A Positive St Paddy’s Day
After years of self imposed exile from the Parade, this year, myself and my fellow journalist Poraic Cahill decided to observe the day’s events and report our findings for your good selves. In breaking with another tradition, and against an increasingly, popular perception, I really enjoyed it!
We walked down Thomas Street and it really was one of them walks were time seem to fly. The festive atmosphere that provided amble distraction, people wearing the glorious green, albeit in wigs & sunglasses, singing songs & chanting their way, towards the city center. It was a beautiful sight.
We decided to make a few stops on our little outing. Firstly, Thomas Reads on Dame Street to wet the auld whistle a little, it is St Patrick’s Day! We got talking to some Americans and one guy told us he was a New York cop, who had been born in Ireland but emigrated during the eighties and was back with some of his work colleagues for a holiday. You could tell just by talking to him, he was proud to be Irish and that he was loving his sojourn at home.
As we travelled up the Dame Street, we watched with great amusement at the collage of amazing colours, dancing, marching and beautiful designed floats that made up the parade. The parade was a worthy spectacle from wheeled foxes and owls to giant French opera singers it captured the imagination, delighted the senses and brought us all from our individual lives together as one nation.
We made our way up to St Stephen’s Green from Grafton Street. We were just in time for the start of a Céile, so we hung out there for a while and had a bit of a dance, but being no spring chickens, needed another break and made our way to the public house, Bruxelles. Everywhere people celebrating Paddy’s day were just having a good time (or the crack as we so affectionately refer to it). All of a sudden it hit me, before I couldn’t see the wood from the trees, here is one of the world’s greatest parties on my doorsteps.
My advice to those lapsed-parade goers, if you are Irish on Paddy’s day in Ireland take full advantage of it, go out see the parade and soak in the atmosphere. Yes, there was trouble in places, fights, small riots even but are we going to allow a few bad eggs ruin our day for us? I’m not, you shouldn’t either.
