（A: Akiko, S: Seamus）

S: What are you drawing there, Akiko?

A: I'm making a painting of shamrock and sakura.

S: Now, that's in honor of me, isn't it?

A: Well, of course! You know, I feel so at home here in Dublin.

S: Lots of people say that when they spend time in Ireland. By the way, you know about the 50th. nniversary, right?

A: The 50th. anniversary?（何の記念だろう？） Of what?

S: Well, your country and mine established diplomatic relations 50 years ago.

A: Wow.（へえ、今年はアイルランド日本との外交50周年記念なんだ） I studied about Yakumo Koizumi. I mean Lafcadio Hearn. I enjoyed his book "Kuwaidan", which he collected local horror stories that his wife told him. Come to think of it, his name is also Patrick!

S: Of course, Patrick is very common name in Ireland - it comes from our patron saint, Patrick himself!

A: Just before I left Tokyo, I heard about the new Ireland/Japan working holiday – so more and more people are going to come and visit! And there are more and more Irish companies making new offices in Japan.

S: I think it's a great thing.

A: I think so, too.

S: So, what are you going to do today?

A: Patrick and Cashell and I are going to start working on our St. Patrick's Day costumes.

S: Yes, St. Patrick's Day will be here in no time at all.

A: I'm going to meet them at the pub, and we're going to put everything on paper.

S: Well, you have a good time then.

N: Later, in the pub.

A: So, what do you think of the green kimono?

C: I think it's a great idea.

P: But shouldn't we add some more 'Irish' to the whole thing? After all, we're going to be painting our faces green, with shirts to match...

C: And I'm going to carry the uillean pipes, and Patrick'll be playing the bodrhan.

A: Well. I could carry a green and orange kimono bag...and...well you have the instruments, could we try a song?

C: How about “Danny Boy”?

A: Oh, I love that song! It‘s famous in Japan, too.

C: Now there's a song with an interesting history – it's not clear where in Ireland the melody came from. But there are more than 100 sets of lyrics for the same tune. Now, the lyrics for ‘Danny Boy' were written by an English lawyer. His sister-in-law lived in America, and sent him the melody, and he thought the melody fit for a set of lyrics that he had already written. And that's where “Danny Boy” came from.

P: Is there a Japanese version?

A: Yes, there are many Japanese versions. But, I learned the English one, like this: Oh Danny boy, the pipes the pipes are calling.

C: From glen to glen and down the mountain side

C / P: The summers gone, and all the flowers are dying.

A / P / C: It's you, it's you must go and I must bide
But come you back, when summer's in the meadow

Or when the valleys hushed and white with snow
I will be here in sunshine, or in shadow

Oh danny boy, oh danny boy, I love you so
Oh danny boy, oh danny boy, I love you so

N: This year, we celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and Ireland. In 2007, the two countries established a youth exchange program. and we hope that more young people will travel across the sea and share their life and culture.