St. Patrick’s Day. The one day a year New York — and only New York — assumes the role of repository of the Irish soul. Washington, with its annual White House soiree for the movers and shakers, has made a bid for preeminence in recent years. And now that Dublin has rediscovered St. Patrick, it’s proven to be a powerful magnet for celebrants from throughout Ireland and beyond. But neither is a match for New York, where today, on the cusp of the millennium, screen legend Maureen O’Hara will step onto Fifth Avenue at the vanguard of an army of Irish men and women who will march in the footsteps of their ancestors.
The parade, of course, remains the centerpiece of New York’s celebration. But it is only part of what makes the city so special on this day. Irish tradition and culture and wit are on display everywhere: at morning Mass, at the power breakfasts that follow, on the airwaves, in the pubs and on stage. If you can’t find something with an Irish flavor to savor in Manhattan today, you’re obviously not trying very hard. In fact, better check your pulse.
This is not to gloss over the fact that this year’s parade, like so many before it, is marred by controversy — namely to ongoing feud between the parade organizers and the Irish gay group that seeks, quite rightly, to march under its own banner. Suffice it to say that there are louts and boors on both sides and, quite frankly, most people are simply bored by it all.
So, put all that aside for now. Put on your Irish finery and enjoy the day. It comes only once a year. And there’s no better place to be.