Happy Saint Patrick’s Day 2010

This year, I can’t be in Ireland for Saint Patrick’s Day as I was last year, but I thought I would share a couple pictures from my time there:

O'Connell Street, Parade

This was taken during the big parade in downtown Dublin, which we got excellent spots for due to a connection with a co-worker. My little girl sat on my shoulders for hours, and it was excruciating, but the parade was really awesome.

Also, I sometimes reminisce about the pub on Thomas Street called Nash’s (Google Maps location here) that we used to visit after work.1 Co-workers still remember me for my copious Sprite and Coke consumption (I did try a Guinness once, but I am not a beer drinker let’s just say), but the beauty of the Irish pub isn’t getting drunk but rather the bonding with good friends. That’s a relief for someone like me who is trying to uphold the Buddhist Five Precepts as much as possible, and also something I miss a lot from there.2 It’s a small branch office in a larger company, but my colleagues were some of the best and brightest in Ireland (and the E.U. at large) and they were a small, close-knit family. This was a photo I took from Nash’s pub, in the back where the mezzanine floor is:

Irish pub, wall 2

And the bathroom signs with both English and Irish:

Bathroom at Irish pub

So to all my friends in Ireland, and everyone: Beannacht Lá Fhéile Pádraig

P.S. Here’s a picture of theSt. Patrick’s Parade my friends sent me from Japan, at the famous Omotesandō district in Tokyo:

Tokyo St. Patrick's Parade

Tokyo St. Patrick's Parade at Omotesando

Big thanks to “Mr. H and Mrs. R” for the photo. :D

1 Tasty goujons there, though the area overall is still somewhat dodgy, but improving. :)

2 As well as copious hackysack I played frequently with certain Polish co-workers and fellow Americans, while on lunch breaks.


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7 Comments on “Happy Saint Patrick’s Day 2010”

  1. Tornadoes28 says:

    Ah yes, Happy St Patty’s Day (using Irish accent). I think I’ll enjoy a pint tonight.

  2. Robert says:

    Happy St. Patrick’s day to you too.

    That reminds me I wanted to do a Patrick’s day post too… still time I guess!

  3. Doug says:

    Ha ha ha

    Tornado: If you want to sound really Irish, “think” sounds more like “tink” and my friends there usually called it “St. Pat’s”. I never could get it right though. :p

    Robert: Getting late my friend. It’s late there already if I know my timezone’s right. ;) Then again, people will be out all night anyway.

  4. johnl says:

    I never knew what a goujon was until now…learn something new every day.

  5. Doug says:

    Nor did I until I went to Nash’s with my friends one afternoon after work. I thought the name was confusing, but once I tried them, they’re quite good.

  6. Jonathan says:

    Thanks for sharing these photos Doug! It never occurred to me that there would be a St. Patrick’s Day parade anywhere in Japan…I guess you learn something new every day.

  7. Doug says:

    Hi Jonathan!

    One thing I learned from Irish people (in their words, not mine) is that Irish people travel a lot. Almost everyone I talked to had lived somewhere else for a time, so it’s likely that in every major city in the world there’s at least one Irish pub and one Irishman or Irishwoman.

    Given the feckin’ weather, couldn’t blame them. ;)


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