Sh**e Irish parents say on St. Patrick's Day to their American kids

I wonder how many ate happy that you dismiss the day as a HOLY observance of the saint, and one to commemorate the price paid for the Faith iat home and its powerful influence worldwide especially compared to the small numbers on the island. Then your snide comments about boozing, perpetuating the false understanding of the irish culture. especially today when the Irish North and South and the Government of the UK are quite concerned about the huge cost of alcholism in health, domestic violence, fights and absenteeism. Same in the USA with binge drinking and kids atarting with booze and sex at age 8/9. Mass attendance and prayer and family values might be a helpful part of the antidote to the epidemic. Then St Patrick's Day could help redeem the sick culture all round.

Why do Irish Central sometimes undermine respect for Ireland? O'Shea's article is fine but does it need that title? Let's have some editing that will eliminate one's hesitation to share articles.

On point No.1 - originally this festival was in honour of a saint - Patrick, to be precise, who is credited (along with the missionary Palladius) with bringing Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century. Somewhere along the line this fact got lost in the green and booze. It was never a 'holiday of obligation' as it is known in the Church (ie. obligatory mass attendance) However when I was a child, St.Patrick's day always meant going to mass in honour of the saint, which seems quite appropriate. It was also a tradition that it almost always rained, which might explain point No.4. There was also always a traditional parade that was more 'lively funeral' than carnivalesque in atmosphere. Since then I'm afraid I grew up to see that it has become an embarrassing drink-fest from which I distance myself. It might be better altogether to give the saint a new day and let the 17th be re-named 'national drinks day' or something. By the way, despite popular belief, Guinness is not the most popular drink in this country (it's Murphys anyway if you're from Cork), a drink which reminds me of the taste of damp cardboard flavoured with bovril. Much more lager is consumed these days.