A Man in a Clock Tower Float
March 17th marks St. Patrick’s Day a.k.a. the most important Irish holiday (at least for those Westerners looking for an excuse to get drunk). In Cork City, thousands of people flocked to the streets, some locals but most foreigners, for a taste of some good ol’ St. Paddy’s Day craic (that’s Gaelic for “fun” by the way).
St. Patrick, a British saint, became the patron saint of Ireland, and St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in his commemoration, the arrival of Christianity to Ireland, and Irish culture as a whole on his supposed death day—March 17th. The day has been celebrated since the early 1600s, and here in Ireland, has developed into a weekend festival.
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Cork's BMX Club Performing Some Jumps (left) and the Indian Community Dancing (right)
To kick off the festivities, the city hosted a parade right on St. Patrick’s Street that featured around 3,000 participants. With people painted in green and waving their Irish flags, the sidewalks were packed, and I only managed to slide into the front row about halfway through the parade.
The participants paid homage to some of the most influential people and occupations in Cork’s history, including Henry Ford in the form of a giant puppet. My personal favorite floats (and maybe this is just because I was closest to them) were the floats commemorating the copper miners and the fishermen. Two performers led The Copperhead float, putting fire into a black cauldron, and, well, everything is cooler when fire is involved. Meanwhile, the fishermen dove deep into their performances, acting like they fell overboard in a storm and were swimming with the fish.
The Copper Miners (left & right)
There was no lack of inventive floats, but what most impressed me about the parade was the community’s commitment to use the platform as a way to share important messages. A group of climate change activists marched down the street, and the Artlink Drama Group boasted a banner that promoted cultural unity. Especially on St. Patrick’s Day, it’s easy to stereotype the Irish. God knows, the world has been doing it since people first started arriving on the island. On a day of national celebration, Indian communities, Nigerian communities, Mexican communities, and more were celebrated in the city streets, sharing their own cultures that have now become just as much a part of Cork as old Celtic traditions.
I spent the remainder of the day visiting three pubs. In the first, I treated myself to some green beer and had a double take when a young girl sat across from me (I guess everyone gets into the pubs on St. Patrick’s Day). In the second, I found myself front and center to a live band, who happily played Galway Girl for every American girl attending. In the third, I wound down by taking a shot made to look like the Irish flag and chatted with some friends.
And don’t worry. Despite all the excitement, I didn’t forget to pause and raise a glass to Ireland. 🍺
The Fish (left) and the Fishermen (right) representing Cork's Fishing Community
