Why don't Cork people call St Patrick Street "Pana" in real life?

scrotist

I see people online saying "Pana" in relation to St Patrick's Street.

I've been living in Cork for 10 years and never heard anyone say Pana in real life. Not even taxi drivers or anything.

First of all, why don't people say that in real life? Is it because it's cringe?

Secondly, what does it mean? What is a Pana?

Ash.J.Williams

I heard different

Pauliedragon

I'm from Cork but spent a long time abroad in the 2000's. I never heard the term Pana until I came home in 2018. I always wondered where the term Pana originated from.

DylanQuestion

I can't stand the word Pana. Not sure where it came from either. I only ever hear people say it ironically, same with Leeside and Leesider. Only the newspapers like CorkBeo use it in a serious way

scrotist

I see it mentioned on reddit a lot.

I asked a few people what it means and they have no idea. It's like some kind of mass psychosis thing affecting the "Leeside".

It's just weird that nobody says it in real life. Surely I'd hear the most hardcore northside Cork taxi driver mention it once, but nope.

My theory is that they know it's just sounds cringe. "Pana bai... can't bayt some tripe and drisheen Leeside lad hehehehe"

Pauliedragon

If people called it Paddy st or Pats street I'd get it but Pana just doesn't make sense. Maybe this helps

https://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/environment-geography/physical-landscape/geography-of-cork-city-1/st-patricks-street/nineteenth-century-to-pre/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20most%20popular,the%20nickname%20of%20the%20street.

corks finest

I do always

corks finest

Then again I’m ancient

Padraig Mor

Similar to others above, I'm Cork born and bred and never heard it referred to as Pana until 15/20 years ago - and at that, I've never heard someone refer to it as such in person.

igCorcaigh

It's pure cringe. No one calls (St.?) Patrick's Street Pana. Not one.

the beer revolu

Growing up, I only heard it used in reference to people "doing Pana" (walking up and down the street with friends looking for love, laughs and trouble!) . My mother used to talk about this. But it was never an alternative name for St. Patrick's Street outside of this context, in my experience.

In recent years, I've heard of the unenforced, useless St. Patrick's Street traffic restrictions referred to as, "the Pana ban".

Mav11

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121769348#Comment_121769348

I do!

Mav11

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121770210#Comment_121770210

Yeah, my parents referred to it in the same way. Apparently "doing Pana" was very popular in the 50's when they were courting!

corks finest

Think it’s an age thing

all my mates and relatives around my age call it Pana and use Cork slang etc in everyday conversation,

im mid 60s

my youngest Cork son ( 21)had never heard of ‘ pana’ when I mentioned it to him.

Danzy

Remember a cork lad in the 90s saying that it would be like throwing it down pana, in reference to a woman who worked as a prostitute.

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121784787#Comment_121784787

Not really, though.

My older siblings 60s never used the term. Neither did my Cork parents (apart from the expression, "doing Pana). There's more to it than age.

In my experience if only heard it used in very specific circumstances and never as an everyday replacement for," St Patrick's Street ".

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121784806#Comment_121784806

It's a sausage that would have been thrown down Pana!

Mav11

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121787224#Comment_121787224

In my experience it is seldom referred to as " St Patrick's Street ", it is usually just called Patrick's Street?

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121793459#Comment_121793459

This is also true.

JP Liz V1

I use Patrick Street or Grand Parade

I only heard Pana when the traffic ban came in

Mav11

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121799166#Comment_121799166

You would probably have to be of a certain vintage to know about, or use Pana.

Scipri0

I've always just called it Patrick Street. I've heard a few say pana in real life, but not me.

sammyjo90

This is so strange, i only moved here 6 years ago was introduced to the street as Pana by many a cork person who I worked with. So to everyone I brought down I'd say cork people call it pana for some unknown reason and now it looks like I worked with a niche bunch of corkinians...who are not in anyway the same age/from the same area of the city.

Weird one

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121820697#Comment_121820697

Sometimes people, when explaining stuff to outsiders, they ham up localisms. Same way some Connemara lads become like something out of 'The Field' when drinking with Americans!