Irish to lobby U.S. Congress to have St Patrick’s Day as national holiday

Truly a weird idea. If made a national holiday, St. Patrick's Day would have to be stripped of its Catholic and Irish connotations (yes, some are left) and made him a secular, buffoonish figure of excess, self-indulgence, sexual liberty and wild fun. The pope would have to condemn such a holiday and have the US bishops organize a movement for religious liberty, demanding that they alone have the rights to the trademark called St. Patrick.

Not gonna happen. If it did, then every ethnic group would demand a holiday: the Germans, the Dutch, the Norwegians, the Polish, and the list goes on and on.

A round of applause for darao, who explained what kind of organization the AOH is. The Atavistic Order of Hibernians -- I'm surprised there are any AOH left in 2013.

This isn’t a petition started by AOH it just happens the petitioner is an AOH member. As for the AOH being a Right Wind Fundamentalist org you should do some fact checking and look at the roots of the group whose links are with labor unions and anti defamation organizations. They are a catholic lay organization so causes of the Church do overlap however.

Fail. Just what we need...start turning nationalistic days used mainly for getting drunk into actual holidays.

Who the crunch cares? America and Irish both have bigger fish to fry that this little tempest in a teapot.

Nice idea even though the chance of it going through are nil.Mr. McBride just because one is 5th or 6th generation removed from Ireland doesn't make them any less proud of their Irishness. I am 3rd generation and believe it or not here in the southwest one tends to find people far removed from their Irish roots and many, as I, do not have an Irish surname because it was my mother's people who were the immigrants and they married German-Americans. I am proud of my Irish roots because they are the newest group in the new world coming in the mid-19th century. Just because we aren't the immigrant or their children doesn't make us any less Irish.

Smyrnian - If they disrespect the rights of women to choose how to handle their own bodies and reproduction choices then they are certainly a fundamentalist group poushing a religious based dogma. I have no problem with such groups promoting whatever they believe but they should not pretend to somehow be representing the Irish people.

the AOH website says "We invite all Catholics of Irish birth or descent to seek admittance to the FINEST Irish Catholic Organization in the World" which indeed makes it a religious organization. The AOH currently plans pro life marches in January - making it an anti abortion organization. The AOH is politically actively pushing for a United Ireland which makes it a political organization with a nationalist agenda. As an organizad group -- they are pretty fundamentalist and yes a "group". I am not part of any group either right or left but remain opposed to those who try to use co-opt Irishness to push their agendas. The AOH does not represent Ireland or Irish people in general.

Ziomek isn't irish, who are u? Its watered down 5 or 6 generations. The irish people just want your tourist dollars because they have no economy. A state holiday for certain states I can understand but a national holiday i'm not sure?I'm a proud american first and Irish second! The new irish want to many holidays! Thats why there economy collapsed!

Darao - you need to get your facts straight. The AOH is not a religious organization. If their members respect women's rights AND the rights of the unborn not to be killed, that does not make them a "right wing fundamentalist group". Do your views make you part of a left wing, pro-abortion fundamentalist group?

A silly idea .. There are many cultural groups in the U.S. and no need for a national holiday for them. Our American friends would be quite capable of finding American things to use for National Days. And PLEASE do not ask for an Irish National Holiday for the fourth of July either. Additionally the AOH is a religious group and dedicated to one political cause. Modern people in Ireland have moved so far beyond such stuff as to make it irrelevant. We Irish abroad should not take ourselves too seriously but just enjoy life and our cultural heritage. The AOH is focused on a christian, anti-abortion and nationalist agenda it seems. The do not speak for Ireland or the Irish but only for their own members. They push for anti-abortion protests at a time when Ireland is trying to make for a safer more respectful approach to women's rights. It seems from their website they are little more than a right wing fundamentalist group trying to co-opt Irishness to their cause.

Why not we have Martin Luther King day.

Sure...really? as if the Irish didnt have enough problems.

What 's next, Cinco de Mayo(sp)? Many businesses offer personal holidays. Use one of them. A Proud Irishman