St. Paddy's Day [Super Mega Happy Fun Thread]

hussey

Kent 'O Brockman live on Main Street, where today, everyone is a little bit Irish! Eh-heh, except, of course, for the gays and Italians.

.

seanybiker

have a good one everyone

Snowie

Im going to build me wall in a while....

Caoimhín

I was just about to start a thread on Paddys day, What does it mean to you?
To me it represents some of the worst things about Ireland and the Irish;

• Christianity, it is a religious holiday, why is our national day so closely tied to Catholicism, I think it isn't very inclusive for Irish people of other religious denominations and those, like myself with none.
• Plastic Paddies, all those daft Leprechaun hats and beards, its dust a dumb American stereotype of the Irish, begorrah...
• Drunkenness; to many people, Paddys day simply means an excuse to go out and get raging drunk in public. In my home town, after 7 pm, it is like Baghdad on a bad day, its simply not safe with all the piss heads about.
• Our politicians using the day as an excuse to go on costly junkets around the globe. Which, of course, we paid for.

To be fair it has some good things;

• It improves the sense of community, when families can go out and look at a parade and other entertainment, (In the early afternoon before the teens and piss heads start vomiting on the street.
• Tourism, it is clearly a huge money spinner for the pubs and the economy in general.

Just as a side thought, whats the funniest thing you have ever seen involved in a parade. I cracked up laughing when i saw a small Massey Ferguson tractor, all wrapped up in tinsel and light up multi-coloured fairy/Xmas tree lights. It was driven up the main street in Carrick-on-Shannon as part of the parade. I remember getting ill from eating too much fizz bombs, Wham bars and Cherry Cola...

I will be spending the day on the sofa with the xbox....

Snowie

another day of the week to me and and excuse for people, to go mad for the day and why the fvck not.....

I have to build a wall today.....

KTRIC

I'm stuck in work today. Damn Germans don't celebrate Paddy's Day

seanybiker

tuesday night is my little night for going to the pub and treating meself. I wont be going out early cos ill only up smacking some took that gets annoying with to much drink on him.

BlitzKrieg

the important thing is the tube in youtube is green

Ponster

Caoimhín wrote: »

[*]Christianity, it is a religious holiday, why is our national day so closely tied to Catholicism

Errr, difficult for it not to be associated with religion isn't it?

And minor nit-pick, I don't see it linked to Catholicism at all, but Christianity yes.

BlitzKrieg

And minor nit-pick, I don't see it linked to Catholicism at all, but Christianity yes.

THe whole Saint thing tends to be a more Catholic element then most other Christian faiths, seeing as alot of Protestant faiths focus on the Bible exclusively and try to cut out all excess baggage that has latched on over the centuries.

But that simply has to do with being older so it was more prone to having little stories grow in size and mythos and later be officially recognised.

The larger and older equivilent to most small churches in America finding Jesus on burnt toast.

toomevara

Shout out to all my long-suffering mates and colleagues in A&E's and hospitals all over Ireland...It's Saint Patricks day, officially your worst day of the year as drunken 'Oirish' idiocy on a biblical scale ensures that most of your places of work will resemble the Gaza strip on a bad night by 7 this eve..I salute your indefatigability....and God help you all.....

Caoimhín

toomevara wrote: »

Shout out to all my long-suffering mates and colleagues in A&E's and hospitals all over Ireland...It's Saint Patricks day, officially your worst day of the year as drunken 'Oirish' idiocy on a biblical scale ensures that most of your places of work will resemble the Gaza strip on a bad night by 7 this eve..I salute your indefatigability....and God help you all.....

Its a fúcking disgrace. People who arrive in A&E with drink related injuries on Paddys day, or any (Saturday night indeed) should be charges €500 for their treatment. Obviously only if it is self inflicted like alcohol poisoning or falling into things.
Make them sign a treatment contract agreeing to pay the €500 before they are treated and then send them an invoice the following day.
That would leave them short of drinking money for a while and they might think twice about getting plastered drunk for the sake of it just because they think it is socially acceptable to do so on March the 17th.

