Massachusetts St. Patrick’s Day Menu Differs From Ireland

Sure and beggorah, St. Patrick's Day is coming and Massachusetts, considered the "most Irish" state in the U.S., is preparing to celebrate.

Before you get all giddy about going green for the day, let me set you straight about some things.

First of all, St. Patrick was born in what is now England, not Ireland. At 16, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland, where he herded sheep for six years. There is no record of St. Patrick driving snakes out of Ireland.

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Second, "Danny Boy" is not an Irish song; at least the lyrics are not. According to the book Danny Boy: The Legend of the Beloved Irish Ballad by Malachy McCourt, English lawyer Frederic Weatherly wrote the lyrics in 1910. The lyrics, or some variation, were adapted for a fiddle tune known as "Londonderry Air" in 1913.

Third, "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," "Galway Bay," and "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen" are not Irish songs, either. "Eyes" was written by an American, "Galway Bay" by an Englishman, and "Kathleen" was the work of a German composer.

Now if that isn't enough of a kick in the arse, "corned beef and cabbage is not the national dish of Ireland," says California's Brent's Deli.

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Brentsdeli.com reports, "You would not eat this dish on St. Patrick's Day in Dublin."

The site says corned beef and cabbage are "usually only eaten around the religious holiday in the U.S." Taste of Home provides recipes and ideas for traditional Irish dishes you might want to try.

My Irish family has celebrated St. Patrick's Day the New Bedford way for generations with corned beef, cabbage and all the above-mentioned songs. After a pint or two, they have even been known to raise the Irish flag in front of New Bedford City Hall for St. Pat's.

READ MORE: The SouthCoast's Irish Connections

Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle, so knock yourself out with the wearin' o' the green.

St. Patrick's Day is March 17, the same day as the New Bedford Half Marathon. There will be lots of celebrating throughout downtown that day, so lift a green beer and toast "Slainte" to one and all, and make the craic a 90!