March 17, 2002

7:07 AM

I'd like to wish a happy St. Patricks Day to Irish readers, Irish-Americans, Irish-Britons, Irish-Australians, Irish-New Zealanders, and whoever is of Irish descent. And if you don't have Irish blood, go to the pub, drink some Guinness and you soon will!
posted by tomcosgrave (33 comments total)

And if you don't have Irish blood, go to the pub, drink some Guinness and you soon will!

I don't think Irish blood on your shirt is the same as in your veins...
posted by esch at 7:18 AM on March 17, 2002

I would say in fact there is an inverse relationship between connection to Ireland and desire to care about St. Patricks Day.

I have an Irish passport, I just barely noticed it was coming. My family back in Dublin, some of the older ones might go to Church, but it's Sunday anyway so that works out. Nobody in Ireland drinks extra today, that's for you yanks.

St. Patricks Day is really an American holiday and ya'll should keep the blood out of it.
posted by Leonard at 7:25 AM on March 17, 2002

Leonard, surely you jest? St. Patricks is roughly equivalent to the July 4th celebrations in the US.

And there is plenty of extra drinking going here for St. Patricks Day.
posted by tomcosgrave at 7:42 AM on March 17, 2002

I dunno, Leonard. Here in old Lisbon the thriving Irish pubs are converting the lot of us. Judging by lthe revelry ast night, Saint Patrick will soon steal the top spot from our own Anthony.

"It's a lawn chair", everyone!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 7:43 AM on March 17, 2002

St. Patricks is roughly equivalent to the July 4th celebrations in the US.

I meant St. Patricks Day as celebrated in Ireland, compares to the US celebrating July 4th. Just wanted to clear that up.
posted by tomcosgrave at 7:45 AM on March 17, 2002

Has anybody tried the "rocket widget" Guiness bottle yet? Does it work?
posted by whuppy at 7:57 AM on March 17, 2002

Whuppy - there was a very good MetaFilter thread about that widget, if only I could find it.

Meanwhile, here's an amusing "St Patrick snake-catching" game from tomcosgrave's link. I expect it's conceived to be difficult only after six or seven pints of Guinness. ;)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:03 AM on March 17, 2002

Finally. Here it is, whuppy!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:08 AM on March 17, 2002

And here's the Wired article about the widget that linked to that MetaFilter thread. This concludes my good deed for the day.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:10 AM on March 17, 2002

Am I the only person who hates St Patricks day? I'm not Irish, I hate nationalism and alcohol makes me sneeze. Green sucks too.
posted by vbfg at 8:14 AM on March 17, 2002

A toast:

May those who love us, love us,
And those who don't, may God turn their hearts;
And if He won't turn their hearts, may He turn their ankles,
So we'll know them by their limping.
posted by alumshubby at 8:16 AM on March 17, 2002

.Am I the only person who hates St Patricks day? I'm not Irish, I hate nationalism and alcohol makes me sneeze. Green sucks too.

Ah jaysus, will you lighten up. A bit of nationalism is fine - it's the fanatical kind that sucks. It's okay to celebrate your heritage and culture.

And if you still disagree, well then, you can "póg mo thóin glas gaeilge" (kiss my green, Irish ass)!!
posted by tomcosgrave at 8:25 AM on March 17, 2002

I just wish I was in Boston today so I could celebrate St. Paddy's with some appropriate music from these guys. But instead I'll get some Guiness and put on their albums. Erin Go Bragh, folks!
posted by jonmc at 8:51 AM on March 17, 2002

Here in Savannah, Georgia (where it's supposedly the second largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the US, although I can't find a source that says such), the streets are filled with drunks, the trash is overstuffed with cans and bottles of alcohol, and the Port-O-Lets are either oozing with fecal matter or tipped over in the early hours by out-of-hand partiers. Erin go Braugh, indeed.
posted by GirlFriday at 9:13 AM on March 17, 2002

GirlFriday: 120 miles up the road, here in your sister city of Charleston, our mayor has, for the last several years, worked very hard not to grant any permits for outdoor gatherings where alcohol will be served. The reasoning for that was, "We don't want to turn into Savannah."

As much of a libertarian as I am, sometimes I see what happens down there on this day, and I'm glad we don't do the same thing you guys do.
posted by ebarker at 9:29 AM on March 17, 2002

"Top 'o the morning to ye on this gray, drizzly afternoon. Kent 'O Brockman live on Main Street, where today, everyone is a little bit Irish! Eh-heh, except, of course, for the gays and Italians!" -- Kent Brockman
posted by geoff. at 9:36 AM on March 17, 2002

I look forward to someone wishing all of us British, American-British, Irish-British, and other British related types a happy St. George's Day when it comes around. ;-)
posted by wackybrit at 9:58 AM on March 17, 2002

Another christian "holiday". Big deal. ;-P
posted by mischief at 10:19 AM on March 17, 2002

'Irish-Britons' Does such a thing exist. Here's to a great St. Patricks day, and hoping for happy times. I for one would definitely like to see a united Ireland...to be sure, to be sure.

