I just want to let you know one simple and true thing:

An Irishman drinking Guinness on St. Patricks Day is like a Jew drinking Becks on Yom Kippur.

not to hate on any Irish here, but check the history before you go ordering that pint o guinness to go with the tradition today. :-)
[Reply]

Too lazy... can you post a link to the history?
[Reply]

Here's the link, still don't see how the analogy makes any sense....:-)

Please enlighten us oh great Six Pack...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinness
[Reply]

Trying to find the link now.

Also I would like to apologize. that post came off FAR more harsh/rude than it was intended. it actually was not intended to be mean at all, just a little enlightening. for that I'm sorry. Truly.

rough breakdown though: George Guinness was not an irishman, but an englishman who enslaved the irish and forced them to work on his farms/do labor/brew his beer/etc. there is a really great video on the internet talking to a bartender and he goes through all of it and really explains a ton. Until I saw it a couple years ago I never know any different.
[Reply]

Who is George Guinness? Arthur Guinness started making the beer.:-)
[Reply]

It's brewed in Ireland:-)
[Reply]

Ah hell, I'm done trying not to offend anyone. If'n I want a Guinness I'm gonna drink one. Guarantee you it won't offend me.
:-)
[Reply]

From the horses mouth:-)

http://www2.guinness.com/en-US/Pages/thestory.aspx#
[Reply]

:-)

Sounds suspect to me??? And who is this bartender with all of this Guinness history? He must be a direct decendent of George Guinness. :-)
[Reply]

Well, I'm Irish on all sides of the family and can trace my lineage back to 7 or 8 Irish kings of old (who can't, eh?).

Guinness is an Irish beer made in a uniquely Irish style, so that's something for an Irishman to be proud of. It's based on an English beer and the company is now English, so ...

The better thing is that St. Patrick's Day is only a big deal in the US, where it was used in day of yore to rally Irish spirit and provide an excuse for a really good drunk. So the holiday isn't Irish, per se, because in Ireland it really is just another saint's day requiring a trip to church (if you do that sort of thing).
[Reply]

I think he's just getting at St. Pat's day is more of a religious observance in Ireland. It's more of a time for family gathering. I think the pubs were even forced to close out of respect at one point. Although, it's been more secularized in Ireland over the last decade. I could be wrong, but I that's how I understand the difference between the day in the US and Ireland.
[Reply]

When I was in Ireland for St. Patrick's day a few years ago I observed the younger people embracing the drinking holiday aspect and the businesses starting to cater to them.

The older people however still recognized it simply as a Saints day and at most wore a few bits of fresh cover on thier lapel and prepared a nice family meal.

It's another one of those aspects of new vs old that really sticks out when you visit an old country like Ireland.

:-)
[Reply]

Wow, you'd think somebody posting on an internet forum would know how to use the internet to check facts...

Beside, St. Paddy's day isn't just about the beer, it's about the Jameson and the corned beef and cabbage too!
[Reply]

Never heard of George Guinness. Arthur Guinness was born in Dublin, however, to an old Irish family. And, while protestant, he publicly supported Catholic emancipation. From what little I know about him, always thought he was an ok dude.

Now, one thing you probably wouldn't see is an Irish Catholic on Saint Patrick's Day (or any other day for that matter) drinking Bushmills (an historically protestant whiskey).
[Reply]

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Corned beef and cabbage is the traditional meal enjoyed by many on St. Patrick's Day, but only half of it is truly Irish. Cabbage has long been a staple of the Irish diet, but it was traditionally served with Irish bacon, not corned beef. The corned beef was substituted for bacon by Irish immigrants to the Americas around the turn of the century who could not afford the real thing. They learned about the cheaper alternative from their Jewish neighbors.
[Reply]

Enough of the craziness! Happy St. Pattys day to all Irish and non Irish. Eat drink and be merry, wait who's merry?



:-)

:-)

:-)
[Reply]

Any Irish lad or lassie worth their salt celebrates with Irish Whiskey-any occasion. Guinness is used for making stew.

And our sun is green. lol
[Reply]

Thanks for the history lesson. I will be drinking my Guinness and Jameson just the same.
[Reply]

Real Irishmen drink whiskey anyways... and brandy punch!

Ordering a Black and Tan is far more offensive to an Irishmen than a pint of guinness. :-)
[Reply]

Downed 3 pints and 3 shots of Jameson for lunch to get into the spirit! Haven't done a friggin thing since though.:-)
[Reply]