St Patrick’s Day and a bit of Paddywhackery

Jo Bryant

Ahhhhhh…it’s a day to be proud of being Irish…to be sure, to be sure ! Whether you’re Irish or not.

The diaspora of Ireland’s sons and daughters worldwide has taken St Patrick’s Day from an Irish Public Holiday to a global celebration where green rules the world.

Kermit must be kicking his wee webbed feet in an Irish jig of glee somewhere.

New Zealand doesn’t lag behind either…technically we are the first country in the world to start celebrating…there are a lot of Irish descendants on these islands.

And a big fat load of them came here to Katikati. More than 20% of New Zealanders claim Irish ancestry for 365 (366 in 2012) days a year. Today we ALL claim to have a bit of the blarney in us.

Personally my claim is true and I am part of the 20%.

In 1875 George Vesey Stewart led a group of over two hundred from Ulster to Katikati and to this day the town celebrates its Irish roots and its most famous Irish son – Dave Gallaher, who was born in Donegal but came out with his parents (Maria – pronounced Mariah – and James) to settle in Katikati.

Dave was to captain the Originals…the rugby team that was to be the first to bear the name the ALL BLACKS. Dave was killed in World War I.

I can’t watch this video without tears forming.

But back to St Patrick’s Day…did you know that Saint Patrick’s Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland, Labrador and in Montserrat. It is a commemoration of St Patrick who was born a Roman Briton around the year AD 387.

Now for some fun stuff.

  • St Patrick is said to have charmed the snakes of Ireland in to the sea thus drowning them all
  • Another tale has St Patrick using the three-leafed shamrock to illustrate the idea behind the Trinity and therefore helping to make the shamrock the traditional symbol of Ireland

  • He introduced the Roman alphabet and Latin literature to Ireland
  • When St Patrick was alive Ireland’s national colour was actually blue
  • Lent restrictions are dropped on St Patrick’s Day in Ireland
  • On St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago, the rivers are dyed green
  • Green is affiliated with St. Patrick’s Day because it is the color of Spring
  • On St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps
  • If you are caught not wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day, you can be pinched!
  • Some of the more traditional St Patrick’s Day food includes, Irish soda bread, corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew, and of course, Guinness
  • The leprechaun association with St Patrick’s Day came from a Disney film from 1959
  • The first St Patrick’s Day parade took place in New York City in 1762 when Irish soldiers serving in the British military took to the streets to celebrate their Irish roots

***

It’s Saint Patrick’s day and an armed hooded robber bursts into the Bank of Ireland and forces the tellers to load a sack full of cash. On his way out the door with the loot one brave Irish customer grabs the hood and pulls it off revealing the robber’s face.

The Robber Shoots the Guy Without Hesitation!

He then looks around the bank to see if anyone else has seen him. One of the tellers is looking straight at him and the robber walks over and calmly shoots him also.

Everyone by now is very scared and looking down at the floor.

Did anyone else see my face?’ screams the robber.

There is a few moments of silence then one elderly Irish gent, looking down, tentatively raises his hand and says, ‘I think me wife may have caught a glimpse.’

***

Murphy had studied the facts carefully and had come up with the following conclusions.

The odds against being on a plane which had a bomb on board were 10,000 to 1.

However, the odds against being on a plane which had two bombs on board were 10,000,000 to 1.

‘That settles it,’ he said. ‘From now on, every time I fly I’m taking a bomb with me!’

***

“Paddywhackery“—defined by the Urban Dictionary as the imitation of all things Irish

***

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So from me to you…HAPPY ST PADDY’S DAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Published by Jo Bryant

I was born in the land of Banjo Paterson, gum trees, and weather extremes. I am a freelance photographer. I love to make images that make people happy. To capture forever a precious moment. I am also a freelance writer/editor. I live in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, but still like to claim my Australian heritage. I graduated with a Bachelor of Communications in 2008. I am writing my first novel. I love to write poetry, short stories, and also write for the web. And there is nothing that is on a par with a sunny summer's day spent at Waihi Beach.

41 Comments

  3. Don’t forget to shake a shamrock or just kiss a Leprechaun
    Jo, oh yes and do try to be good, if you can of course? 🙂 😉

    I like this offering of yours my wickedly fine friend ;roll;

    Androgoth XXx

    Like

      1. That is good to know 🙂
        Hey have a lovely rest
        of weekend and treat
        yourself to something
        wicked 😉

        Androgoth XXx

        Like

        1. Yes I like experimenting but these smiley
          things don’t always work properly do they? 😦

          Hey don’t forget to tell me what graphics you
          like, and you never know I might just surprise
          you with a few 🙂 lol Be good now Jo 🙂

          Androgoth XXx

          Like

  11. Paddywhackery sounds like something done to sheep, that they’re not particularly fond of. 😉
    On a lighter note, loved this! Thanks for sharing, and Happy Saint Patrick’s Day to all of you Jo, not just the Irish parts. 🙂

    Like

    1. Limericks can be traced back to the 14th century…even Shakespeare wrote a few. Of course the most famous poet to be associated with limericks is Edward Lear. In 1846 he published his Book of Nonsense (which was actually two volumes) which contained 72 limericks.
      “There was an Old Person of Ischia,
      Whose conduct grew friskier and friskier;
      He dance hornpipes and jigs,
      And ate thousands of figs,
      That lively Old Person of Ischia.” by Edward Lear

      Like

  17. Pingback: There’s something about St. Patrick’s Day | Chronicles of Illusions

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