…because it’s the day that everyone becomes Irish! Whether Erin is in your blood or not, that island with a history that includes Viking invasions, monks who saved classic literature, and more recent oppression from the English (not just from the Crown but from the likes of megalomaniac Cromwell), shares its celebration of their patron saint around the world, although that old boy might have frowned on the excesses many indulge in during their celebrations.

Not to detract from St. Paddy’s accomplishment of bringing Christianity to pagan Celtic tribes and the remaining Viking invaders who mixed pagan gods and rituals with those approved by ancient Rome, we need to remember that the saint wasn’t even Irish. He was a Briton, kidnapped from ancient England as a wee lad and then escaping to go home to become a priest. When he returned to Eire, he didn’t drive out the snakes—the Oireachtas’s politicians can be as hissing and biting as those in any other western democracies.

Faeries, leprechauns, and other legendary creatures add to the mystery surrounding Eire and their patron saint. Modern fans of the Irish Republic like me can enjoy it all while imbibing Irish ale or whiskey at our favorite local Irish pubs.

Slainte!

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