In honor of St. Patrick's Day tomorrow, earlier this week I visited the American Irish Historical Society, located on 5th Avenue in the Upper East Side. Continuously operated since 1897, the society is dedicated to promoting and preserving Irish culture and knowledge. The society hosts special exhibits, cultural events, and has a research library with over 14,000 volumes. Highlights of the society's permanent collection include one of the original copies of the famous "Irish Proclamation" from the Easter Rising in 1916, as well as this bust (above) of Dr. William James MacNeven, a prominent Irish-American doctor and revolutionary who immigrated to the United States in 1805 after having failed to convince the French to help free Ireland. The society offers tours at 11am and 3pm from Monday through Friday. But no free Guinness on the tours. (Sorry, obligated to mention Guinness in any post about St. Patrick's Day.) Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
The St. Patrick's Day Parade on 5th Avenue in New York City.
For St. Patrick's Day today we set out to capture the most Irish photo possible. We believe we have succeeded: this photo of a banner of St. Patrick in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral in the St. Patrick's Day Parade with an Irish flag should certainly qualify. St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of New York City’s oldest traditions. The first parade, held on March 17, 1762, consisted of homesick, Irish ex-patriots and Irish military members serving with the British Army stationed in the colonies in New York. The marchers wore green since this was a sign of Irish pride that was banned in their home country. The parade's tradition of marching past St. Patrick's Cathedral has not changed, except that originally the marchers passed Old St. Patrick's Cathedral on the corner of Mott and Prince Streets in SoHo. Now time for a Guinness (the only thing missing from the photo)!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Matt, who is so Irish that he speaks Irish and has an Irish passport (yep, pretty Irish), is super excited about St. Patrick's Day. So excited that on his recent trip to Iceland, he did a little St. Patrick's Day dance in the snow. Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone (one day late)!
An Irishman in New York (sort of)
St. Patrick’s Day. The feast day of the patron saint of Ireland. A day to honor Irish culture and heritage. As an Irishman (sort of, well, Irish last name), this year I decided to check out a few ways that New York City celebrates.
The big one, of course, is the parade. The first march was on March 17, 1762, fourteen years before the Declaration of Independence, and is what organizers claim the “country’s oldest and proudest Irish tradition.” I arrive on Fifth Avenue across from the Metropolitan Museum a little after 11am last Monday. It’s mostly deserted, except for a few police officers on the corners, a young couple with dyed green hair holding each other, and a few other bystanders trying to keep warm. The parade is coming north from downtown, but I have time. I should have stopped for a Guinness (not a sponsor).
Read more