We’re going to be getting home from Belize just in time for one of my favourite holidays – celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Newfoundland is the best! St. Pat’s falls on a Monday this year, and many people will have the day off from work. In fact, Newfoundland is one of only 4 places in the world that makes this feast day a public holiday (along with the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, of course, and Montserrat, a small island in the Caribbean which also has its fair share of Irish descendents).
I think, of course, that the cottages are the perfect place to celebrate this day of all things Irish (but I think any excuse is a good one for the Wonderful World of Whiteway!). Our cottages are big enough to accommodate groups, or you can get two side by side, all but eliminating the need for designated drivers. And given our landscape and our proximity to the sea, you’ll think you’re on the Emerald Isle! And certainly many people still honour the traditional religious underpinnings of the holiday – there are two churches in Whiteway and several more within quick driving distance.
We also have a downtown Character Home for rent that is minutes away from George Street (again, eliminating the need for a DD!). If you haven’t partied on George Street, you haven’t lived! And I can one-up that – if you haven’t waited in line on George Street at 7.30 in the morning to reserve your table all day for St. Pat’s, then you haven’t lived like I have! It’s something you need to do once in your life!
But really, what is all the fuss about Newfoundland, Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day? Turns out a good 81% of Newfoundlanders claim Irish ancestry. Our names, our songs, our accents, often our religion, all hark back to ‘the land of Saints and Scholars.’ For over 300 years our countries have been closely connected, culturally and geographically, and Tim Pat Coogan in “Wherever Green is Worn” calls Newfoundland “the most Irish place in the world outside of Ireland.” See – we’re not fooling around when we don our shamrocks and green hats here!
Also, the bulk of the Irish who came to Newfoundland did so earlier than in other parts of North America, and they were able to establish strong communities before Irish racism set in for the Irish diaspora in other parts of the world. ‘No Irish need apply’ signs, so grossly prevalent in big cities like Boston and New York, didn’t show up here. The lack of friction and violence experienced by the Irish here meant that they could be cultural leaders and play a prominent role in Newfoundland government and society. Truly here, the Irish were free to be Irish – and that legacy is still alive today.
If you’re interested in hearing an Irish person’s take on our beautiful province, or you’d like to hear more about about the Newfoundland-Ireland connection, take a listen to this interview with Jo Kerrigan, a travel writer from Cork who recently visited. In her piece, she calls Newfoundland ‘the Other Ireland.’ She says that as a young girl she always heard stories about Newfoundland and how similar it was to her home, and always wanted to visit (and I can tell you, I know a lot of Newfoundlanders with the same desire, just in reverse!). She says we’re just like the Irish, but even more so, as we’re “quick to talk, and to chat, and to enjoy getting on and sharing exciting stories.” She also thinks we’re a bit tougher for having to survive our harsher winters. The interview is only 7 minutes long, and it’s worth a listen – if only for the wonderfully lilting way Jo pronounces ‘L’anse aux Meadows!’
So here’s my pitch: this St. Patrick’s day, take a little time to appreciate this unique sisterhood of cultures and to celebrate the close connection between Newfoundland and Ireland. I promise (as you can see from this post), that once you start doing a little research on the Internet, you’ll get quickly engrossed. We’d love to have you out here at the cottages to raise a glass (of green beer!) with me, The Berry and Joe Friday, but either way, I hope you enjoy celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Newfoundland!
