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The first thing I read this morning was “St Patrick wasn’t a Saint”. This came as quite a shock to me, so I read on, and followed the link to the Wikipedia article:
For most of Christianity’s first thousand years, canonisations were done on the diocesan or regional level. Relatively soon after the death of people considered to be very holy people, the local Church affirmed that they could be liturgically celebrated as saints. As a result, St. Patrick has never been formally canonised by a Pope, but he is still widely venerated in Ireland and elsewhere today.
Aw well, we’re all still going to get drunk aren’t we? Though unless things change a little, I won’t be.
Strange as it may seem, I’ve gone off alcohol lately. In the last few weeks (maybe even month or two) I haven’t felt like drinking much. Drinking during the week is totally out, although I haven’t totally cut out all drinking at the weekends, I want to.
I do love to drink - sometimes a bit too much. On the other hand - I did go for 4 months with not a drop of alcohol (not counting the margarita I had on my birthday). If I can do it once. I can do it again.
The plan was to have one single Guinness today. Obviously I knew that would never work. I had one at 3:30, then another about an hr later in a different bar. But I felt crap. I didn’t even finish the second drink. Then I got a serious case of the hiccups, which I think I have only just managed to get rid of, I do hope they don’t come back if I have another drink.
So, yeah, I love to drink - but the idea of spending all day in a bar never has filled me with much joy. I left the bar at about 5pm, back to the shared house (where I have been away from all week). I got a call from Ronan an hour ago (and 3 missed called 5 mins ago while I was having a crap) telling me to go to the Bot, where he was planning on spending all day.
I will go out in a few mins, and always had planned to - but I doubt I will enjoy it or any other bar in Belfast. I would never go to the bot on a normal day, let alone a Saturday, and I doubt it will be much different today. Plus theres the rugby. I feel I could be the only one in the whole of Ireland who has no interest in this sport. There you have it; my predicament. If I was to spend all day in a public house I will end up drinking lots (which I think could make me quite sick) and smoking lots. Everyone will be facing the large tv screens, occasionally yelling, willing on the players.
Last year was fun. I followed the parade in Belfast and took photographs of everyone as they stood on watching the biggest load of balls happening on the stage.
As for now. I’m going to go out and make the most the day and partake our great national pastime: drinking(!)
Bock the Robber has hit the nail on the head - what did St Patrick achieve?
What exactly did St Patrick achieve anyway, that we’re all so proud of? Well, I suppose he brought with him the love of rugby football that kept many an Irishman going in hard times. (Although, admittedly, the league hadn’t a very big following in those days, and Richmonds had no club house. Not much change there, then.) But apart from rugby, what did he achieve? Christianity? Oh right. Christianity. Wasn’t that the religion that would later give the world the mass slaughters of the crusades.
Happy Death Day St Paddy!
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2 Comments
You’re heading dangerously close to a Monty Python sketch there…What has St Patrick ever done for us???…though it’s definitely a fair question!!!
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