Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Hope you have enjoyed some corned beef and cabbage already! This is a particularly good St. Patrick's Day; the festivities are very welcome in this very cold weather.

I was planning to go see the dyeing of the river green and staying for the Chicago St. Patrick's Day parade, but with temperatures in the low 20's, I think I will leave that for heartier folk, or at least those who live closer.
It's' a beautiful sunny day, however, and it well may warm up, so a trip down town might be pleasant. I found a Chicago St. Patrick's guide online, and all the info on the official events is here. If you choose to stay home, the Parade will be broadcast on Chicago's Channel 9 at noon. Since that's the WGN Super Station, its likely you might be able to see it anywhere in the USA.

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. He was a pious and holy man who brought Christianity to the pagans, and I would think that fasting and prayer might be a more fitting way to celebrate his day. The Irish should know best on this matter, however, so heft a beer and put on a green hat!

The Irish high cross, pictured above, is over 1,000 years old, and is located at Clonmacnois Monastery in Ireland. It is an amazing site, well worth a visit, and a place of ancient pilgrimage. Ireland is rich in archaeological treasures, and County Offaly, where Clonmacnois is located, has an excellent archeology website done by the Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society, which you can visit by clicking here.

Wilmette has many residents of Irish descent, and is also the American home of the Irish Dairy Board. You can find a number of their Kerrygold branded products over at Treasure Island on Ridge, just North of Lake. If you aren't in trouble with your MD following the diet excesses of the Super Bowl (yes, we are) , do bring home some of their delicious Kerrygold Irish butter for the family to enjoy this weekend, or one of the tasty cheeses. Locally, Hackney's is, of course, the place to celebrate St. Patrick's Day but there definately will be a wait.