March 18th, 2005
Paddy’s Day Schmaddy’s Day
Well as the beer, and subsequent vomit, runs green for today it makes you wonder why we bother with Paddy’s Day.
The fact that he was English makes me think of St. Patrick as a bit of a Tony Cascarino-during-the-Jack-Charlton-years in the way the Irish have embraced him as bona fide Oirish. And Jack’s army don’t even get a mention in The Onion’s Irish Heritage timeline to celebrate the day.
So today people will pin mucky lumps of wilted shamrock to their good coats, kids at the parade will get jostled out of the way by adults trying to get a good view and by 5pm the streets will be full of zombified ‘revellers’ who’ve been on the gargle since 10am.
I used to live off Patrick Street in Dublin years ago and the route went past my door. It may have been 30 feet away but year in, year out, I’d be woken up to some bloody marching band bashing away on large bass drums led by American cheerleader types in orange tights - trying to smile even though they couldn’t feel their legs any more.
The always hilarious Twenty Major has rounded up some facts on the subject that may or may not be true. Wonder how TM feels about this being the first year of non-smoking in pubs on the booziest day of the year