Saint Patricks Day, Cork, Ireland.

Howdy Folks

There has been many a time when i have fallen around various towns and indeed the city as well on this most drunken of days. i have carelessly swigged yellow (or Green) fizzy water and made a complete arse of myself. this year however i was determined to be different. i stayed SOBER all day and even all night not a drop of anything legally considered to be alcoholic passed my lips and boy oh boy was i in for a surprise.

the day started rather slowly with Morgan and I heading down to the Grand Parade in Cork City to check out the food festival which was by then in full swing. Quickly we joined a Queue for some food which we had heard was very good. this food was being served by Barracuda Barbeque Company from Kinsale. I have never had anything like it, Bratwurst and Herbed Potatoes in a Chinese Style takeaway box with some fried onion on top, so simple but abou the best thing i've eaten in a long time, if you see these guys anywhere try the sausage and spud punnet you won't be disappointed.

We the watched the Parade which passed without a hitch, so far the day had been a big thumbs up, after the parade we went and visited th Bierhaus on popes quay in the city, here i had two weihnstephaner non alcoholic beer, it's nothing special but it knocks the socks off Becks any day.

after this we went and enjoyed some more weihnstephaner in the Oval on south main street, followed by heading to Captain America's for some food and cheesy St Patricks Day style Irish Music.

After this it all wen't wrong, usually by this point in the evening i was very drunk on a barstool somewhere or already in bed but this year with sober eyes i saw it all, it was madness, Gardai required at every street corner, the street was a veritable obstacle course with vomit everywhere and drunks fighting in middle of the road, at one point i saw some lad vomit on his burger and then pick it up again before deciding that it was in-edible. i always wondered why the rest of the world saw us as nothing other than a bunch of drunken Oirish Louts now i know, it's because on Our most publicised day the vast majority of irish twenty-forty somethings become a big shiny flashy neon stereotype of what it is to be Oirish.

Next year i'll stay for the food Fair and the well organised Parade, but will exit the city good and early, i'll ignore the news, and refuse to listen to the stories others tell, I'll imagine that the world see's us as a, well educated, funny, pleasant, population and not just a bunch of drunken idiots.