I’m devastated! I never posted on St Patrick’s Day this Year :(

So to make up for it, here’s an absolutely brilliant video of three Irishmen taking the mick out of themselves as they head off to celebrate St Patrick’s Day!

This should appeal to all my friends around the world with Côte d’Ivoire connections… not to mention spud afficionados, flag experts, Irish dancers, Welsh (or should it be Scottish) people and drinkers of the Irish national brew!

Looking forward to your reflections and comments by pigeon post, postcards… or even comments here on the blog.

A very happy belated St Patrick’s Day!

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The wearing of the green: St Patrick’s Day 2015

Two days ago was St Patrick’s Day.

The Colosseum, where Christians were once killed by wild animals, a symbol of the Roman Empire which collapsed leaving Irish Celtic Christianity founded by Patrick to save civilisation.

Many famous places around the world were lit up green. The Colosseum in Rome was but one unlikely venue.

Many people posted simplistic and trivial nonsense about what St Patrick’s Day is definitely not about: like the statement that in Ireland:

“Traditionally, people attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Then they eat Irish bacon and cabbage. Yum!”

That one came from an organisation that will remain nameless but should certainly know better in terms of cultural accuracy.

Then there was the American video  entitled Who was St Patrick – Christian History Made Easy with garish graphics including St Patrick standing dressed in red, clutching a church under his arm and shouldering a twentieth century tricolour Irish flag. As a former History teacher, I was horrified!

On a more sensible and much more tasteful note, Gilbert Lennox Photography posted this image

“The aurora returned just in time to turn the night sky green for St Patrick’s Day. This is the parish church at Ballintoy.”

 

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St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Down Cathedral

While I was enjoying myself walking in the Mourne Mountains yesterday, people who were our guests at From Eden to Eternity at Stormont, were working!

Bishop Harold Miller & PCI Moderator Norman Hamilton

St Patrick had clearly ‘turned the stone’ for the Down and Dromore pilgrims making their annual journey from Saul Church to Down Cathedral on a sunny 17th March. The diocesan celebrations involve people from all backgrounds and denominations but this year the ranks of walkers were swollen with specially invited cross-community groups and leaders. This was in keeping with the chosen theme of “Shared Past: Shared Future, “which seemed particularly apt against the backdrop of controversy surrounding the civic parade in Downpatrick which, thankfully, passed off without event.

Read more about the St Patrick’s Day events at Saul and Down Cathedral on the Diocese of Down and Dromore website.

The guest speaker in Down Cathedral was The Right Revd Norman Hamilton, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church and a passionate exponent of churches taking their place in society for the benefit of the whole community.

 

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