the ISAA as well as the Feast of St Patrick & Ireland’s National Day. More details will be announced closer to the event as they become available - please check into www.ireland.co.za to keep up to date.
As we were once again oversubscribed for our 2010 Function & as we sadly had to turn people away including some of our own members, we have decided that tickets will once again go on sale earlier next year. All ISAA Members & all 2010 guests will be notified accordingly in Mid January 2011. You will than have the opportunity to purchase your tickets before any advertisements go in the public press. Again I urge you to keep checking in to www.ireland.co.za
The Committee of the Irish South African Association Association is elected annually at the Annual General Meeting held in November. The Committee then elects the office bearers (Chairperson, Vice Chairperson & Treasurer) at the first Committee Meeting following the AGM. As well as running the Association on a day to day basis the Committee also co-ordinates & runs all the functions held throughout the year. Help from our Members is both welcome & encouraged..........after all many hands make light work. If you would like to become more involved in the work side of the Association please let us know......it is not all work by the way - we do have a lot of fun along the way & we also forge new friendships.
The Irish South African Association is fully supported by our Ambassador Mr Colin Wrafter, his charming wife Aisling de Burca & the entire Embassy staff both in Pretoria & Cape Town (www.embassyireland.co.za) . We also receive ongoing support in the form of a small annual grant from the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin, Ireland(www.dfa.ie). Despite their already busy schedules, both the Ambassador and/or his wife do their best to attend as many of our functions as they possibly can. As an Association we are very grateful for all the support we receive.
Since its inception the ISAA was based in Cape Town & all our functions took place in or around the Mother City. As we had a number of members as well as very keen interest from the Gauteng area a Chapter of the ISAA was launched there on Nov 20th 2008. This Chapter works in exactly the same way as the Cape Town Chapter has worked since its inception in 2001. Please check in to www.ireland.co.za for Gauteng events too.
This year the Gauteng Chapter hosted a very successful Golf Day on St Patrick’s Day at the Wanderers Golf Club. Golf was followed by a Dinner with Music at the Club which went on late into the night. Guest of Hounour at the Dinner was Mr Pat McRann, 1st Secretary at the Embassy of Ireland, Pretoria. Throughout the year ISAA Gauteng will also be hosting lunches, brunches, pub nights etc as well as a St Patrick’s Day Function on Mar 17th 2011. All information pertaining to all functions whether in Johannesburg or Cape Town will be posted on this website so wherever you live in South Africa, please check in regularly to www. ireland.co.za for updates.
Plans to launch an ISAA Chapter in Durban are at the advanced planning stages with the launch planned by mid year. Details will be posted on www.ireland.co.za as soon as they are finalized.
Should you have any questions or queries regarding the Association please do not hesitate to contact us. You can email us on members@ireland.co.za or you can phone us on 021-713-0154. Please leave a message if this phone is unattended when you call - we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Slan go foil,
Maureen Sharpe - Chairperson - Irish South African Association, Cape Chapter