By Christine June
Public Affairs Office
George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (March 17, 2016) – Irish Capt. Conor MacCarthy (left) and Irish Capt. Tom Egan, from the Ireland Defense Forces display their country’s flag in honor of St. Patrick’s Day March 17 at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies.

Egan is a Marshall Center Program on Terrorism and Security Studies' alumnus and a current adjunct professor for PTSS 16-06. Conor is a PTSS 16-06 participant, who will graduate with his classmates March 23.

Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a cultural and religious celebration held on March 17, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat.

It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora around the world, especially in Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, Japan and Malaysia.

Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival.

Held twice a year, PTSS is a functionally focused program that draws in civilian, law enforcement, and military counterterrorism professionals from around the world and improves their capacity to counter terrorism's regional and transnational implications.