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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Anger over Walmart selling drunken leprechaun wine for St.Patrick's Day

Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 02:26 PM
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Walmart is marketing drunken leprechaun wine to their customers this St.Patrick’s Day.

The white wine bottles replete with a drunken leprechaun ready to swig from the bottle are on sale in their stores. This photograph was taken in Albuquerque New Mexico by Trish Meyer, originally from Dublin.

She sent in the above photograph with her comments.

She writes "I complained to Walmart about their "Happy St. Patrick's Day" wine - featuring a drunken leprechaun and a pot of gold (see image attached). She has yet to receive a response.

She writes "They wouldn't think of putting a sombrero on Our Lady of Guadalupe to celebrate Mexican heritage, so why is it's okay to associate our patron saint with leprechauns?

She stated the wine was for sale near the entrance and looked like "cheap plonk"

In her letter to Irishcentral she stated "I'm fine with using such imagery on "Celebrate Being Irish" hats and tees and so on, but the icon for St. Patrick should be a simple shamrock, which ties into how he explained the Holy Trinity to the native Irish. (The marketing arm at Guinness just uses an understated Shamrock.)

Am I the only Irish person who is annoyed that companies just want to make money off our Irish heritage while not having the first clue as to how to do it with respect?"

No Trish I don't think you are the only Irish person who feels that way but it is all too common around this time of year.

I'm just surprised that Walmart is buying into it as well

Maybe they should change their motto to 'everyday low standards.'


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44 comments

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billyjustin | Mar 23, 2011, 09:43 AM EDT
sure i was in manhatten for paddys day, had a great time and met many americans who have family in the green land,as for Leprechauns on wine bottles, they should have gone the (hole hog) and made green wine, but they are too THICK, no offence.....Slainte from Limerick..Billy.

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juliwilson | Mar 22, 2011, 06:30 PM EDT
White wine?? Huh. Really??

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hancock | Mar 22, 2011, 05:17 PM EDT
Afraid?

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LiamLeprechaun | Mar 22, 2011, 04:47 PM EDT
A formal letter of protest has been filed by the Leprechaun Union, as this wine was produced using non-organized, off-shore Leprechauns, from grapes picked and stomped by non-union, alien workers... (as is the case with most Wal-Mart products!) There is a trademark lawsuit filed by the leprechaun who's likeness was used on the bottle without his permission. (The release he signed was for paper plates and partyware!) Leprechauns Unite, show your solidarity.. boycott Wal-Mart - Spend your pot of gold at Union supported stores only!!!

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krissangel | Mar 22, 2011, 12:09 PM EDT
And you expected class from Walmart?? Puh-leez! Walmart is known for it's cheapness and low standards. Just look at the majority of their clientele.

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Jimsales74 | Mar 17, 2011, 03:33 PM EDT
I have no problem with the drunken leprechaun. I never met a sober one, have you? The leprechaun that lives under my back porch is constantly drunk. The thieving little bastard is always stealing my Powers as well. He's also never had a job. Who would hire him with that stupid hat anyway? He just laughs an tells me who needs a job when I've my crock 'o gold to keep me? So, yes leprechauns are all stinking lazy drunks as far as I can tell. So that doesn't bother me at all. What does bother me is the fact that they have poor little feller hawking white wine. No self respecting leprechaun would be caught dead drinking white wine. This is a travesty that must be stopped now!

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Redfrckle | Mar 17, 2011, 01:41 PM EDT
So I was just talking to my cousin in Wicklow. She says it's true, the Irish hate the idea of the pub crawl. She says everyone knows the pub crawl is not an Irish tradition! The real Irish just stay in the same pub until it closes! ;) Éire go brách!

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Ajreaper | Mar 17, 2011, 01:39 PM EDT
I am in Belfast this St Patricks day and as I passed by a Subway this morning the employees were dressed like ....... leprechaun's and rest assured the Pubs are booming (however I have yet to see a green beer anywhere). People all celebrate things a bit differently and I hardly think anyones doing it wrong because it's not the way you or I celebrate it. If they ain't hurting anyone then get down off the high horse and let it be might be the best thing to do.

