The Other Press Mailbag

Dear Other Press,

I, like the person who wrote to you last month, am an Irish
Canadian. But, thankfully, that’s where our similarities end.

I was not at all offended by your use of the word “Paddy” in
the St. Patrick’s edition of the Other Press. Nor were any mem-
bers of my large, first generation Irish family. If anything, as
Irish people, we were offended by the fact that another Irish
person would take offence from the OP’s Irish content. We
thought it was great that you even bothered to have a St.
Patrick’s Day issue, since over here our holiday often tends to
get overlooked in the Halloween/Christmas/Easter shuffle.

I just wanted to let you know that there are a few “Paddies”
out here who responded to your theme issue with the good
humour in which it was undoubtedly intended, and look for-
ward to reading next year’s edition.

Come the 17th of March each year, my family is the first to
embrace the campiness of modern-day St. Patrick’s celebra-
tions. We wear the big, goofy Guinness hats and the “Kiss Me ’m
Irish” pins, we pucker up for novelty Blarney Stones, and we
good-naturedly make and take comments ahout potatoes,
snakes, and leprechauns. Oh, and we’ll gladly drink any of you
Canucks under the table—just name your poison, whether it’s
Guinness, whiskey, or even cheap, watered-down, novelty green
draft.

We are not embarrassed of who we are, we embrace our cul-
ture and we appreciate that you have, too. So, whether you’re
Irish in blood or simply Irish in spirit, come on Other Press, “Say
it once, say it loud, we’re Paddies and we’re proud!”

Sincerely,
B. Corchrane

 

 

june 8/2005

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