Local News: St. Patrick’s Day in Aggieland

Irish Celebrate St. Patrick's Day
By Janet Phelps

From the Bryan-College Station Eagle

As the son of a U.S. Army soldier, College Station resident Kevin O'Neill said being Irish was something his family took with them all around the world.

The 71-year-old U.S Army veteran said his family traveled across the country and lived overseas, but always celebrated their heritage.

"We were very proud of our history and always celebrated St. Patrick's Day," he said, recalling a special treat that the holiday brought to Catholics: "We were Catholic, and if St. Patrick's Day fell on a Friday, we got to eat meat on that day."

Although you don't have to be Irish to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland, residents of Irish descent across Bryan-College Station said they'll be doing just that.

Retired Texas A&M University faculty member Barbara O'Brien said most people weren't interested in St. Patrick's Day when she was growing up Irish Catholic in South Carolina.

O'Brien, whose family immigrated to the U.S. in the 1800s, said being Irish meant family and religion were of utmost importance.

When she was raising her own seven kids, O'Brien said, they always made shamrock cookies for St. Patrick's Day. But now O'Brien, who is 76, said she doesn't feel like partying, although she still enjoys the holiday.

"It's kind of interesting to me that a lot of people who don't have any Irish heritage really enjoy celebrating St. Patrick's Day. I have a neighbor who gets a lot more into it than I do," she said laughing.

Michael O'Quinn, Texas A&M vice president for institutional and federal affairs, is separated from Ireland by more than 250 years of his family's presence in the U.S.

But O'Quinn said he is still fascinated by his heritage and has traveled to Ireland almost every year since the early 1990s.

"At first, it was out of curiosity of where your parents came from. But when you go, you become engaged in the culture and the people," he said.

Traveling to Ireland has made everything Irish even more important to O'Quinn, including his family history, he said.

Growing up, they celebrated St. Patrick's Day with traditional food every year. But on Tuesday, O'Quinn said, he and his parents will celebrate a quiet holiday with Irish music, Guinness and Irish stew on their ranch.

When asked if he considers himself Irish, 80-year-old James O'Connell laughed.

A main street in Dublin is named after his great-grandfather, who was an Irish businessman in the 1800s, he explained.

Growing up in Fort Worth, O'Connell said, his classmates called him "Irish Jim" around St. Patrick's Day at school.

Once O'Connell became a teenager, he said, his family let him have a sip or two of "Irish spirits" on St. Patrick's Day. But now that's he's older, he said, he'll probably relax on St. Patrick's Day and drink a green beer at home with his wife.

But that didn't stop him from offering advice for non-Irish celebrants: "Live it up and have a good time. Listen to all the Irish music you want to," he said.

Festivities

Celebrations begin early Tuesday for those looking for a green beer or corned beef and cabbage in honor of St. Patrick at restaurants and bars across Bryan-College Station. Here are just a few:

Carney's Pub, Bryan: An outdoor party kicks off at 10 a.m. Corned beef and cabbage along with hamburgers on the grill will be served at 11:30 a.m. Live music begins at 4 p.m. Drink specials continue all day, organizers said.

Fox and Hound Pub and Grille, College Station: Drink specials and giveaways will begin at 11 a.m. A manager said there will also be a leprechaun present, but declined to give more details.

Murphy's Law, Bryan: Festivities begin at 10 a.m. with an Irish breakfast, and continue through lunch. Live Irish music begins at 9 p.m., with green beer served throughout the day, owners said.

O'Bannon's Tap House, College Station: Breakfast (including green eggs and ham) begins when the bar opens at 8 a.m. Irish coffee and green beer will be served as soon as people start showing up Tuesday morning, owners said. An Irish lunch, drink specials and giveaways continue throughout the day. Two hundred beers will be given away mid-morning.

Published Tuesday, March 17, 2009