There's a feast day coming up at the end of the week. And it has nothing to do with Green Beer.

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(In case you are wondering what this has to do with politics, this is one of those posts that would fall under a bunch of rambling)

As we're already halfway into March, I'd point out that this is Irish-American Heritage Month, and we're approaching the celebration of St. Patrick's Day this Friday night. In honor of this commemeration, I'd encourage you to learn about the contribution of the Irish to the American cultural experience.

While originally the feast day of the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick's Day generally has nothing to do with injecting green dye into a keg. In case you're interested (or your child has to do a report) I'm providing a few links for that purpose:
The Irish American Cultural Institute: http://www.iaci-usa.org/

The American Irish Historical Society: http://www.aihs.org

The Ancient Order of Hiberians: http://www.aoh.com/

Island Ireland: http://islandireland.com/

And the Ireland Tourism Board: http://www.shamrock.org/
Interestingly enough, it was an Irish American that coined the term "manifest destiny" in conjunction with the expansion of America. The term was coined in 1845 by Democratic Review editor John L. O’Sullivan, an Irish-Catholic. O’Sullivan intended the phrase to mean the flowering of democracy.

I could go on, but there are books upon books devoted to the topic of the contribution of the Irish Immigrants to America. In fact, there are books about the books. Any treatment I would give it would be trite and insufficient.

So this Friday, as you enjoy a green beer (or the irish beverage of your choice), toast the contribution of the Irish in America. And remember it's not about green beer.

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