Happy St. Patrick's Day

[Taytocrisps]

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all you Craicnetters (and any other Mumsnetters with Irish roots) . What are you planning for the day? I'm in the local parade at 11.30, so I'm hoping for a dry day. My phone tells me it's 10 degrees which is relatively mild for this time of year. Hopefully I won't freeze in my costume. I'll stick a few layers on underneath.

When I get home, I'll watch the big parade. I've dinner cooked from yesterday - a very traditional salmon korma . I can have leftovers today and then put my feet up. I like to watch the coverage of the local parades on TV also - they're not as polished or slick as the big Dublin parade, but a lot of ingenuity and creativity goes into them.

My young adult DD went out out last night and is in work early today. So she's just going for a few drinks locally tonight. Oh to be young again .

I’m on hols in west Ireland and looking forward to the parade and a few guiness 🇮🇪🎉

Up in Ballycastle and taking my little ones down to the parade at 11. Lots has been cancelled because of the wind though. Have a wonderful day ☘️

Lá Fhéile Pádraig. We're off to the parade in Dublin and then may head down to the céilí mór in Merrion Square. Looking sunny here but quite windy

I lived in Dublin for 12 years and never once went to the Paddy's day parade – went to the pub instead and watched it on TV!

Happy St Patricks Day ☘️

I love watching the American marching bands. They are so slick and full of enthusiasm. I'll watch the highlights later. Doing stuff in the garden today if I don't get tired and fed up half way!

Schools Cup Rugby Final up here in the North. Come on Campbell!!!!

Happy St. Pat's and Slainte from the Roscommon woman in the Brit. West Midlands.😀

Wet and windy in rural North Cork. Our Soviet Tractor 🚜 parade isn't on til 5 cos a lot of the bands and floats will be in other places first. I always watch though ...those poor frozen children deserve an audience! Go néirí libh ☘️

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig to all!☘
🚫🐍🐍🐍🚌➡

I'm watching the Dublin parade on the telly - it's brilliant, I'm loving it!
so much colour and creativity and sheer fun. And this year, blue skies and sunshine.

To have one day to be Irish [or not] and happy and for that to be associated with colour and fun and uncomplicated joy is such a break from everyday life and its conflicts.

Like damelza, I love the American marching bands - did you see the Illinois one with 300 people in it?? They certainly add pizzazz😄

Whatever you're doing today, enjoy!

Went for a lovely walk earlier and came home to watch the parade. Going to make a dinner of boxty, scrambled eggs, rashers and mushrooms, back to work tomorrow so will prep for that later, hope everyone has a lovely day 🇮🇪 ☘️

I'm American with Irish roots. Like lots of cities in the US, our local parade was Saturday. DH and I have donned our green, and we are going out to a late lunch at the one and only Irish pub in our town.

I am in the US on holiday.

trying not to interact with too many people celebrating someone called Patty 😂

'St Patty's Day' - aaaaarrrrg! along with entirely irrelevant four leaf clovers instead of essentially relevant three leaf shamrocks😠

NellyNoMates - well done Campbell, I see they won it with a v late try - congrats to them!

Thanks @MarieDeGournay. Incredible match - delighted for CCB and delighted the cup is coming back to East Belfast!

Am eating beef and Guinness casserole in front of a peat filled open fire.

Great float in the Killarney parade😃

But the other end of the spectrum - did you see about this float which appeared in THREE parades, acting out Epstein's rapes of young girls?
Epstein Files Paddy's Day float 'snuck into' three Irish parades - Galway Beo

The organisers say they weren't approved in advance, and I accept that, but the mentality of people who think that it was even remotely acceptable.. it beggars belief.

I love that Killarney float - very clever and very timely too.

As for the Epstein files float, who in their right minds thought that was appropriate? And the article states that it featured in three parades in Galway and Mayo! I was surprised to hear that there was no registration or vetting process for the Ballinrobe parade. I live in a small town and each group/participant has to submit an entry form, describing their parade entry. The parade committee know in advance how many entries they will have, and how this compares with previous years. Each group is assigned a number and then the groups line up in order, before the parade starts. These measures mean it's very unlikely that a random/rogue float would turn up and even if it did, I'd imagine one of the parade volunteers would spot it. I appreciate that the parades are organised by volunteers, who often devote a huge amount of time to their community, but they need to put some kind of screening process in place. I would think that all parade committees will be introducing a registration process for 2027, if they don't already have one.

It seems to have been a 'guerrilla' action by the float people to add themselves to the parades when they were already under way.

The gardaí are 'looking into to it'.
I don't know if they were actually breaking a law - I hope so, but it might come under bad taste not being illegal.

I think the best thing to do is to name and shame the men involved. They are from that general area, they didn't cover their faces, so it should be possible to put a name and a face to every one of them, and make a show of them, on social media, in the local and national press etc etc.

I wouldn't be surprised if they actually put footage of their exploits up on SM themselves, look aren't we great ones for the craic, and I'm sorry to say I wouldn't be surprised if they got lots of likes from other pathetic so-and-sos who thought that was just a bit of fun.

Whatever happens, it shouldn't be let fade away, they really need to be caught and have their noses rubbed in what they did on St Patrick's Day.