“Your Sacrifices Are Not Forgotten”: Orania Afrikaners Celebrate St Patrick’s Day
- Afrikaner residents in Orania, Northern Cape, celebrated the popular Irish holiday St Patrick's Day on 17 March
- A few pictures showed some residents at a monument in the area enjoying strong alcoholic beverages
- The X user who posted the images thanked the Irish for their support during the Second Boer War

Source: Twitter
Besides Halloween, which is by far the most popular, South Africans generally don't celebrate other countries' holidays in any significant way. However, some Afrikaners found a reason to embrace one of Ireland's holidays.
Afrikaners share the luck of the Irish
@Volkstaat10, the X page dedicated to uplifting the Afrikaner community, shared a few images of Afrikaner residents in Orania (a white separatist town located in the Northern Cape) gathering for the St Patrick's Day celebration.
The X user captioned their post:
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"Happy Saint Paddy's Day from the Irish Monument in Orania!
"A mere footnote in the Irish story, but a huge chapter in Afrikaner history, are the heroes of the Irish Regiments who joined the Boer struggle against British imperialism. Your sacrifices are not forgotten!"
Take a look at the X pictures below:

Source: Twitter

Source: Twitter
St Patrick's Day commemorates St Patrick, a patron saint of Ireland, who died on 17 March. The day evolved into a celebration of Irish culture.
The Irish's involvement in the Anglo-Boer War
According to the United Kingdom's National Army Museum, there were nearly 50 000 Irish soldiers in the British army during the Anglo-Boer War, which took place from 1899 to 1902.
However, the ongoing conflict over land between the two parties caused a division amongst the Irish soldiers, with a small contingent of Irish groups joining the Afrikaners in their fight against the British.
What was the Anglo-Boer war about?
In a nutshell, sources state that the Anglo-Boer War, also known as the Second Boer War, sparked as a result of the colonising forces of the British and the Boers, the former having more power in numbers over the latter.
Afrikaner history intrigues the internet
A few people on the Elon Musk-owned app headed to the post's comment section to share an interest in what they had seen on their screens.
An excited @NattymotoX exclaimed after seeing the X post:
"I would love to hear more about this chapter of history!"
A possible Irish citizen, @MauriceSweeney8 shared their thoughts in the comment section, writing:
"We will always support the Boers. We will do everything we can to help in the creation of a Boer republic from the partitioning of South Africa."
@seamusmateus said to the online community:
"My great-grandfather was Irish and fought against the Boer. That's history. I support your cause today and lament what the British did in South Africa."
3 Other stories about Afrikaners
- In another article, Briefly News reported about an Afrikaner X user who shared what Orania looked like in the 1970s compared to now.
- An Afrikaner woman revealed her unexpected journey of becoming a sangoma. Some praised the cultural integration, while others questioned her adoption of traditional practices.
- A young Afrikaner unpacked the brief history of her ancestors and their fight for freedom. She also delved into why some Afrikaners celebrate 27 February.
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Source: Briefly News