‘Greening’ Turns Dark for Energy Crisis

Tourism Ireland has confirmed that the Global Greening of well-known international landmarks for St Patrick's Day will not go ahead this year due to the ongoing energy crisis.

The annual initiative has seen hundreds of sites, including the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Oslo Tree (pictured), Niagara Falls, the Sydney Opera House, the “Welcome” sign in Las Vegas, the Sky Tower in Auckland and the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro illuminated in green for Ireland's national holiday.

However, the Global Greening was paused last year as a result of the war in Ukraine, with many international landmarks lit up blue and yellow instead.

“For 2023, given the current energy crisis, Tourism Ireland has taken the decision not to promote the Global Greening initiative around St Patrick’s Day,” a spokesperson for Tourism Ireland said.

“Despite the fact that we are not promoting Global Greening this year, the Tourism Ireland teams around the world are rolling out a major programme of trade, media and consumer activity this week to highlight the island of Ireland as a superb holiday destination.”