Irish-American Heritage Month, the numbers

MarkB · Post by **MarkB** » Thu Mar 04, 2004 11:52 am

From the U.S. Census Bureau facts and figures about Irish-Americans.

Irish-American Heritage Month (March) &
St. Patrick’s Day (March 17)

Although not an “official” holiday in the United States, St. Patrick’s Day has a long history of being celebrated with parades and general goodwill for all things Irish. The day commemorates St. Patrick, who introduced Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century. Because many Americans celebrate their Irish lineage on St. Patrick’s Day, March was picked as Irish-American Heritage Month. The month was first proclaimed in 1995 by Congress. The U.S. president also issues an Irish-American Heritage Month proclamation.

http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www ... 01687.html

Enjoy the numbers and links.

MarkB

LimuHead · Post by **LimuHead** » Thu Mar 04, 2004 12:01 pm

So do they drink green beer in Ireland on St. Pat's day or is that just a US thing?

Actually, that'd make a good parody (to the tune "Does Your Mother Come from Ireland"):

Do they drink green beer in Ireland.....
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah blah blah

Okay it's too early in the day for my creative juices, sorry about that.....

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Thu Mar 04, 2004 12:19 pm

Strictly US, but the celebration of St Patrick's day in Dublin is becoming increasingly American, as exemplified by the red noses, white faces and blue thighs of majorettes exposed to the rigours of an Irish spring.

In recent years - particularly since Mary Robinson's presidency, the national feast has increasingly been seen as a celebration of and reconnection with the Irish diaspora.

Here in the Irish community in Brussels, it used to last about a week, but a whole month is really impressive!

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Thu Mar 04, 2004 2:16 pm

An interesting quote from a radio 'shock-jock' on a TV talk show a few years back:

"The river's runnin' green and they're p***ing in the alleys - it's St. Paddy's day in Chicago!'."

Frankly, I've always wondered if the descendents of those who stayed behind aren't more than a little appalled at the St. Pat's Day antics and excesses of their distant cousins in the US of A.

Steven · Post by **Steven** » Thu Mar 04, 2004 3:21 pm

The scary thing is that a huge number of the people indulging in these excesses have no Irish heritage at all. St. Paddy's day has just become an excuse to drink a lot. Kind of like Cinco de Mayo (during which many, many non-Mexican people get very drunk just because).

:roll:
Steven

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Thu Mar 04, 2004 3:22 pm

It's big in Eastern Canada. Here in Ottawa we do have Irish month, I believe the tricolour is flying at city hall beginning this week-end. The Ottawa valley is Irish to the core, ever heard Ottawa Valley-speak? This city was built up by navvies working on things like the Rideau Canal and many citizens proudly flaunt their Irish heritage, whether they've been here for 2 or 200 years. The main focus of Irish month events here is not constant drinking (there is one official pub night for the two Universities, sponsored by the National Capital Irish Society), it is mostly cultural. There's a wake for the parade leader (obviously for fun), I think the Irish Descendents are (maybe did) playing, Irish cuisine showcase (blah!), there is a trip along the Ottawa river following the route the Navvies and French labourers used when working on the canal and on St.Patrick's Day itself the only Irish Society sanctioned event is a mass at St. Pat's Basilica that night.

It's also huge in Montreal where the Irish knocked up truck loads of pretty young french girls, Montreal has the oldest St. Pat's parade in North America
http://www.whatsontheplanet.com/wow/ptn ... t_id=48047
(despite what the article says, Montreal is NOT the heart of seperatism, it has voted no to seperation in the referendums)

MarkB · Post by **MarkB** » Thu Mar 04, 2004 3:23 pm

A Great day for making money if you play anything Irish music, but a day (a weekend) that I don't look forward to. It's bad enough on a regular night with drunks in pubs/bars who think they can sing Danny Boy, or the Wild Rover and try and grab a microphone, but a whole bar with tons of drunks all wanting to do the same thing all through the day/night, just makes me gringe.

Not one of my favourite days of the year to play Irish music, or be anywhere near a bar/pub.

Oh yes, the green beer, green p**s attitude exists here in Canada also.

MarkB

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Thu Mar 04, 2004 3:54 pm

The Irish-American Claddagh Ring (image and design copyrighted):

<img src=http://home.hvc.rr.com/kislindriscoll/r ... addagh.jpg>

I made this claddagh ring for Dan out of an American silver dollar about a month after we started seeing each other (today is one year after our first date - happy anniversary to us!). In the center of the heart are the lips of Lady Liberty (from the Morgan dollar). One of the arms says "we trust" and the other says "ONE." The top of the crown and the ring band were cut from the edge of the coin. It's been on his finger since the day after I made it. I am going to make another one this year for production.

blackhawk · Post by **blackhawk** » Thu Mar 04, 2004 4:40 pm

It's beautiful, Jessie!