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Redfrckle | Mar 17, 2011, 01:28 PM EDT
To PaddyMac - I think the point many are making here is that you can't just blame the Americans for a non-Christian view of St. Patrick's day. Many of the American notions of "Irish traditions" were handed down to us from our Irish parents and grandparents. I don't know a single Irish American that truly believes all Irishmen are drunkards, and I can see how some would take offense at the winemakers poorly chosen artwork. But America is all about free speech, free enterprise, and freedom of religion. Trish Meyer is free to be offended by the image of a drunken leprechaun, and others are free to drink it. Some of us decorate our homes in green and others in orange. One thing I've found in our neck of the woods...today, we are all Irish! Éire go brách!

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Tisovertheglen | Mar 17, 2011, 12:40 PM EDT
Mss Meyers should not be too dismayed at Walmart. Whatever bottles are left on the shelves and in the warehouse following St.Patrick's Day will be re-labelled for Easter with a daft bunny leaping over a daffodill.

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hertej | Mar 17, 2011, 11:54 AM EDT
Oh, come on everybody who takes offense to this, I beleive walmart,s was just trying to celebrate the occasion in their way for their customers!!!

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PaddyMac | Mar 17, 2011, 11:50 AM EDT
From the comments, it would seem like there's no hope in changing Americans view of St. Patrick's Day from a day to "get plastered on green beer" (while wearing tacky hats and shirts) to a day that would celebrate what it means to be Irish. After all, that's what they've made of our national holiday, and who are we to complain. Even the Irish are buying crap from China now. And then there's the argument that there's too many other issues to worry about, from Japan to the recession. Newsflash: There will always be something bigger and more newsworthy to worry about. Should we just give up on all the smaller problems in the world? The Irish are renowned the world over for our talented musicians, artists and writers, and yet we've let the crud decide how we celebrate our special day. The people in Libya and Egypt have shown us what it means to have pride in their country. They are willing to die for it. And yet we're not willing to send an email to a company or write a letter to the editor or complain to a manager in a store when they are selling tacky crap. If a company put out a wine bottle with a white man in black face to celebrate Martin Luther King Day, Jesse Jackson would be organizing a march on Washington! It IS possible to change perceptions and turn the tide, but only if we're all willing to do our bit and speak out. I'm of the mind that individuals can do great things, and a group of like-minded individuals can do amazing things. It's time that Irish people decide what they want St. Patrick's Day to be about - and complain when companies are disrespecting us. I dream of a day when it's a day to celebrate being Irish by sharing our music and heritage over a nice meal or a few drinks, and not just an excuse to get falling-down-drunk and perpetuate the notion that the Irish are just a bunch of alco's.

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Redfrckle | Mar 17, 2011, 11:31 AM EDT
This isn't really any different than the jolly fat man in the red suit depicting Christmas, now, is it? I'm proud to be Irish, proud to be American, and love to celebrate my heritage with or without a drunken leprechaun. The Irish bartenders at our local pub don't have a problem putting a drop of green in the beer they serve, and the neon lighted sign in the window is a drunken leprechaun! They make a good living from the celebratory pub crawls. I'm much too old for all that now, but there is nothing new about it. This bar has been there over 30 years, since the owner came from over from Dublin. He's the first one I ever knew to serve green beer.

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madmilker | Mar 17, 2011, 09:46 AM EDT
duh! Is Leslie Dach Irish? This couldn't be the reason they got kicked out of South Korea and Germany.... Maybe it has something to do with the port deal in Mexico... Maybe it came from their office in Italy.... Most likely the star in the name did it.

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hyattsville | Mar 17, 2011, 09:33 AM EDT
Hmmm well I believe we have Irish publicans, and the owners of Irish bars worldwide, to thank for the perpetuation of this stereotype. I don’t think Walmart will be bragging that their rent for the year is paid from that puny display, unlike the many pubs throughout the States who will rake it in this week courtesy of St. Patrick and the drink fest associated with his feast day! Happy Day regardless…..

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