One year ago I wrote a column about how much I love St. Patrick’s Day while my former coworker, Treá Lavery, wrote about how much she hates it.
Treá, whose father is from Ireland and has visited the country many times, is not a huge fan but I, who had never been to Ireland but am of Irish descent, had nothing but great things to say about the holiday.
Well. I am writing to you a year later from Ireland, as I prepare for my first St. Patrick’s Day in the homeland, and I can confirm I am still a huge fan.
I’ve heard some people say that the U.S. celebrates St. Patrick’s Day way more than the actual Irish do, but that is in fact not true.
I spent the last few days seeing the phrase “Happy St. Patrick’s Day” written and painted everywhere; green and orange shirts and scally caps being worn throughout town; countless parades and celebrations and Irish bunting flags lining the streets.
Like I’ve said before, I am a sucker for bagpipes and Irish accents, so you can assume I am in my element here.
What is really cool though about celebrating this holiday in Ireland is the passion its people carry.
I was lucky enough on this trip to meet a second cousin on my dad’s O’Callaghan/Crighton side, Patrick Hogan, who is from Cork and is descended from relatives who moved to Temple Place in Lynn in 1905.
He and other locals have Thursday and Friday off as the city of Cork — which is where I will be for the holiday — is expecting more than 75,000 people for the first parade in more than two years.
The GARDA (Irish police) is also celebrating its 100th anniversary, so they will march in the parade — alongside Massachusetts state troopers and Lynn police who I am on this trip with — with floats, dancers, singers, musicians and drinkers on Thursday.
Since I have been in Ireland, I have fallen in love with the rolling hills of Dingle and the sheep and cows that outnumber the people; the Bailey’s coffees which make drinking at 8 a.m. acceptable; the Irish accents (which I attempt to do but end up sounding British); and the endless amounts of potatoes.
But, I think that the coolest thing I have witnessed is the love and excitement the Irish have for their home and its history.
Everyone I have met is so proud to be Irish and happy to welcome us Americans back in the country just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. We were the first group back into Shannon airport in two years and the first tour group in most of the towns and villages.
The pandemic hit Ireland hard, like many others but, as St. Patrick’s Day approaches, the Irish people seem ecstatic to not only celebrate their history together again, but to welcome us Americans to celebrate with them as well.
Although I hate Guinness (I have tried it multiple times and am just not a fan), I will be sporting my green and orange in the streets of Cork as I tell every Irish person I meet that ancestry.com says I am 55-percent Irish.
Slainté everyone ― drink responsibly!
