St Patricks

And so March 17th rolls round - the day when we all pretend to have some Irish heritage or relationship as an excuse to go out and get gloriously drunk. Or not, as the case may be this year (alas, i had to work the next day but i was invited round to a co-workers for a couple of drinks, snacks and Doctor Who - if you recall last week's post). Anyway, as seemed to be a growing trend back home, St Patricks Day is quite a big thing over here - not least because of the Irish-American population Alas, the population isn't overly large here in Charleston (although i do know they have an Irish society here - i remember them doing some kind of dance thing at a baseball game last year) and i have been told that the place to go for big St Patricks day fun is Savannah, Georgia - about a 2 hour drive from here. Maybe i'll do that next year.

Looking back in history, many Irish came to America in the 1600s and not only helped build the country, but also fought for independence against(predominantly) the English. Between 1820 and 1845 (around the time of the potato famine) a number of Irish made the then dangerous journey to America - such to the point that there are now estimated to be many millions at present day. Other famous Americans with Irish Ancestry - Kennedy, Theodore Roosevelt, Grant, Reagan, and a number of other US presidents including the very first - George Washington. Think of the Hollywood actors we would not have today - Judy Garland, Gregory Peck, Mia Farrow, Grace Kelley, Errol Flynn, James Cagney, Shirley Maclaine, Angelica Huston, Spencer Tracy, Jack Lemmon and Robert Redford to name but a few. So in addition to remembering St Patrick, the day over here is also a chance for America to say a big 'thank you' to all the Irish - both over here and in Ireland. Now let's all go out for a pint of Guinness.