EDITORIAL: Let's leave aside the paddywhackery approach to St Patrick's Day

Just when we thought that things might return to normal in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and that we might, after all, be in a position to celebrate our national feast day, the threat of world war looms large on our horizon.

Parades and events are back in some towns and villages and there is a sense that we have moved on from the ravages of the last two years.

But, the dark cloud which hangs over Europe is worrying in the extreme and will certainly place a pall over March 17 festivities.

Yes, St Patrick’s Day 2022 will be different, but perhaps we can take a different approach.

Perhaps we can actually treat our national day with respect and with a proper sense of celebration.

Perhaps we can leave aside the paddywhackery approach which has been fed to expats throughout the globe and which has given some form of licence to proffer a sense of gombeenism, drunkenness, madness and mayhem.

Let’s start by referring to the day as St Patrick’s Day - Paddy’s Day is insulting in its connotation and has been seized upon by the marketing departments of the many companies who have exploited the national feast for generations.

Perhaps it is time for the people of Ireland to take back the national feast day and make it their own once again.

We command a special place throughout the globe on these few days of the year; we have access to the global corridors of power which frankly, a country of Ireland’s size and significance, scarcely deserves; and the greening of many of the historic and famous monuments of the world puts our country in focus for all peoples.

So, why not let’s use the spotlight to promote all that is good about Ireland - not drunkenness, stupidity and “Paddyism”. What’s good about our country?

The many doors which have been opened to Ukrainian refugees over the last two weeks; the massive humanitarian lengths our citizens have gone to help the needy; the fleadh agus fáilte to all.

That’s good enough surely.