Rented Mule

I for one, would like to congratulate everyone who attend parades around the country for carrying on this American tradition !!

Tiz me

There are many good reasons for drinking,
One has just entered my head.
If a man doesn't drink when he's living,
How in the hell can he drink when he's dead?

Rented Mule

Tiz me wrote: »

There are many good reasons for drinking,
One has just entered my head.
If a man doesn't drink when he's living,
How in the hell can he drink when he's dead?

My father was given a mug with that enscription on it 50 years ago for his 18th birthday.

Caoimhín

Ponster wrote: »

Errr, difficult for it not to be associated with religion isn't it?

And minor nit-pick, I don't see it linked to Catholicism at all, but Christianity yes.

Well Bastille day, the 4th of July or Australia day aren't religious events. I thought we had moved on from the days of bending the knee to the local priest. There are many proud Irish people who aren't Catholic/Christian, not to mention the 256,640 Athiests and the 301,762 Non Catholic.
Thats 558,402 out of 4,239,848 (14% of the population).

From CSO Website;
http://www.cso.ie/census/census2006results/volume_13/tables-1-10.pdf

Berty

Rented Mule wrote: »

I for one, would like to congratulate everyone who attend parades around the country for carrying on this American tradition !!

No. Its more important that we remember we are celebrating a man who was British but can rejoice in the fact that he was actually a slave, abducted from his Welsh home by some Irish folk.

I look forward to the usual slow relaxing day visting the family whilst confused why I am not seeing ANY Garda checkpoints.

Mycroft H

The tds got twelve days off for paddys day, shockin isnt it.....

stovelid

Caoimhín wrote: »

[/LIST]To be fair it has some good things;

• It improves the sense of community, when families can go out and look at a parade and other entertainment, (In the early afternoon before the teens and piss heads start vomiting on the street.
• Tourism, it is clearly a huge money spinner for the pubs and the economy in general.

Extra day off too, Caoimhin. Bring it on.

Ponster

Caoimhín wrote: »

Well Bastille day, the 4th of July or Australia day aren't religious events.

No, but they never were. St. Paddy's was a religious event a long time before it ever became a national holiday.

Caoimhín

National Geographic; http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090316-st-patricks-day-facts.html


St. Patrick's Day: Made in America?
Until the 1970s, St. Patrick's Day in Ireland was a minor religious holiday. A priest would acknowledge the feast day, and families would celebrate with a big meal, but that was about it.
"St. Patrick's Day was basically invented in America by Irish-Americans," Freeman said.
Timothy Meagher is an expert on Irish-American history at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. (a bit one sided IMO) He said Irish charitable organizations originally celebrated St. Patrick's Day with banquets in places such as Boston, Massachusetts; Savannah, Georgia; and Charleston, South Carolina.
Eighteenth-century Irish soldiers fighting with the British in the U.S. Revolutionary War held the first St. Patrick's Day parades. Some soldiers, for example, marched through New York City in 1762 to reconnect with their Irish roots.
Others parades followed in the years and decades after, including well-known celebrations in Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago, primarily for flourishing Irish immigrant communities. "It becomes a way to honor the saint but also to confirm ethnic identity and to create bonds of solidarity," Meagher said.

Most of the story of Patrick is a myth. All i am advocatine is a national holiday that would me more inclucive, less religious and maybe the pubs should shut..

flanum

landyman wrote: »

The tds got twelve days off for paddys day, shockin isnt it.....

Who do they think they are, marrying our swans and eating our jobs?

Ponster

Caoimhín wrote: »

Most of the story of Patrick is a myth. All i am advocatine is a national holiday that would me more inclucive, less religious and maybe the pubs should shut..

Wouldn't the fact that St. Patrick's day became a bank holiday in 1903 suggest that it held a more important place in Ireland then you're quote suggests?

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Rented Mule

-Phuqer- wrote: »

And Google has a Paddy's Day Logo. Which was made by a 16 year old from Limerick which is interesting.

