St Patrick wasn’t Irish, but that’s not a problem!

Author: Aodan Coburn

17.03.2021

As an Irish executive who traveled the world and relocated numerous times, one thing that has often struck me, is that almost anywhere in the world you go, there is an Irish Pub.

Often these bars are full of locals, with no apparent Irish connection at all.

How can it be that almost anywhere in the world on this day, you will see these bars packed with people who have certainly never visited Ireland, toasting the day and the health of all around?

My most memorable St Patrick’s Nights have been amplified by their distance from Dublin, with celebrations as far afield as Los Angeles, Cape Town, Zurich, London, Boston, and New York.

#stpatricksday is the Irish’s generous gift to the world. It is a state of mind, something we co-create with friends and colleagues where we celebrate life, come together with a sense of joy, fun, and companionship.

Like a wedding to which everyone is invited, with green being the preferred attire.

The fact that St Patrick was Welsh, that Irish Bars have little or no connection to Ireland, and that most people who celebrate it, have no real notion of where it originates from, does not matter. If anything, it adds to the mischievous wonder of the day.