My post from last year, nothings changed today...
But I won't jsut recycle the old, here's the new.
In Ireland, the only people "celebrating" patrick day (it's usually not called St. Patricks day) with wild partying, are the tourists (well... and the college students, but they'll celebrate a simpsons episode they havent seen with wild partyign so...). Everyone else is home relaxing for the day off, or if they're still pious, off in church.
To Americans, it's a drunkards day, but to the Irish.. or at least to those who still give a damn about Ireland, and what it means to be Irish, it's significance is something like independence day, memorial day, and thanksgiving combined. It's a religious holiday AND a national holiday, as one of the strongest worldwide symbols of Ireland there is.
For a long time it was illegal to celebrate patrick day; and the conspicuous display of green on this day could seee one arrested. It was considered raising rebellion against the crown... something my family has a long history of really (look it up, fascinating stuff).
The celebration of this day is a very strong reminder to those who care about being Iirish, what that means today, and what it has meant for the past 600 years.
Lest anyone think by these statements that I'm a supporter of the IRA, let me jsut say ohh ah FUCK THE RAH. It isn't 1921 anymore, and those bastards have done more damage in the last 30 years than I can describe.
What most don't realize, or even even hear of is that the IRA, and Sinn Fein (the peaceful political component) are a marxist organization. Yes they want a united Ireland; but they want it to be a socialist workers paradise like cuba.
Yeah I think you all know how I feel about that.
Of coruse the toher thing most don't know is, that since the late '80s most of the violence has been initiated on the protestant side.
The so called loyalists, and "protective associations" and other pathetic excuses for extortion gangs look at sectarianism as an ideal cover for their real goal; the control of the criminal underground of Northern Ireland.
If you want to know what someones opinion of it is, you don't need ask; jsut listen to what they call it.
If its "The Cause", then they'll be singing "Boys of the Old Brigade" tonight. "The Struggle" is for those who march in orange down the Shankill road. The rest of us jsut call it the troubles, and wish the lot of them to hell where they belong.
The worst part? At this point, The Irish dont want the north, and neither do the British. It's a gigantic welfare drag, with 20% unemployment, and massive dole roles, plus infrastructure costs that can't reasonably be borne... overall just a giant mess.
If you held a vote in all of Ireland today whether to unify the country, maybe half of the northerners would say yes, and proably three quarters of those in the republic would say HELL NO WE DON'T WANT YA.
Which is a damn shame; because the Irish SHOULD be one nation, and one people; even the english seem to accept that now; they jsut can't figure out how to extricate themselves from the situation while still doing right by her majesties subjects in the north counties AND saving face for the last 87 years of cockups.
So I think you can see why on this day, I find the singing of "rebel" songs to be a bit angering. My standard response is this:
The Patriot Game
Written by Dominic Behan following the death of 19-year-old Fergal O'Hanlon
during an IRA attack on Brookborough barracks in 1957
Come all you young rebels, and list while I sing,
For the love of one's country is a terrible thing.
It banishes fear with the speed of a flame,
And it makes us all part of the patriot game.
My name is O'Hanlon, and I'm just gone sixteen.
My home is in Monaghan, where I was weaned.,
I learned all my life cruel England to blame,
And so I'm a part of the patriot game.
It's barely two years since I wandered away
With the local battalion of the bold IRA,
I'd read of our heroes, and I wanted the same
To play out my part in the patriot game.
This island of ours has for long been half free.
Six counties are under John Bull's tyranny.
So I gave up my Bible, to drill and to train
To play my own part in the patriot game.
And now as I lie here, my body all holes
I think of those traitors who bargained and sold.
I wish that my rifle had given the same
To those quislings who sold out the patriot game.
