Another Year, Another St. Patrick's Day

With March 17th fast approaching, the nation will need to prepare itself for our annual celebration of Irishness; St. Patrick's Day. Unfortunately, being Irish is confused with self abuse through alcohol far too often. In Ireland, St. Patrick's Day has become more about self harm and social disorder than parades and green confetti.

The trends for St Patrick's Day reveal a similar story. Children as young as twelve will be celebrating March 17th with alcohol, while arrests in relation to public disorder and driving under the influence of alcohol are expected to increase dramatically.

This raises concerns about our attitude towards alcohol as a nation, not just on March 17th but year round. Irish society is one that glorifies alcohol, and our reputation as a nation has revolved around this for years. Some of our most successful exports are alcohol related, and St. Patrick's Day itself has become a global celebration of Irish culture with an emphasis on alcohol consumption.

Despite its benefits to our international reputation and the Irish economy, the Irish appetite for alcohol abuse has been revealed to have serious health and societal drawbacks.

St. Patrick's Hospital Medical Director Professor Jim Lucey has been quoted as saying that '... There has also been an increase in alcohol related deaths, liver disease and alcohol related diseases/injuries. The statistics on the increases in alcohol consumption are quite frightening yet culturally we are taught to relate alcohol with enjoyment. Many, especially our young people, feel you have to be drunk to enjoy a celebration. This must change.'

What remains are two pressing questions about St. Patrick's Day, Alcohol, and Ireland; 'How can the current societal trends in alcohol consumption be changed?', and 'Is there enough public and political will to tackle these trends when they stem from our own identity as Irish people?' Both questions remain to be answered.

Emigration seems to be the only hope for Irish Job Seekers

Last weekend the working abroad exposition in the RDS personified the desperation of the Irish public with the country’s rising unemployment figures. Over 20,000 job seekers queued for hours to gain access to the event and meet the 80 recruiters that were present from Canada, Dubai, Australia and New Zealand. The jobs exposition followed the announcement that Canadian province of Britsish Columbia will be looking for 350,000 skilled workers the next 12 years.

It was sad to see 20,000 people queuing for hours in a bid to get a golden ticket out of Ireland. Scenes were mirrored once again down in Cork where the exposition travelled next. Organisers appealed to non ticket holders not to show up as they would not be guaranteed entry. Nevertheless thousands queued with or without tickets once again. Men, woman, children and students bared the brunt of a long wait with hopes of a secure future in another country.

The jobs exposition in Dublin was juxtaposed with Fianna Fáils 75^th annual Ard Fheis. The current leader of the party Michael Martin apoligised for the mistakes of his party which have undoubtedly led to the downfall of our small nation.

Party members needed no reminder to the consequences their mistakes, a quick look out of the window and members could see the queues of people waiting for hope outside of this country.

The current government have recognised the need for job creation in Ireland. Richard Bruton recently published the governments job creation plan for 2012, a document whose results will be measured by government and non governmental bodies on a regular basis. The jobs creation document will be updated on an annual basis with hopes to reach the Taoiseach’s ambition for Ireland to be the best small country in the world in which to do business by the centenary of the 1916 Rising.

Although the government are putting measures in place, results will need to be fast in order to stop Ireland’s educated and talented people for leaving the country possibly never to return.