Plastic Paddy Day

[Dr Q]

Even worse in the USA.

Was over in Houston two years ago, every advert on TV had Paddys Day discounts, Dept stores had row upon row of "clothing", Mcdonalds had Green Tomato Sauce.

Went to an Oirish Bar in the evening, actually with a colleague from Belfast, and they had a visiting Pipe and Drum Band, that was obviously doing the rounds. The irony was lost on them as they came marching into the bar playing "Scotland the Brave"

 

[sydney]

Haha all my dads side of the family are from County Clare in Ireland, although he was the only sibling born in England (as i was), so I've got alot of Irish blood that I'm proud of, but I dont celebrate St Patricks Day, as like most other 'celebratory days' its just another way for the government to make money.

both my folks are irish born cork and wexford........i find paddy's day a bit embarrassing tbh.....i like a drink as much as anyone but feck me there are some roight feckin gobshites managing to wiggle out of ireland these days.....no doubt my local boozer will be swimming in guinness, magners , piss and vommit as i type this post.......!!

 

[wardy wonder land]

A) when will there be a St Georges day parade in dublin ? (if not, can we have all the fancy buildings back that we paid for when it was the 2nd city ?)

2) have you noticed when they do a famous "oirish" on "who do they think you are" type programs, they suddenly stop the family branch that shows they are only 2nd generation irish ( oh look great grandpa was from brimingham etc)

iii) i have met irsh-american, welsh-austrailin, scotch-kiwi howcome there are no anglo-anythings ?

 

[W.C.]

A) when will there be a St Georges day parade in dublin ? (if not, can we have all the fancy buildings back that we paid for when it was the 2nd city ?)

2) have you noticed when they do a famous "oirish" on "who do they think you are" type programs, they suddenly stop the family branch that shows they are only 2nd generation irish ( oh look great grandpa was from brimingham etc)

iii) i have met irsh-american, welsh-austrailin, scotch-kiwi howcome there are no anglo-anythings ?

I'm half Spanish. Is that ok??

 

[Captain Sensible]

Paddy's days is just a great party. My wife is Irish and therefore my kids half Irish, and i've celebrated (mostly in Ireland) Paddy's day many times. Its a fantastic party, goes on for a few days and is a celebration about just having a good time. All the UK would need to do is make St.Georges a bank holiday and suddenly, you'd have St.Georges day fever everywhere. Its a crap time of year though. We should move St. Georges to a Monday in July. We would need to be careful not to allow any poltical views into the days celebrations, that's why Paddy's works so well.

 

[Cian]

(if not, can we have all the fancy buildings back that we paid for when it was the 2nd city ?)

Most of them were blown up and are rebuilds at this stage, so if you want a cheaply built 1920s pastiche of a fine Victorian building for instance I'd imagine the Revenue Commissioners wouldn't object too much!

 

[severnside gull]

Where are these then?

Or do you actually mean "pubs"?

No I mean local authorities who close the streets, put up barriers and fund additional policing without charge to said pubs. In the case of Birmingham (and others) we have put cash in too most years. No money for that this year but a promise to the organisers to put cash funding back in next year.
Not knocking it. It's great fun.
But it is only the Irish. The English can't be arsed to organise it and if they did it would probably be hijacked by the national front loonies (when I first moved to Brum the Paddy's Day celebrations were just a not even thinly veiled propaganda tool for the IRA).. I can however think of better uses for my council tax.

 

[oneillco]

A) when will there be a St Georges day parade in dublin ? (if not, can we have all the fancy buildings back that we paid for when it was the 2nd city ?)

2) have you noticed when they do a famous "oirish" on "who do they think you are" type programs, they suddenly stop the family branch that shows they are only 2nd generation irish ( oh look great grandpa was from brimingham etc)

Using your creative numbering system:

A) Why would you have a St George's day parade in Dublin when there is only a small population of English people living there? London has a large population of Irish and Irish descended people who fancy a nice day out. Georgian Dublin was built with money from the estates of the Anglo-Irish landowners, and from locally raised taxes and financing. Interestingly many of the villas on Clifton Hill in Brighton were built for the Anglo-Irish wealthy avoiding all the unpleasantness of famine in the 1840/50s.

