Bid to get Buckingham Palace to go green

Nicola Anderson Twitter Email

February 14 2013 04:02 AM

They can already count on some of the Earth's most famous sights – but tourism chiefs now want Britain's queen to turn Buckingham Palace green for St Patrick's Day.

The Sphinx and the pyramids will be "wearing the green" this St Patrick's Day as our national festivities continue to capture the global imagination.

Rio’s Christ the Redeemer statue is part of the festivities. Minister Leo Varadkar said the tourism drive is “good value”.

The Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, the Welcome sign in Las Vegas, the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen and Bayern Munich's stadium are also among the role-call of the most iconic landmarks that have been added to the 'little emerald book' of Tourism Ireland.

They will join old favourites like Niagara Falls, Sydney Opera House, the Empire State Building in New York and Table Mountain in South Africa in being flooded with green filter lights to celebrate St Patrick's Day this year.

But tourism bosses admitted that they still have their eye on one particular prize – Buckingham Palace in London.

Niall Gibbons of Tourism Ireland revealed that he had written to the private secretary of the queen some months ago proposing the idea but as of yet has received no reply.

Meanwhile, he also told how the agency is currently studying an intriguing genealogy file that proves a strong Irish connection in Kate Middleton's family tree, which they will reveal at a later date.

Mr Gibbons was giving little away, only saying that this connection was not an ancestor but a relation, adding that it was a "very interesting story".

Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar said the greening was probably "the most cost-effective" thing done by tourism agencies, at a total cost of just €35,000 worldwide, "which is really good value when you think about it".