Emerald of the Caribbean: Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on Montserrat

Words by Jesse Serwer—

St. Patrick’s Day has become a global phenomenon, with people all over the world donning green and downing Guinness in honor of Ireland’s patron saint every March 17. But there’s only one place besides Ireland itself where it is observed as a public holiday. Nicknamed the “Emerald Isle of the Caribbean” on account of its strong Irish presence and the island’s topographical resemblance to Ireland, Montserrat doesn’t just celebrate St. Patty’s Day. It hosts a 10-day-long St. Patrick’s Festival that is one of the British territory’s most popular annual events.

Why such fervor for a foreign holiday? Besides for being the dying day of St. Patrick, March 17 was also the date of Montserrat’s earliest slave rebellion, in 1768. So, St. Patrick’s Festival on Montserrat is not only a celebration of Irish traditions, but also of African and Caribbean ones.

For an in-depth look at how these elements come together at St. Patrick’s Festival, watch David William Seitz’s documentary, Emerald of the Caribbean, which can be viewed in nine parts on YouTube. Though touching on many different aspects of Montserratian culture, it was filmed during 2005’s St. Patrick’s Festival, lending a particular focus to this aspect of the island’s culture.

Describing the festival in the film, Sir Howard Fergus, a Montserratian historian who formerly served as governor (the British dependency’s top office), notes that African slaves and Irish exiles banished by Oliver Cromwell arrived on the island at roughly the same time, a unique feature among Caribbean islands. (In fact, the term “Black Irish” may have originated there.)

“Roman Catholic people are legitimately celebrating a day on their religious calendar,” Fergus says. “We came now, in the 20th century, with this new idea of dedicating it to heroes, and to Montserratians who have done great and useful service to the country.” Preview Emerald of the Caribbean below, and watch the full thing on YouTube.