Changing times
So today is Ireland’s “special day”.
I am quietly bemused at the idea that the entire world seems to want to be Irish on this day. They light up their buildings in green and some hold parades. They celebrate it more than we do. There isn’t another country on the planet that seems to have the same effect.
Thinking back fifty years, this was a day to get hammered. I would meet up with The Lads and we’d head off on a pub crawl along with the rest of the country that would end in our “Local”. By the time we arrived back there the pub would have been a heaving mass of bodies all spilling drink over each other and having fist-fights trying to get the bar man’s attention. The Local wasn’t local for me but it was for The Lads. They could crawl home after but I’d have to drive. After eight or ten pints that was a bit of an adventure but what the hell – I never killed anyone.
Things have changed somewhat.
I can’t remember when I last had a pint of Guinness. I notice from this here rant-spot that I went for a pint with Neighbour two years ago on this day. The pub was dead. There were no unconscious drunks on the floor or heaving masses all shouting for a drink. There were just a few sitting around looking gloomy. Even the “live entertainment” packed up early and fucked off home. I think that was my last pint.
The pubs are festering corpses today. The smoking ban had a terrible effect but the latest Virus shenanigans has killed them entirely. There hasn’t been a pub open [legally] in over a year. St Patricks Day with no pubs? It’s like Niagara Falls without water or the South Pole without ice – unthinkable fifty years ago.
So today is just another day really. I shall spend it as I spend every other day and the only indication of the day that’s in it is the fancy Google thing on their search page.
I’ll have a large whiskey tonight though.
That’s nothing to do with Paddy.
It’s Jameson and I do it every night.
Paddys day. I never understood it when I worked in the pubs.
We had to get the massive Guinesss hats in and get a few more barrels in stock so all the English locals could 'get involved', but it really is just Guinness day over here, a massive marketing coup. Nobody bothers much about any other saints day
Jameson did always try to get in on the marketing, but nobody was bothered
What annoys me are those big floppy "leprechaun hats" and inflatable hammers. I know it's trivial and I should know better but I still hate 'em.
And I forgot to mention another pet hate – Americans who call it Patty's day. I don't know where the fuck that came from.
I hate pretty much all the loud merchandise. People look like complete dicks wearing it
They do some cool little trinkets and gadgets though
I've not heard 'Pattys Day'. I thought a patty was a burger in Yankland
A very quick small random screen-grab –
Well shit!
Fucking nauseating!
https://paddynotpatty.com/
Heh!
Heh! It even mentions burgers…
Another thing that grinds my gears is American use of the expression "Eireann go bragh" in association with all things Irish, particularly "Patty's" Day. Possibly slightly unfair of me as it is an entirely gramatically correct expression, it's just that it is never, in my experience, used in Ireland.
I now hate these Special days, St. Paddy's, Hogmanay and now Christmas, which used to be day for being with family, eating lots of stuff you never saw the rest of the year and getting mellow on wine, sherry, port and Stones Ginger.
Now, or rather last time I had a local, the place fills up with loudmouths, who cannot make up their minds as to which fancy drink, that have heard about somewhere, they are going to have. And they always ask for the pint of Guinness last, which is fine if it crap Guinness that just slops out in seconds. But in my pub it takes a lot longer. They don't have the sense to have a round list. Two drinks and they are pissed. Then they get louder. Start arguing about the bastard who always orders doubles except when he is buying, or manages to be in the bog when it is his round.
I could go on. It's my age.
I agree. They have all just turned into commercial ventures full of false jollity. Just give me the quiet life.
Any Irishman worthy of the name will always order Guinness first. It's the law.
Jameson's – just having some now. What's keeping you?
The proof that it's just a marketing thing is when St. Patrick's Day falls on a Sunday. Last time it happened around here, the pubs were celebrating 'St. Patrick's Day Eve'
Brian, anything printed on a calendar is fair game for "Saleabration".
I'm amazed. Never heard it called Patty's day. How stupid and arrogant.
They have banned double "t" in badderies for your torch. Innerviews with celebrities on the innernet and documentaries on Annardigger (that bit down south covered in ice) and how innernational it is. Very inneresting.
Will they ever stop fucking with the language we gave as a gift? Dossel, missel,tacktell, fuwtel, We won't know what the hell they are on about shortly. I just love the irony of their not being able to pronounce irony.
Sorry I'll get my coat.
You forgot 'aloominum' for 'aluminium' – they can't even read.
Dear Mudplugger
They can't spell either, they miss out an 'i'.
I suspect it was down to a great letter shortage back in the day, when they ran also out of 'u's and had to economise. 'Plogh' stymied them, until someone thought to spell it 'plow', though they stopped short of changing 'thought' to 'thort'. 'Thogh' didn't work for them either; obviously someone hadn't thought it through. I suspect the seriously unlettered were responsible for 'tho'' and 'thru'', sometimes without an apostrophe. Clearly short of 'g's and 'h's. 'Buoy' is a weird one because they pronounce it 'boo-ee', whereas if they stuck with 'boy' they could easily have saved a 'u'. It's plain they could have used 'obvios'. And 'culd', of course. And 'corse'.
DP
Maybe they should do a deal with the Welsh, they seem to have a lot of vowels going spare.
I wonder if I have any of my American readers left after this?!!
Still a few of us here pop's.
Take that for what its worth, I'm getting more bull headed every year and can't afford to run many more folks off. If I'm not careful, I wont have anybody left to be pissed off at.
You still have a few.
On Wednesday morning I was watching the local news and they mentioned that over 30 million Americans claim Irish heritage. That's a few more folks than you have in the entirety of Ireland
I thought everyone knew that Boston is the capitol city of Ireland?
One thing about the folk here is that they can take a joke – that's why we keep coming here, we're all grown-ups, behind the apparent piss-taking is a lot of respect for our fellow commenters. Long may that continue.
Some years ago, when stationed in Noriron with the British Army, I mentioned that I was celebrating St George's Day and was told by a local that, as St George was from Turkey, why were the English celebrating him? Rather than explain that it was his example of chivalry and bravery in releasing others from danger that we were celebrating, I just asked if they realised that St Patrick was a Welshman? That must have been one of the shortest conversations ever!