I will never forget getting to spend St. Patrick's in Glasgow. It was a night I will remember all my life!
I have celebrated St. Paddy's every year for decades in some form or fashion by spending time with friends and/or family sharing a pint or two, listening to Irish music, dancing, and having a good time. March 17, 2002 will go down in my memory books as one of the best.
I got to hang out with 3 of my new friends in an Irish Pub on St. Vincent downtown Glasgow (that's a photo of the pub...it's called "Failte" which means "Welcome" in Gaelic). The pub was packed (wall to wall, like sardines) with revelers from all over the world (although mostly Scotland and Ireland) having a great time drinking and laughing and dancing.
It was my first experience celebrating the Irish holiday abroad...and I must say it was a brilliant time! There was a band playing live Irish pub songs. The Guinness was flowing that night like the nearby Clyde. The colors worn by most people were either black, or green and white. And many people carried large Republic flags of green, white, and orange draped around themselves. Several times sections of the pub crowd would break into song together (I was told some of them were singing old IRA songs).
This crowd was like nothing I had ever experienced before. People would cling to each other in Celtic brotherhood as they chanted their songs raising their pints with each crescendo. Conversations were easily entered into with adjacent neighbors. And anyone who had a drop of Irish blood in them was proud of it!
I was gobsmacked by the fact that I was in an Irish pub surrounded by Irish and Scots celebrating an Irish holiday....in Scotland. It blew me away! I won't go into too much detail of the fun we had, but I will say many pints were consumed and it was a very late night (or I should say "early morning") and I'm glad the form of transport I took home to my flat was a taxi!
So as this years St. Paddy's Day arrives...and though I am 1/2 way round the world from those fun friends and that packed pub...I will raise my glass to them (you know who you are). Thank you for a great memory!
Slainte!
