Happy St Patrick's Day

Image by Loci Lenar via Flickr

I wasn't born in Ireland but neither was St Patrick.  He was Romano-British and was captured by the Irish and taken as a slave for many years.  After escaping he returned to Britain where he entered the Church and as a Bishop returned to Ireland.

I am from Irish ancestry like many Australians are.  My great grandmother Bridget and her sister Catherine came to Australia from County Clare in Ireland and married my Great Grandfather Patrick (who was also Irish) in Brisbane in the late 1800s.  He was a Railway Fettler by trade. They had my Grandmother, Mary and she had my mother Eileen, all very Irish names.

Today in Australia many celebrate St Patrick's Day by wearing something green or a green ribbon.  It isn't a public holiday but the hotels/pubs serve Guinness and sometimes green beer and many restaurants serve an Irish lunch.  There is a street parade but for some reason it isn't held on the actual day.  We had green cupcakes for morning tea today at work to get into the mood of the day.

I will wish you "top of the morning" and hope you have a nice St Patrick's Day today.