If it was up to me, I'd give back all our colonies, obvious except for Gibraltar - too much fun seeing the Spanish pissed off to do that. Actually, I'd probably keep Bermuda as well, but I disgress. Great place Ireland, and great people. I read somewhere the other day that there are 45 million people in the US that claimed to be Irish. Bizarre that, having 4 times as many Irish people in the US than in Ireland. That Catholics breeding for you I suppose ;-)
posted by RobertLoch at 10:29 AM on March 17, 2002

<mike myers in "so I married an axe murderer">Let's Get Pissed!!!</mike myers in "so I married an axe murderer">
posted by Succa at 10:57 AM on March 17, 2002

May the landlords of 'Irish Themed' Pubs the world over rejoyce at yet another successful marketing exercise.
posted by boneybaloney at 11:23 AM on March 17, 2002

I certainly enjoy a wee pint from time to time. But as an American of 100% Irish descent, I cringe when I see people (Irish or not) use St. Patrick's Day as an excuse to get blind drunk.
posted by Dinzie at 11:28 AM on March 17, 2002

Don't forget to wear your contacts for your trip down to the pub.
posted by OneBallJay at 1:06 PM on March 17, 2002

It's okay to celebrate your heritage and culture.

I agree. I ain't Irish though, or a believer in saints, and neither are any of the people who called me a miserable bastard today (with the possible exception of you). What fecks me off about today is that the same people who think about Ireland and Irishness maybe twice a year - once on St Patrick's Day and once at work during the preceding week when a colleague reminds them that it's St.Patrick's Day this weekend and wouldn't it be cool to forget we've been born - have a go at me for not celebrating this day that NEVER enters my concious thoughts throughout the entire year. Fecking Irish cultural imperialists. :) I am celebrating English culture in a way, I'm being a stubborn arse refusing to do what anyone tells me.

I drink too BTW, I'm just a clumsy idiot at the best of times and it still makes me sneeze. Six foot clumsy skinheads having sneezing fits at parties attract the wrong sort of attention.

Oh, and RobertLoch, expect Gibralter to be given to the Spanish within the next five years. Britain plus Spain plus Italy is the new European alliance to annoy the French and Germans. Annoying the Spanish is fun but if we get 'em onside then we can *really* feck the French off.

My use of the word 'feck' is my one concession to St.Patrick's Day BTW. Hope you enjoyed the day.
posted by vbfg at 1:09 PM on March 17, 2002

I for one would definitely like to see a united Ireland...to be sure, to be sure.

A lot of people would, except most of the people who actually live in NI ;-)
posted by wackybrit at 1:13 PM on March 17, 2002

I look forward to someone wishing all of us British, American-British, Irish-British, and other British related types a happy St. George's Day when it comes around. ;-)

St George is the patron saint of England, not Britain. You know this, right? ;-)
posted by ceiriog at 2:22 PM on March 17, 2002

What a bunch of party poopers. Let me just say, thank ye kindly, tomcosgrave, I delight in yer good wishes, wish you the same and may ye be in heaven an hour afore the divil knows yer dead.
posted by Lynsey at 6:01 PM on March 17, 2002

Party poopers indeed. Many (if not most) holidays that actually get recognized tend to now be far removed from their actual beginnings - consider Halloween (All-Hallow's Eve) or even Memorial Day (Armistice Day). So, we in America "celebrate" the death date of the man who (legend and/or history says) converted Ireland to Christianity. Do we do so to celebrate Christianity, Ireland or even St. Patrick? Well, no - but we do in the process celebrate other cultures, traditions, histories and countries that might otherwise go unrecognized. Even if we don't get the details right at all! No green beer or bagels around here tonight, but we did feast on a glorious corned-beef-and-cabbage dinner. Yes, I know it's not a traditional Irish meal, that's why it's called a New England boiled dinner! But I like it, and it's associated, for better or worse, with St. Patrick's Day, so I made it anyway and enjoyed it. As a concession to realism, we also made champ, listened to the Chieftains during dinner, and I am now enjoying a fine Guinness. Slainte!
posted by yhbc at 7:33 PM on March 17, 2002 [1 favorite]

Oh cripes. For "Memorial Day" please read "Veteran's Day"
posted by yhbc at 7:35 PM on March 17, 2002

And another thing! No one celebrated St Patricks Day here ten years ago. I'm convinced British pub companies are copying America's successful cashing in on the 'event'.
posted by vbfg at 2:57 AM on March 18, 2002

Paddywhackery Goes Global. My Welsh boyfriend is sick of all this fake Irishness when St David's Day (and St George's Day) barely get a mention. They've just marketed themselves better he says. He has a point.
posted by Summer at 4:01 AM on March 18, 2002

I think St. Patrick's Day has grown because of emmigration. No matter where you go, you'll find a group of Irish...well, accept Ireland (stolen from a comedian, I don't remember who).

It's more a celebration of overcoming adversity than St. Patrick himself. The Irish were dirt poor and managed to overcome that ( for the most part).
posted by Mick at 5:22 AM on March 18, 2002

Corned Beef and Cabbage are an American Irish institution, since that was pretty much what they could afford.

Oh, and I hope you all remembered to celebrate on March 16th, since the 17th was a Sunday, and moveable feast days of Saints give way to the Sunday celebration. Thus, St. Patrick's Day was the 16th this year (and celebrated in the Cathedral of Christ the King by Monseignor (who, being the only one I know, doesn't seem to have any other name than that!) with a beautiful homily).
posted by dwivian at 9:13 AM on March 18, 2002