Link

Did they find it on the wall of a remand centre somewhere?

murfie

I'm stuck in work also, in the US. It should be a national holiday here also.

And i didn't type paddy wrong above, they actually say and write patty's day over here. What!!?! That how did that happen and i have even had Americans argue that their way of spelling it is right!! WTF, no respect! :rolleyes:

Fago!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eteWVqVPcTQ

MadYaker

Any plans for the biggest drinking weekend of the year?

I think ill be staying at home with a few friends as Galway is generally an absolute clusterfúck by about 4pm with vomit and broken glass and pissed off Gardai everywhere.

The Backwards Man

Working all weekend.

Be your own boss, they said.
Work your own hours, they said.
Have the freedom to take a notion and just head off to China or somewhere at the drop of a hat, they said.

Balls, I say.

Penny Tration

Pj and sofa day. Don't care about drinking and I have work the next morning

Mena

Heading to New York so we'll see how it goes.

topper75

Galway isn't out on its own there.

Cluster****s abound.

Nothing wrong with some beer between pals, but the dumb Irish won't stop until closing time or vomit time, whichever comes first.

MagicIRL

Nothing special; France v Ireland on Saturday, UFC 171 on Saturday night/Sunday morning, Training and the United v Liverpool match on Sunday and then a lovely day off work on the Monday. Won't be going near town.

readyletsgo

I'll go for a few pints as usual after work tonight, might go for one on sunday for paddys but just dont wanna, so may stay in for the weekend. Video games!

Banjo String

Down on roster to Fly to Guatemala on Sunday evening from Heathrow. :mad:

I've never flown a plane in my life before so wish me luck.

orangesoda

Derry play Dublin in football on sunday, after the game there are plans to chase them down to the pale on horse back with pikes

Dyr

orangesoda wrote: »

Derry play Dublin in football on sunday, after the game there are plans to chase them down to the pale on horse back with pikes

Don't forget to change yizzer money though

robz150

Going to see the parade in Dublin god help me :eek:

orangesoda

Bambi wrote: »

Don't forget to change yizzer money though

Yes those european coins are annoyingly large

MadsL

Cooking stew for 27...

MagicIRL

robz150 wrote: »

Going to see the parade in Dublin god help me :eek:

God can't help you. He was scientifically disproven by AH this morning.

lertsnim

Few cans at a friends house for the rugby tomorrow. Catch up with an old friend who is back from Australia for a short holiday on Sunday. Probably do nothing on Monday

candy-gal1

Steak day today , my mates babys christening tomorrow, going to see the Muppets movie on Sunday me hopes, and for the actual Paddys Day Ive no idea yet - always seem to play this day by ear and always seems to work out

131spanner

Meeting a few friends for a few pints with a tasty lasagna in the nearest bar, lovely spot to spend a few hours

The Backwards Man

MadsL wrote: »

Cooking stew for 27...

How does that work in the Mojave, do you just leave it outside in a pot for a while?

MonstaMash

Muay Thai tournament Saturday evening followed by a few libations & Irish craft beer festival in the IFSC Sunday.

BBQ on Paddy's day with the lads from the club...more beers

Lando Griffin

Starting tomorrow for the Le big one in Paris then its Super Sunday all day Sunday, hopefully get to the village parade on Paddys Day and bring the kids down the local for the crisps and 7Up.:)

DEFTLEFTHAND

Will probably go out tomorrow night and maybe Sunday, don't plan on going anywhere on Monday.

Jordan 199

Australian GP is on this weekend so I'll be tuned into that.

maguic24

MadYaker wrote: »

Any plans for the biggest drinking weekend of the year?

I think ill be staying at home with a few friends as Galway is generally an absolute clusterfúck by about 4pm with vomit and broken glass and pissed off Gardai everywhere.

I'll be going back to the country...probably won't do anything for it. Very unlikely that I'll touch a drink this weekend.

Yes, I am Irish.

Galwayguy35

Working tomorrow and Paddys Day, might head out tomorrow night for a few pints of the black stuff.