Celebrating Who We Are
I recall as a child that St Patrick’s day always started with an almost fruitless search for shamrock in the fields around our house.
Coming back with big clumps of clover, with muddy roots, my patient father would take us back out into the fields.
For some wonderful reason, he was always able to find the perfect bunch of shamrock. It was one of those magical skills he possessed, like knowing where robins’ nests were hidden in ditches. Revealing these treasurers, he would carefully show us how not to disturb the nest or even to breathe on the little white speckled eggs within.
Perfect Bunch of Shamrock
Once the perfect bunch of shamrock was secured, it would end up on the lapel of my father’s suit. But of course, as children we were never interested in displaying bits of cow food on our Sunday best. No indeed. We had been counting down to the day when we could pin on the very exotic St Patrick’s Day badges that had arrived in the post from America. Lengths of satin ribbon in brightest kelly green with a golden harp, glitter and trim, these badges were a far cry from anything to be found in Brosna in the 1970s.
The Meaning of the Day
I don’t think we ever stopped to think much about the meaning of the day. Whether as a religious feast day, or a day of national pride, it was simply a break away from the chalky blackboards.
Today, with conflicts across the globe as a result of aggressive nationalism, religious differences or just plain old big bully land grabs, there’s a lot to be said for seeing ourselves as global citizens, standing in solidarity with all other nations of the world. But in the midst of this global world view, there’s still room for us to embrace everything that makes us truly Irish.
Happy St Patrick’s Day
It’s not just the culture and heritage of our past. The modern Irish mindset also includes a questioning attitude that’s both democratic and tolerant, a diverse society that’s united under its own flag but outward looking and inclusive to all nations.
It’s what we’ve always been about. It’s no surprise really. Well, we made an immigrant our national saint, after all. Wishing you all a very Happy St Patrick’s Day. Proud to be Irish, European and a Citizen of the World.
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