Chicago's Mardi Gras
St Patrick’s Day has been called Chicago’s Mardi Gras in the worst sense of the term. It’s basically a trashy, touristy drinking binge. While St Patrick’s Day isn’t actually until tomorrow, around here the party started a couple days early. On Saturday I was driving to work at 7:00 a.m. when I spotted my first reveler in gilded green plastic beads and an enormous leprechaun hat.
Not to be a pretentious killjoy (well, I am actually am a pretentious killjoy) but I can’t help but find it all a little crass. I’m of Irish extraction on my mother’s side and there’s more to Irish culture and heritage than an early morning pint or ten of Guinness.
Despite centuries of conflict and oppression (the Irish had been dealing with terrorism for decades before it became a hot button issue) Ireland has a rich history of poetry, music and storytelling. Ireland spawned quintessential wits like John Lennon and Oscar Wilde and great writers such as James Joyce and my own sweet baby William Butler Yeats.
There’s much more there than dying a river green and drinking till you puke.
In honor of my personal vision of St. Patrick’s I’m posting three of my especial favorite songs on Irish troubles and a favorite quote--
The Luck of the Irish by John Lennon and Yoko Ono
The Luck of the Irish by Shonen Knife
Famine by Sinead O’Connor
“Do you not get it, lads? The Irish are the blacks of Europe. And Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland. And the Northside Dubliners are the blacks of Dublin. So say it once, say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud.”
Jimmy Rabbitte
The Commitments
Not to be a pretentious killjoy (well, I am actually am a pretentious killjoy) but I can’t help but find it all a little crass. I’m of Irish extraction on my mother’s side and there’s more to Irish culture and heritage than an early morning pint or ten of Guinness.
Despite centuries of conflict and oppression (the Irish had been dealing with terrorism for decades before it became a hot button issue) Ireland has a rich history of poetry, music and storytelling. Ireland spawned quintessential wits like John Lennon and Oscar Wilde and great writers such as James Joyce and my own sweet baby William Butler Yeats.
There’s much more there than dying a river green and drinking till you puke.
In honor of my personal vision of St. Patrick’s I’m posting three of my especial favorite songs on Irish troubles and a favorite quote--
The Luck of the Irish by John Lennon and Yoko Ono
The Luck of the Irish by Shonen Knife
Famine by Sinead O’Connor
“Do you not get it, lads? The Irish are the blacks of Europe. And Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland. And the Northside Dubliners are the blacks of Dublin. So say it once, say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud.”
Jimmy Rabbitte
The Commitments