2) No I haven't noticed that; who in particular are you talking about?

iii) The 1 million Unionists in Ulster don't keep their British roots particularly quiet, and I know people who come from Anglo-Indian and Anglo-Irish families. In Canada I was struck by how proud the Anglo descended people are of their British roots, and in the US are lot of the old money families who proudly call themselves wasps.

 

[mikeyjh]

No I mean local authorities who close the streets, put up barriers and fund additional policing without charge to said pubs. In the case of Birmingham (and others) we have put cash in too most years. No money for that this year but a promise to the organisers to put cash funding back in next year.
Not knocking it. It's great fun.
But it is only the Irish. The English can't be arsed to organise it and if they did it would probably be hijacked by the national front loonies (when I first moved to Brum the Paddy's Day celebrations were just a not even thinly veiled propaganda tool for the IRA).. I can however think of better uses for my council tax.

I'd hate it if St George's Day became a big thing - There is nothing more English that not feeling the need to make a big deal of being Engligh, it's always made me smile that.

 

[papajaff]

I'm in NYC right now and the plastic paddy's are everywhere. It is truly awful. Stupid green hats and ginger beards.

And I say this as the son of a lovely Dublin lady who would always remind me that I was English, not Irish. I am very proud of my Irish background and my cousins in Ireland laugh at this American debacle.

WTC memorial and a boat trip round Manhattan today to avoid all this "kiss me, I'm Irish" bollox. No you're not, you've never even visited that lovely country.

 

[Puppet Master]

Absolutely no offence meant if you ARE Irish, but why the big hoo-hah about this day over here? I really don't get it. I'd rather do something for bloody Halloween, that's saying summink.

Bet most of the people out "celebrating" tonight couldn't even point to Ireland on a map.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

Great day to commit a crime in New York - 90% of the NYPD is marching in the parade, and the other 10% is marshalling it

 

[W.C.]

Absolutely no offence meant if you ARE Irish, but why the big hoo-hah about this day over here? I really don't get it. I'd rather do something for bloody Halloween, that's saying summink.

Bet most of the people out "celebrating" tonight couldn't even point to Ireland on a map.

I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark here. It might sound crazy, but, I think it might be just an excuse to go out and have a drink? Maybe?

 

[Puppet Master]

I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark here. It might sound crazy, but, I think it might be just an excuse to go out and have a drink? Maybe?

If I wanted to go out for a drink I would, don't feel the need for the sanctimony and pretending to be Irish.

 

[W.C.]

If I wanted to go out for a drink I would, don't feel the need for the sanctimony and pretending to be Irish.

Wow, well I wouldn't know about all that sanctimony, I tend to never do St Patrick's day. It's nice to see a real spirit of live and let live on this thread though.

 

[Lower West Stander]

Even worse in the USA.

Was over in Houston two years ago, every advert on TV had Paddys Day discounts, Dept stores had row upon row of "clothing", Mcdonalds had Green Tomato Sauce.

Went to an Oirish Bar in the evening, actually with a colleague from Belfast, and they had a visiting Pipe and Drum Band, that was obviously doing the rounds. The irony was lost on them as they came marching into the bar playing "Scotland the Brave"

100% this.

Even the presenters on Good Morning America were wearing green this morning

 

[Geestar]

Chill out, have a Guinness and enjoy the night

 

[RexCathedra]

I refuse to celebrate it... and I'm entitled to an ROI passport -- if I can pony up €350.

The Green Beer Irish are contemptible.

 

[Soulman]

No I mean local authorities who close the streets, put up barriers and fund additional policing without charge to said pubs. In the case of Birmingham (and others) we have put cash in too most years. .

Try just up the road, was funded by donations.
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2014/04/21/15000-on-streets-for-st-georges-day/

 

[Earlybird]

I'll be out having a few scoops tonight. Hope that ok.
Cant understand how angry some people get about a bunch of people having a good time - wearing silly hats & fake ginger beards if that's what they want to do.
I don't celebrate St Davids Day or Burns Night but I'd say 'Good luck to you if you do & I hope you have a ball'
We mostly all enjoy football but some weirdos out there dont.
Should we stop to appease them?
Vive la difference.
What's the matter with some of you? Lighten up ffs.