Have you ever heard of the “Emerald Isle of the Caribbean”? Montserrat is the only place outside of Ireland to celebrate #StPatricksDay as a national holiday. They celebrate it over a 10 day period. 1/ 
Most Montserratians are of Irish descent & have Irish surnames. The passport stamp is a shamrock. Catholics fled there to escape rel persecution in the 1600s. The Irish were a varied group of wealthy landowners & indentured servants. They brought enslaved Africans too. 2/
While the indentured Irish could work their way to land ownership & rights after seven years, enslaved Africans could not. Since many of the slave owners were Irish, the enslaved ppl picked St. Patrick’s Day in 1678 to revolt. They figured the slavers would be drunk as usual. 3/
An Irish 🚺 overheard their plans. So instead of being drunk from the revelry the slavers were ready. To quell future uprisings, they hung 9 ppl for their roles. They made a special ex of the uprising’s leader, Cudjoe, by also putting his head in a tree. 4/
Although the uprisings did not succeed, Monserratians celebrate #StPatricksDay to commentate the African uprising. The activities for the wk incl a freedom run from Cudjoe Head to Salem Park, a nature hike, and a junior calypso competition. 5/
They also celebrate w parades, parties, and lectures about the island’s history. Montserrat turned this horrific moment in history into an opportunity to celebrate their roots and to educate others by combining their Irish and African heritage. FIN
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