St. Patrick's Apologia

[auld argonian]

Now I may be asking for it but I heard this this morning on NPR and it hit a nerve with me. I've heard a lot lately about how the real Irish are having some difficulties with the way that their American relatives celebrate the saint's day.

Drowning the Shamrock

by FRANK DELANEY


"Hail glorious Saint Patrick dear saint of our isle
On us thy poor children look down with a smile —"
But I'm not singing hymns and I'm not saying prayers
No, I'm gritting my teeth as I walk down the stairs
And into the street with these louts fiercely drinking
And screeching and lurching, and here's what I'm thinking —
They're using a stereotype, a narrow example,
A fraction, not even a marketing sample
To imitate Ireland, from which they don't come!
So unless that's just stupid, unless it's plain dumb,
All these kids from New Jersey and the five boroughs
And hundreds of cities, all drowning their sorrows,
With bottles and glasses and heads getting broken
(Believe me, just ask the mayor of Hoboken)
All that mindlessness, shouting and getting plain stocious —
That isn't Irish, that's simply atrocious.
I've another word too for it, this one's more stinging
I call it "racism." See, just 'cause you're singing
Some drunken old ballad on Saint Patrick's Day
Does that make you Irish? Oh, no — no way.
Nor does a tee-shirt that asks you to kiss them —
If they never come back I surely won't miss them
Or their beer cans and badges and wild maudlin bawling
And hammered and out of it, bodies all sprawling.

They're not of Joyce or of Yeats, Wilde, or Shaw.
How many Nobel Laureates does Dublin have? Four!
Think of this as you wince through Saint Patrick's guano —
Not every Italian is Tony Soprano.

...after navigating through Chicago today, I have to say that I agree with Frank.

Best

AA

[LitTrog]

I agree. Just think if something like, say, Cinco de Mayo celebrations were inundated with the imagery and aping of tequila-soused Mexicans. White guys and non-Mexican Central and South Americans poking fun at a gross stereotype? The jails would be full of "hate criminals." The Irish have progressed so well beyond the "oppressed" status in America that the caricaturization is somehow okay.

I do the green milk for my kid, have a dram of Powers and/or Bushmills 1608, but the 17th of March for me is pretty tame. I have a few friends who are Irish expats, and I don't see them immersed in the drunken melee that occurs downtown. I don't feel that the St. Paddy's celebrations are necessarily racist, but I know that they would be interpreted that way if applied to any other ethnic group.

Prepare to be modded.

[Sammac]

I have always worn something green on St. Patrick's Day, and now try to carry on toasting St. Patrick and thanking him for bringing the good word to Ireland, just like my Grandma who was half Irish.

[drum bum]

I agree with the OP, but here in "The States" St Pat's has morphed into a whole new monster. I think the best we can do is for the various heritage conscious groups to offer fun and educational alternatives. I'm afraid the current nature of the US St Patricks day won't be changing anytime soon.

[RAF]

I'm in Boston - a city with a large Irish contingent as most know. It's also a big college town. Interestingly, the St. Patrick's Day parade in Southie (which historically has an Irish majority) is relatively tame compared to the antics of the college kids who start their "celebrating" by 11:00 AM or earlier. There are three bars within 50 yards of my building. Last night, in my apartment, even with the windows closed, it sounded like I was in one of those crowded bars.
There will always be a segment of the population that will use any holiday as an excuse to party, get drunk, and be stupid (rather than understanding the true nature of the particular holiday.) Whether it's St. Patricks Day, Halloween, July 4th, Cinco de Mayo (which really has nothing to do with the U.S. and is not even that big of a celebration in most of Mexico,) or any other commemorative day - given the opportunity, there are those who will take advantage and go too far. Are ignorance, tom-foolery, and debauchery manifestations of racism in this case? I don't know that I'd go that far. At least I hope not. But they can be disappointing to witness en masse.

I forgot to mention, during the day, there was a bagpiper playing (very well I might add) out in front of one of the bars. That was all the celebration I needed for the day! I opened my windows to better hear the wonderful sound. It put a smile in my heart.

[Blackrose87]

Are ignorance, tom-foolery, and debauchery manifestations of racism in this case? I don't know that I'd go that far. At least I hope not. But they can be disappointing to witness en masse.

I don't think I'd go as far as calling it racism, but from what I've seen on TV and the Internet, the Paddy's day celebrations in North American have evolved so much that they have very little to do with Oreland anymore.
The idea that it should be spent getting as drunk as possible is very much an American invention (in recent years anyway).
I think the majority of Irish people have mixed feelings about these celebrations, myself included. It's one thing celebrating the fact that you're descended from Irish people, and a completely different thing to use the day as an excuse to get drunk.
It seems that in Ireland, we are moving more and more towards the American idea of the celebration, and losing all sight of the original point of St. Patrick's day.

[RAF]

I don't think I'd go as far as calling it racism,

Agreed. I had only mentioned the word as it was brought up in the OP.

[Riverkilt]

Guano????

[CMcG]

...
It seems that in Ireland, we are moving more and more towards the American idea of the celebration, and losing all sight of the original point of St. Patrick's day.

More broadly, there is a trend in the modern world for formerly religious holidays to take on a more secular and/or commercial tone. Is that Americanism, or is that the impact of modernity with its focus on facts, science, and business? Religion is not an allowed topic on this forum, but I think it is still safe to say that for many people, holy days are now just holidays. I'm not saying that's a good thing, just making the observation.

[Blackrose87]

More broadly, there is a trend in the modern world for formerly religious holidays to take on a more secular and/or commercial tone. Is that Americanism, or is that the impact of modernity with its focus on facts, science, and business? Religion is not an allowed topic on this forum, but I think it is still safe to say that for many people, holy days are now just holidays. I'm not saying that's a good thing, just making the observation.

Aye, your quite right about that. I suppose it does seem that the commercialisation and modern idea of St. Patrick's started in America, and has increasingly been taken up by Irish people.
I remember that when I was young, the day was still very much a religious holiday, but when home last year ths was definitely no longer the case.
Maybe even without the influence of Americans the day would have become just as commercialised. Maybe that is just the way of the modern world.