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23 Oct 2025
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23 Oct 2025
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Pictured: Igbo Nile Ireland celebrate Iriji in Cork. Photo: Igbo Union, Cork
Igbo Nile Ireland and Northern Ireland have announced that this year's New Yam Festival cultural celebration will take place in Laois.
The New Yam Festival, also known as Iwa ji, Iriji, Ike ji, or Otute, is an annual cultural celebration among the Igbo people of Nigeria and other West African communities, marking the end of the yam harvest and the beginning of a new farming season, typically in early August.
This year's celebration will see ten Igbo Union chapters across Ireland come to Portlaoise to celebrate heritage and culture with the community.
Pictured: The poster advertising the 2025 New Yam Festival (Iri-Ji-Igbo) and cultural display
"We are a non-profit group, and wish to celebrate the mix of Irish and Igbo culture within our community," said Mr Kingsley Nnaji, Chairperson of Igbo Union Portlaoise.
"This is the first of its kind, where all chapters across the country will come together, it will be a very big day," he said.
Igbo Union Portlaoise have been active in the community for over 15 years, holding events and previously marching in the annual St Patrick's Day parade in Portlaoise. The group meets on the last Sunday of each month, and have almost 50 members.
"This will be a celebration of all cultures, both Irish and Igbo. Culture is dynamic, it changes as people do. We are always trying to see how we can revive the traditions of the old days, while maintaining originality in how we mod," Mr Nnaji explained.
"It's celebrating all features of culture, and modernising it. The Irish and the Igbo have a lot in common. It was Irish priests that brought Christianity to us. Both cultures have old traditional ways of dressing, we were educated similarly," he said.
"We wish to put on a cultural display of food, fashion and traditions, and plenty of activities for all. We want to involve all communities. It is open to everyone," he said.
All are invited to this cultural event, taking place at Portlaoise Leisure Centre on Saturday August 2 at 12 noon.
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