St. Patrick's Day: Livin' it up

By: Adam McDermott and Tara Maroney

Posted: 3/17/05

Leprechaun hats, rowdy barrooms and screeching bagpipes are all distinct associations that come to mind when St. Patrick's Day rolls around. While there are no rivers to be dyed in Storrs, plenty of green can be expected in people's outfits, not to mention the traditional dying of beer. As a sign shown on the brewery tour of the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin says, "Everyone's Irish on March 17."

The irony of St. Patrick's Day and the revelry associated with it, is many people don't actually know who St. Patrick was.

"I'm Irish, so it means we have fun and eat corned beef and cabbage," said Stephanie Coburn, a 6th-semester recreational therapy major. "I'm taking an Irish class about Celtic and Irish myths, but I have no idea who Saint Patrick was."

The mythic persona of St. Patrick hints at a remarkable Irish man who drove the snakes out of Ireland. The rational explanation of St. Patrick's existence, however, tells of a young boy captured by slave traders from his father's home in Britain and sold into slavery in Ireland. Upon gaining his freedom, Patrick found God and proceeded to become an established figure in Christian history. He is celebrated on March 17 because that is the date of his death.

According to Mary Burke, a professor of Irish literature and a native of Ireland, the snakes are a metaphor representing the paganism displaced by the Christianity propagated by St. Patrick.

"There are no snakes in all of the British Isles as far as I know," Burke said.

In comparing the experience of St. Patrick's Day in her home country to celebrations in America, Burke said the day is slightly more low key and family focused since it's a national holiday which everyone has off.

Once, while teaching English in Tokyo, Burke had the unique opportunity to experience a multi-cultural interpretation of St. Patrick's Day.

"There were some Irish who turned up for it, but the Brazilians turned up en masse," Burke said. "It was a really cold March day in Tokyo and there were Brazilian women in spangly bikinis parading around the streets. It was brilliant. That has to be the most incongruous St. Patrick's Day parade ever."

At UConn, celebrations will vary.

"Just a hot date with some Guinness," said Joe Zielinski, an 8th-semester engineering major.

But some students won't have time for celebrations.

"Sadly, I'll be studying since my Friday is jam packed with stuff," said Alyson Clarke, a 2nd-semester engineering major. "If I wasn't studying I'd be getting all dressed up in green and having a couple green apple martinis or green beer."

On a national level, this year's St. Patrick's Day celebration comes on the coattails of dramatic political events in Ireland. Just before Christmas this year, a group believed to be affiliated with the IRA staged the biggest cash robbery in British history. The heist put 26.5 million pounds into the possession of the IRA which, according to peace talks, is supposed to be disbanding. The robbery raises the question: what does the IRA need the money for?

As a result, the Bush administration has broken tradition and barred representatives of Sein Fein, the accepted political figurehead of the IRA, from St. Patrick's Day dinner at the White House.

"That's seen as a slap in the face by the American administration to Sein Fein in Northern Ireland," Burke said.

But Irish politics and the backlash of a British bank robbery however, were not on the minds of those celebrating Celtic Night in the Rome Ballroom Wednesday evening.

Sponsored by the Celtic Club, an organization intending to promote and celebrate the Celtic culture, Celtic Night included traditional Irish dancing, bagpipe performances, Gaelic poetry and storytelling.

Erin Wenzler, president of the Celtic Club, was pleased with the turnout for the club's main event of the year.

"St. Pat's day is a fun time, even if you're not Irish, there's nothing you can't like about it. It has something for everyone," she said.

Rob Kelly, associate director of the Celtic Learning Project, a non-profit group seeking to educate the general public on the historical significance of the iron-age Celts, was excited about participating in the event.

"It's wonderful so far, we've got a good turnout it seems," Kelly said. "It's nice the way the variation and the entertainment they have."

Rather than engaging in the typical revelry associated with St. Patrick's Day, Kelly said he gets more satisfaction reflecting on the impact the saint had on Irish and Gaelic history.

"With the return of Patrick after he escaped and returned came about the change of Irish culture. When one changes religion, culture changes," he said. "He represents the complete change of who the Gael were from the iron age Celts to a Christian community."