On the Scene: The Wearing of the Greenbacks

Washington, D.C.

ST. PATRICK’S Day in America is a day of celebration of “the Irish,” but the Irish being celebrated are Americans: those Americans who regard themselves as of Irish or partly Irish ethnic origin (about 40 million strong, according to the Census). The message of St. Patrick’s Day is that “the Irish,” in this sense, are a force to be reckoned with as voters and consumers, by reason of their numbers and their coherence.

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Conor Cruise O'Brien

Washington, D.C.

ST. PATRICK’S Day in America is a day of celebration of “the Irish,” but the Irish being celebrated are Americans: those Americans who regard themselves as of Irish or partly Irish ethnic origin (about 40 million strong, according to the Census). The message of St. Patrick’s Day is that “the Irish,” in this sense, are a force to be reckoned with as voters and consumers, by reason of their numbers and their coherence.