Has the black stuff hijacked St Patrick’s Day?

It used to be the most Irish of days – a day for everyone in Eire and Irishmen elsewhere to celebrate everything and anything to do with their beautiful homeland.

No more it seems.

These days St Paddy is almost an afterthought and it’s truly the Black Stuff, or at least its brewers, who are doing the real celebrating.

It’s a world event too. Can there be that many Irishmen alive on the planet at the same time? Really?

I very much doubt it.

Everyone with any distant Irish link, and millions without the semblance of an Irish heritage, claims they are Irish for one day a year these days.

It’s ridiculous.

Don’t get me wrong, I love any excuse to party and will no doubt be found at the end of tonight wearing a ridiculously oversized green ‘pint of Guinness’ shaped hat, singing B*witched songs and swearing I am the new Michael Flatley to anyone within earshot.

It might well make me look drunk and stupid but it doesn’t make me Irish does it?

And that’s my point.

This is no longer a celebration of Irishness – it’s just an opportunity for most people to put on fake Oirish accents, dress like a Leprechaun and drink millions of gallons of Guinness.

And Guinness are the only real winners in all of this, aren’t they?

Do they really need any marketing when Ireland’s national day has become a celebration of their drink at the expense of the Saint who lends his name to the occasion?

St Patrick’s Day? Don’t make me laugh – they should rename it St Guinness Day.

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