Kevin Marshall's America
Cover of The Quiet Man (Collector's Edition)
It’s St. Patrick’s Day.
Honestly, despite all the hoopla over the riots last weekend in advance of the Albany St. Patrick’s Day parade, the holiday still snuck up on me.
What used to be anticipated as a day of revelry and celebration for me has instead become a reminder of past embarrassments, shortfailings, and anxiety over what I’m bound to encounter staggering around in my neighborhood. In other words, a truly Irish holiday.
These days, without the need to call in to work so I can start drinking at 7:00am and stop sometime around 6:00am the next day, the holiday doesn’t hold much appeal to me. My mother always had a strong cultural attachment to the holiday and that would extend to her children, but she’s down in Virginia living it up in the Sun. Plus, my sisters are busy and/or have work that prevents them from even having a sit-down dinner.
So, no corned beef and cabbage for me, no drunken revelry, no parade, no awkward social encounters, and no music that you have to be drunk to be able to tolerate (because seriously people it’s awful).
Instead I’ll take the day to reflect on how much of my culture I’ve retained, watch “The Quiet Man,” and try to forget all those other things that have tarnished what in earlier years was always an anticipated family event.
Erin go bragh, or something.
SEE ALSO:
- Last year’s blog posts – St. Patrick’s Day: A Shameful History & St. Patrick’s Day Recipes!
- Celebrate these great Irish locals – William Kennedy & Jack McEneny
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15 Responses to Oh no, it’s St. Patrick’s Day, isn’t it?
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STALK ME
So we won’t see you dressed like this today?
http://www.timesunion.com/local/slideshow/St-Patrick-s-Day-Parade-in-Albany-3127.php#photo-2
…love The Quiet Man, NY parade, and appreciate the pride and dignity of Irish folks. Too bad destructive (blanks) started the week off wrong, but it’s good to see authentic celebrations resurface.
Rob – Well you will, but only because that’s how I ALWAYS dress.
Finally someone other than me who is willing to admit that corned beef and cabbage is awful.
Corned beef = good stuff
cabbage = good stuff
boiled mush of corned beef and cabbage = terrible
Good idea, I’m going to hole up and watch Irish movies today.
Calm down and have a green bagel.
I celebrate holidays in my own way and I always have.
I respect this particular holiday for being a representation of my heritage (most of it anyway). I guess I have just identified with my Irish heritage more so than the other flakes of German, Native American & Dutch floating around in me.
All holidays these days are basically destroyed by commercialism and people acting stupid, but I could give two sh*ts how other people choose to celebrate. Just so long as I keep myself in order and respect St. Patricks Day (or any other holiday that I celebrate) that’s all I care about.
Corned beef and cabage (heavy on the cabage)…a can or two of Guinness, and watching “The Quiet Man” (black & white version),will be my plan for the day…the movie is really dated, but so am I. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
I won’t be thinkin’ about the riots or any of the other negative stuff last Saturday…only the traditionaly good stuff.
Top O’ the Mornin to ya Kevin !!
I like the Quiet Man… but my best friend and I got into a tradition of sitting in front of her TV, sipping whiskey or beer, and watching Irish Boys and Gratuitous Violence (aka Boondock Saints, the first one). Which this year will probably wait until Saturday since my fiance is playing fiddle at the Irish Mist then Carney’s tonight with the band Emerald Dawn.
Not to bring up an overly discussed topic from the Saturday Shenanigans, but this has been on my mind all week.
I watched all the videos from the ‘riot’ and was disgusted until I saw something that made me laugh out loud. Should the bag piper get in trouble? I mean he stood on an already trashed car and played the bag pipes. As immature as it makes me sound, I gave a tip of the hat to the piper. I still wag my finger at everything else that happened. Just throwing that thought out there.
Also a quick sidebar. Corned beef and cabbage isn’t a real irish food. It drives me nuts every year how this is associated with Ireland. Want a real irish dish? Try some lamb stew or salted pork.
Be safe today.
-Timmy G.
Or Bangers
Watching ‘leprechaun in the hood’ can serve as both a St Patrick’s Day Celebration and a tribute to the late Nate Dogg. 2 birds with 1 blarney stone.
You could of at least changed your fist wraps from yellow to green for today! Geez!
Favorite movie and quite possibly my favorite fight scene.