Statue of St Patrick in Aghagower, County Mayo, Ireland. From Wikimedia Commons.

Top of the morning to you — or maybe not, if it isn’t morning when you read this.  Today is March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, and I thought everyone could use a quick lesson on St. Patrick’s Day history.  St. Patrick was born sometime in the late 4th century CE, and died sometime, depending on the source, between 420 CE (Common Era; we history geeks use that notation, but it’s the same thing as AD) and 495 CE – long before electricity, internet loans, or penicillin – or hops in beer, for that matter.

He is acknowledged and revered as the Patron Saint of Ireland. March 17 has been celebrated for a long time, and is one of the most widely celebrated of all saints’ holidays.  There are some interesting historical tidbits about St. Patrick and St. Patrick’s Day, so let’s get down to business.

First, about Saint Patrick

Patrick (Padraig) was actually born in England, kidnapped by Irish raiders as a young man, and taken back to Ireland as a slave.  He was put to work as a shepherd, fled to Gaul (France), became a priest, went back to Britain and, while there, decided to set about converting the Irish. The hitch about primary sources (earliest writings of a culture) is you never know how accurate they are. So, the essence of St. Patrick is that he made a lot of early converts to Christianity in Ireland, including a lot of the nobility (there’s the rub!), and then there was that whole bit with the Shamrock and The Trinity. Dates of his death vary, and he was reportedly buried in Downpatrick, just outside of Belfast in County Down, a pilgrimage site to the present. I’m sticking to the short version here, so I apologize if my brevity is mistaken for irreverence.

St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day wasn’t actually celebrated until the 17th century at the earliest.  St. Patrick had long been the most important figure in Irish Christianity for centuries and was suggested for a holy day by Luke Wadding, a Franciscan priest born in Waterford. (Waterford, as you might guess, is in Ireland.)  It became a day of obligation for Irish Catholics during the season of Lent, as it typically would serve as a day of feasting, an obligated respite during a fast.

Green, as we’re all aware, is the color of Ireland, but the color associated with St. Patrick is actually blue. (There is, in fact, a shade known as St. Patrick’s blue, a slightly darker shade of Sky Blue.)  Wearing green was a display of Irish nationalism, and it started out as wearing a green ribbon or shamrock.  Irish expatriates would often don green clothing of some sort on St. Patrick’s Day, to commemorate the land of their birth that they had departed from.

But why is it so popular?

Well, the short answer is that the Irish emigrated to just about everywhere.  If you had to endure the conditions forced upon them by the English, you’d think about getting some payday loans if need be and getting on a boat to – well, anywhere – yourself.  Irish communities were common throughout North and South America, and all over the continent of Europe, and thus, with so many people of Irish heritage of some sort, many note the occasion of St. Patrick’s Day. Erin Go Bragh!

I was in Dublin for a meeting about 2 years ago and it was absolutely booming. New projects and new construction were everywhere, the streets were full of people and you couldn’t squeeze into a bar. Even though my trip was paid for, I had taken extra money that I got with a No Fax Cash Advance from the Personal Money Store in case I wanted to do some shopping for the wife and kids.

Irish downturn is hitting man and beast

Now the recession in Ireland has reached every corner of the economy. The sudden collapse of the Irish Republic’s economy has hit hard – both for its people and some of its animals. At a sanctuary outside Dublin, the staff has seen a surge in abandoned horses. Squire is safe now but some racehorses have not survived the downturn. Squire, a pure-bred draught horse, is lucky. He was found half-starved on scrubland. Now he may find a new home.

Racehorses

It is a sad story for the racehorses which were bought in the good times by wealthy businessmen as a passport to social status. They are now being dumped. Being too wild to keep, they have to be shot. The Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals say they have seen four times as many rejected racehorses this year as last, and they estimate altogether there are 20,000 horses in the country that nobody wants.

A spokesman said, “When people don’t have spare cash, the horse is the first thing to suffer; they’ll either be abandoned or driven into someone else’s field.”

The docklands

What a far cry from the heady days when all along Dublin’s docklands were signs of growth. Today rows of cranes and empty office buildings are all that is left of a building boom which fueled the much admired “Celtic Tiger” economy. The collapse in credit and confidence has left Ireland in a perilous state.

One of the major problems was the toxic brew of a construction industry too close to government, and regulators captured at the gate. The poster child for failure is the Anglo Irish Bank. The Irish government nationalized Anglo Irish in January amid fears it would collapse.

An angry public

Public anger is being directed at the government, which presided over the uncontrolled boom. It is deeply unpopular and the opposition is putting ministers under fire for not seeing the storm coming.

