St. Patrick's Day
Brendan McCormack,
interviews by Tyler
Saint Patrick, The Apostle of Ireland, was born in a town called Kilpatrick which is in Scotland in the year 387. He died in Ireland in March, 493. Kilpatrick still has memorials of St. Patrick, and frequent pilgrimages to perpetuate the fame of his sanity and miracles. There is a church which has a shrine and bell dedicated to him which are believed to have sacred and healing waters.
When he was sixteen he was carried off into captivity and sold as a slave to a chief named Milchu in Dalriada which is in Ireland . While in captivity he prayed many times a day. He did run away from his master. He set sail and started doing missionary work. He was later promoted to the priesthood.
Patrick and his friends sailed down the Vantry River . He ended up going to the island where he was enslaved and paid the price in exchange for the freedom of the children on the island. He ended up living in the Skerries coast. There is an impression of his foot in the hard rock which is in the entrance to Skerries Harbor .
Interview
How did you celebrate it as a child?
My family really didn't celebrate St. Patrick's Day when I was a child. Looking back, you would have thought that they would have celebrated, as my mother's maternal side of the family was Irish - her mother was Mary Connolly, and her grandmother, Bridget Connolly, came to America as an Irish immigrant, (That would have been my great-grandmother).
What was your favorite part of celebrating ?
My favorite part of St. Patrick's Day, as a child, was being able to wear something green to school, and also making shamrocks and such in school.
How do you celebrate it today?
Today I celebrate St. Patrick's Day as one of my very favorite holidays in the year!
I go to one of the parades and then have a party.
Where do you celebrate it today?
I go to either the Belmar or the Seaside parade, and the party is at my house. In years past, I've gone to the Crab's Claw Inn, to listen to Joe Finn play and sing Irish songs.
Who do you celebrate it with?
I go to the parade with my daughters and sons-in-law and my grandchildren. We go to whichever parade can fit into everyone's schedule.
What do you most enjoy about Saint Patrick's Day?
It's hard to say what the favorite part is, for me. I LOVE the parade, and each year I bring along the tote bag with all the hats, necklaces, headbands, mustaches, etc. for everyone to wear. We all wear green, including the green shamrock stickers on the girls' cheeks. I cook corned beef for dinner, and there's green juice and cookies and cupcakes, and of course the bagpipe music is playing so that everyone can dance. You and your cousins head straight out to the backyard, where the leprechaun lives in his hollow under the big tree, and sure enough – he has managed to move from the shelf out to his home and has scattered the gold coins along the way! Don't you and your cousins love those gold foil wrapped chocolate coins! And every year, as soon as you look away from him, he's gone. Tricky leprechaun! But I guess my most favorite part of St. Patrick's Day is us being all together to celebrate glorious St. Patrick!
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