St Patrick's Day

[Cloigeann]

Isn't it about time St Pats was made an official holiday in Northern Ireland?

Can the assembly deliver this? most likely the votes for and against it will turn out with the usual sectarian crap:

DUP and UUP: No
SF and SDLP: Yes

Don't know about Alliance, although they backed the rejection of the ban on Irish in stormont. More and more unionists are beginning to celebrate it so who knows. It could fit easily into the new "shared future" stuff, shared recognition and funding on the same level as Orange parades.

[OldDog]

Sure, sounds good, patron saint of ireland and all that. The unionists have been saying that they want to get onboard as long as the tricolours go.
Nobody can complain about st pat (except the druids and pagans for destroying their religion).
Another public holiday is always welcome!! Yeay!

[johnfás]

Unionists have always celebrated St Patrick's Day - Don't many of the Orange Lodges have a march to celebrate it? I think what many Unionists might resent is not the celebration of St Patrick (whoever he was historically of course ) but the Irish Nationalism which might go with such a commemoration.

[Finbar]

I think you'll find that under Direct Rule the DUP argued for the status of St Pat's day to be changed to public holiday in NI. It is of course a taken holiday by many businesses, the schools & public bodies.

So I guess that means it's already an official holiday.

As for the Irish Nationalism which goes along with Paddy, it's pleasant that the Downpatrick celebration is actually a St Patrick celebration & not an RoI celebration which the Belfast celebrations tend to turn into.

As an aside, I don't think that Patrick was actually ever delcared a saint. He's a Saint by local proclaimation as I understand it.

[Inishowen]

2008 will be interesting around St Patricks Day. The RC church have already declared that they will celebrate the feast day on the 15th rather than the 17th as it is going to clash with Holy Week - have the State and the various authorities that run the Parades made a decision yet? I presume for everyone else St Paddys Day is still the 17th regardless. Another interesting point: St Patricks Day is the only Parade in New York City that isn't moved to the nearest Sunday - but its run by the Ancient Order of Hibernians. The Hibs in Ireland (who are a totally seperate organisation) have decided that their parades will move in accordance with the church decision. - Will the AOH do the same in America? And if they do will they be allowed to revert to the 17th ever again?

[Riadach]

I think you'll find that under Direct Rule the DUP argued for the status of St Pat's day to be changed to public holiday in NI. It is of course a taken holiday by many businesses, the schools & public bodies.

So I guess that means it's already an official holiday.

As for the Irish Nationalism which goes along with Paddy, it's pleasant that the Downpatrick celebration is actually a St Patrick celebration & not an RoI celebration which the Belfast celebrations tend to turn into.

As an aside, I don't think that Patrick was actually ever delcared a saint. He's a Saint by local proclaimation as I understand it.

Yes but there is some rule that before a certain date, general proclamation is enough for someone to be declared a saint.

[Finbar]

Yes but there is some rule that before a certain date, general proclamation is enough for someone to be declared a saint.

Everyday is a school day. So what's the date?? Do I have enough time to get sainthood before my mother's birthday in january??

[Riadach]

Perhaps before the Gregorian Reform when elements of the church bureaucracy and executive powers were no longer left to chance.

[Finbar]

Aww... Ma would've been chuffed to bits.

[Podolski]

Perhaps we should consider having a national day which is not based on a religious figure.