Saoirse. Happy St. Patrick’s Day 2026. Sláinte!

It’s that time of year again for “wearing the green” for St. Patrick’s Day 2026.

Why Green on St. Patrick’s Day?

As a reminder, St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was mostly associated with wearing the blue. So, why do we don the green on Saint Patrick’s Day?

Some history

Here’s an extract from the blog The Conversation, titled “An 18th‑century rebellion for liberty, equality, and freedom − not in France or the United States, but Ireland.”

Shortly before midnight on May 23, 1798, highwaymen just north of Dublin intercepted and set on fire a mail coach headed to Belfast.

It was the signal meant to ignite revolution across all Ireland.

At the time, Ireland was a kingdom within the state of Great Britain. The island’s three religious factions had long been divided. Families who belonged to the Anglican Church of Ireland made up the aristocratic landlords and colonial administrators. Presbyterians, concentrated in the north, boasted a robust middle class. But as “dissenters” from the Anglican church, they were second-class citizens.

And most of the remaining 80% of the population, the “native” Catholics, were near-destitute farmers. For more than a hundred years, they had lived under debilitating penal laws meant to keep Catholics out of economic and political power.

A new organization, the Society of United Irishmen, was established in the early 1790s in Belfast, and chapters quickly spread to Dublin and across the country. Anyone could join, so long as they dreamed of making Ireland a republic, like the United States and France, where the people had dispensed with the monarch and ruled themselves.

The Conversation, “An 18th‑century rebellion for liberty, equality, and freedom….” 20 May 2025

Freedom and liberty: Saoirse

• The celebration has shifted from its religious roots to focus more on cultural identity and Irish nationalism.
• In 1798, Ireland was still under British rule, which was challenged by the Society of United Irishmen, whose flag was green.
• This color, in particular, led to those who bore it being persecuted by the English.
• The color gained deeper meaning through songs like “The Wearing of the Green“, which mourned the persecution of Irish rebels who wore green as a sign of defiance against British rule in the 1798 uprising.
• Saoirse is the Irish word for freedom, deeply rooted in Ireland’s struggle for independence from British rule.
  • Its use as a given name emerged in the early 20th century, particularly after Ireland gained independence on December 6, 1922, symbolizing national pride and liberation.
  • Despite its modern origins, Saoirse carries profound historical weight—it is associated with the Irish Republican movement
  • Though primarily used as a feminine name in Ireland, its meaning transcends gender. It represents resilience, hope, and the enduring fight for self-determination.
  • Today, Saoirse is celebrated not only as a name but as a living symbol of freedom, reminding people of the sacrifices made for liberty and the ongoing importance of cultural identity.

It’s clear that this stubborn refusal helped shape Ireland’s identity and perhaps that well known nickname, The Fighting Irish! It’s a nation that has fought to hold onto its culture, language, and spirit against evil empires and globalists for centuries.

Let’s celebrate Ireland and its resolve. We all need to channel that kind of kindred spirit, especially nowadays.

An Irish Song and an Irish Toast

Kitty: an Irish song

This is an Irish folk song covered by The Pogues, and I think it’s a good tune to hear and sing on Saint Patrick’s Day.¹Nobody really knows the origin of the song, except that it was learned by Shane MacGowan‘s grandparents, The Lynch family, who learned it from the people who lived in their area of Ireland.

“Kitty” lyrics

Oh Kitty, My Darling, remember
That the doom will be mine if I stay
'Tis far better to part, though it's hard to
Than to rot in their prison away
'Tis far better to part, though it's hard to
Than to rot in their prison away 

So softly he kissed her pale lips
'Twas the same story over an o'er
Hush mo mhuirnín, the police are watching
And you know that I must go, a stór
Hush mo mhuirní­n, the police are watching
And you know that I must go, a stór 

In a day now I'll be over the mountain
There'll be time enough left for to cry
So good night and God guard you forever
And write to me won't you, goodbye
So good night and God guard you forever
And write to me won't you, goodbye

This song can really have an effect on the patrons of one’s local pub if it’s played on the jukebox after everyone’s had a few pints to warm up. Perhaps not so much in the states, though. Here, people seemingly want to hear “happy dance” music all the time. But, the more introverted lads, like me, appreciate songs such as Kitty whereby they can just sit back, sip their Guinness, and reflect a bit.

As such, I’m not sure which song I’d rather listen to or sing after having a few pints,²As an OG, I don’t actually drink alcohol anymore, by the way. “Kitty” or the “Ballad of Jack Larkin” that I shared on St. Patrick’s Day 2024.

I suppose the correct answer is, “both.”

Sláinte! — An Irish cheer and wish for good health

Pronounced slawn-cha: Sláinte!

From The Irish Buzz on Facebook:

“This beautiful Irish word means ‘Cheers!’ Used in toasts to wish someone good health, it’s more than just a word, it’s a feeling. Raise your glass, share the culture, and spread the Irish spirit!”

Fun fact: slave to saint

The Irish Gem provides a bit of history about Saint Patrick, who went from being a slave to being a saint.

Now, that’s certainly something to raise a cup to and say, “Sláinte!”

And of course, this:

Still More Fish Frys on Fridays

After celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday, the 17th of March, don’t forget to get some of the best fish on Friday in your area or in Cleveland. There are a few more Fridays remaining during Lent season, after all.

Cleveland.com put together a comprehensive list of non-profit fish frys on Fridays in the Cleveland area: “Fish frys in NE Ohio: Our weekly guide is updated [13 March 2026].

Also, the awesome all-male, Catholic prep school, St. Edward High School,³St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio, is an all-boys Catholic high school founded in 1949 by the Brothers of Holy Cross, the same one affiliated with the beloved University of Notre Dame. in Lakewood, just west of Cleveland, sponsored a mobile app that maps a lot of for-profit and non-profit establishments that offer fish frys on Friday.

Fish Frys on Fridays: an interactive map

You may access the article and interactive map below, or directly on Cleveland Magazine: “Cleveland’s 2026 Fish Fry Season Is Here: Our Interactive Map Offers 80+ Choices.”

Closing Words

If you read the entire post, then you learned the main Irish words a lad in Ireland should know how to use when speaking to a lass.

Here’s an example, which relates to someone’s ol’ lady cackling in the background while a good Irishman beautifully sings the “Ballad of Jack Larkin” (visit the link shared previously to understand the context):

Hush, now, mo mhuirní­n, Noel is singing. How about be so kind, a stór, and bring us a few more cold ones? And, while you’re up, will you make us fellas some of your big, beautiful hot hang sandwiches? Sláinte. *then sip your pint*

A very wise (crackin’) OG

Nevertheless, what does one do after celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday, and then perhaps indulging in too much fried fish and cold pints on Friday?

Confession on Sunday!

And, of course, may you find a pot of gold at the end of your rainbow!

Footnotes

• 1
  Nobody really knows the origin of the song, except that it was learned by Shane MacGowan‘s grandparents, The Lynch family, who learned it from the people who lived in their area of Ireland.
• 2
  As an OG, I don’t actually drink alcohol anymore, by the way.
• 3
  St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio, is an all-boys Catholic high school founded in 1949 by the Brothers of Holy Cross, the same one affiliated with the beloved University of Notre Dame.