Ahh, Nostalgia… Ten Memories Of A Childhood St Paddy’s Day

St Patrick’s Day is a major event on the calendar for any age, but do you remember the days when the day off felt like three, the parade was the be-all and end-all and the world was a sea of magical, glittering emerald green?

Ahh, nostalgia.

Here are our top ten memories of a childhood St Paddy’s Day… Feel free to add your own!

1. Prepping For The Big Day

The two weeks in primary school before St Patrick’s Day were spent colouring in endless stacks of shamrocks, gluing and sticking many a leprechaun onto cards and dousing absolutely everything in green glitter. Excitement was infectious… we are now pitying the poor primary school teachers.

2. The Highest Viewing Spot In The World

Naturally, the whole family packed up sunscreen, raincoats, wellies, hats, gloves, snacks, Capri Suns and sandwiches and headed off to the local parade. If you were really lucky, you’d head the extra half an hour in the car to the next town’s parade which was always way bigger and way better. And the viewpoint? Your daddy’s shoulders of course. Get ready to curse the younger sibling when they’re big enough for the shoulders, you’ll be demoted to the barrier at the front of the crowd.

Demoted to the front of the crowd... 

3. McDonald’s Green Smoothie

A few people at the Her.ie towers remember being treated to a McDonald’s minty green milkshake to celebrate the big day. One writer in particular, we won’t name names just yet (wait until we’re after a few pints tomorrow), remembers spending one St Patrick’s Day treating everyone to a much-undesired, second glance of her gulped-down green milkshake.

4. Green

The word of the moment was “green”. Any article of clothing in your wardrobe that could be passed for one of the forty shades of green was put on in multiple layers.

5. Irish Dancers

Standing in the Paddy’s Day parade crowd wishing you did Irish dancing as the girls clattered around on the open top truck in front of you.

6. Face Paint

Colouring your face in all Shrek-like for the big day, getting it scrubbed off by your cursing mother in the evening and having green paint on your hairline for the week after.

This little fella's ready to go... 

7. Counting Out Your Loot

How many lollipops did you catch from the moving trucks at the parade? You were lucky you didn’t get your eye out…

8. The Days Off School

You’re telling us it was only one day off school? It felt like a whole week.

9. Visiting The Grandparents/Relatives/Friends Of Family

Any day off school was sitting in the backseat of the car with a pout on your face as your parents travelled the length and breadth of the vicinity, calling to everyone they promised they would call to.

10. Finally, It Was The Smartest We’ve Ever Been

Oh, we knew absolutely everything about St Patrick. His early life, his daily life, his later life, everything about God, the snakes, his staff… Ask us now and we’d struggle to recall anything about our national saint.