There are two world famous symbols of Irish culture: St. Patrick’s Day, and the Irish pub—both synonymous with drinking and “good craic.” But history tells us that these icons of Irish identity were first conceived far away from Ireland. Since then, these phenomena have become a tangle of mythology, religion and politics; inseparable from—but hardly authentic to—the modern nation.
In fact, the first celebration of St. Patrick—patron saint of Ireland—was organized in Boston by members of the Charitable Irish Society, in 1737. The original society rules made the organization exclusively Protestant, and other early celebrations were also organized by Protestant officers in the British Army.
St. Patrick’s Day really increased in profile during the era of mass emigrations which began in the 19th century. It gradually became a celebration of what it means to be Irish in North America.
