Conversation:

Ah St.patricks Day! A time of small, warm, witty, people frolicking in luscious fields of green in the emerald isle. Hah!
St.Patricks Day - the Irish perspective.
As you well know the Irish are renknowned for their lack of self control when it comes to alcohol at the best of times. So picture the scene, a day celebrating Irishness where pubs are offering reduced prices on Guiness and everyone (almost) in Ireland is given a day off. Take one wild guess what the Irish spend their day off doing... That's right, you got it! Drinking.
But what about the parade I hear you say. Look, this is Ireland, it rains and has miserable weather 99.9% of the time. We venture out early to catch a glimpse of the parade and then shelter themselves from the rain in a convenient local pub where we watch the American parade on television. Because let's face it, it's much better than ours. Nothing like living abroad to make you resolutely patriotic.
So next time your out celebrating Paddy's day take a few moments aside to mourn a nation of abused livers.

Actually, the parade was fantastic, the rain stayed away and I didn't start drinking until after mid-day .

and in any case the Irish get happy drunk or maudlin drunk, but in either case storytelling drunknot fighting drunk or comatose like the people on the other island. "Sure did I ever tell you the tale of Aunty Kitty and the cats?"

Me I missed the Belfast parade, watching the Gaelic from Home before heading out to watch the Rugby in the Pub.