In Dublin’s famous O’Connell Street the long line of cabs is a visible sign of the shrinking economy. The drivers complain there are too many cabs – more than in New York, they say – and they have to wait more than an hour for a fare.

The problem is caused by lack of regulation, a rising tide of jobless seeking to earn a living as a cabbie and fewer customers. It is a situation which looks set to get worse.

The huge deficit

Bailing out the banks, along with plummeting tax revenues, now means the government faces a ballooning budget deficit, which reached $3.4 billion in the first quarter of this year.

As a member of the Eurozone it is under pressure from the European Central Bank to bring the deficit under control, so is expected to announce tough public spending in its emergency budget.

We wish you the luck of the Irish!

Brian Cowen

President Barack Obama today met with the head of the Irish government, Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

The meeting, appropriately scheduled for St. Patrick’s Day, was held in the Oval Office.

Not a lot to celebrate

Today marks the first St. Patrick’s Day that Taoiseach Cowen has been in office. He was elected May 7, 2008. Of course, it is also Obama’s first St. Patrick’s Day in office.

Unfortunately, the circumstances of the meeting are not too jovial. Talks are expected to focus on the global economic crisis. Similar to the United States, Ireland handed out cash advances to many banks last year in attempt to stabilize its financial system.

Pot of gold?

Of course, some good could come of these discussions. Obama and Cowen will discuss United States relations with Northern Ireland. Perhaps the two will come up with ways to mutually benefit each other’s economies.

Unlucky Irish

Ireland’s finance minister spoke about Ireland’s financial crisis yesterday. He insinuated that the recession has hit Ireland harder than the rest of the world.

However, Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan also expressed hope that Ireland would weather the storm and recover quickly. He has utmost faith in agreements that have been put in place and the country’s efforts so far to bail itself out.

Sign of sagging spending

Ryanair, the airline most known in this part of the world for suggesting it might charge to use the airplane bathroom, has shown other signs of financial instability. It says it will cancel four of it outbound flights from Dublin. Many United States airlines have cut national and international flights as well.

Ryanair, which is based in the U.K., also put pay cuts up to a vote among its employees recently. The vote is clear: the staff would prefer a pay freeze to a pay cut.

In Chantilly, Virginia, federal agents at Dulles International Airport have seized shamrock seeds from happy travelers from Ireland. There were coming to America to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday, March 17.

According to a Fox News report, Customs and Border Patrol spokesman Stephen Sapp said the agents “targeted the Aer Lingus flight on Thursday and had been searching for passengers carrying prohibited meat.” Sixteen packets of shamrock seeds were found mixed in amongst offending pork and beef.

Aer Lingus? Is that Colonel Angus’s favorite airline? WARNING: Don’t click that link if you are easily offended. Please… don’t!

Uh, excuse me… do you have a permit for that?

Both the meat and shamrock seeds were destroyed. Because that’s what feds do. They also nod like bobbleheads when the Center For Responsible Lending froths at the mouth about payday loans.

However, might they have considered the economic import of said shamrock seeds? Clearly, the luck of the Irish could aid this country’s economy. And think of the seeds. What other time of year would they be so in demand? I’m not saying they would make a huge dent in our economic troubles – like legalizing marijuana in California may – but would they honestly hurt?

But Steve, lots of oxalis can be toxic!

Sure. If large quantities of shamrock plants are consumed, it can be deadly, or at least cause liver damage. But come on – THEY’RE FUN! Robert and Hoberley Schuler write for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune that shamrocks have been the symbol for St. Patrick’s Day for religious reasons (three leaves, Trinity, GET IT? HUH!?) Trifolium repens, Medicago lupulins and Oxalis acetosella are the trinity of shamrock plants, and you can find them at your local home and garden nursery.

Maybe the feds are anti-shamrock seeds because the plant could be considered a weed. And we know that the word “weed” leads respectable people down the path to madness, right?

But you are interested in the exceptional. Yes. CLICK HERE to see the true meaning of the green shamrock seeds contain. They are a true asset, and unlike what banks are hocking, they aren’t toxic assets…

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Ten years ago I bought a ticket from Boston to Dublin, Ireland, so that I could join the new Intel plant that was coming online in Leixlip, near Dublin. This is a classic case of déjà vu. Now I need to buy the ticket to get back to the States.

Ireland is in a state of collapse. They are facing tough government cutbacks, a deepening recession and bailouts for the banks. The Prime Minister has a ballooning budget deficit and is planning to introduce a pension levy on public sector workers and freeze their pay.

Ireland before the EU

I remember the days before Ireland joined the EU. It was then touted as one of the poorer countries in Europe. Ireland joined the European Communities, now called the European Union, in 1973 and its economy spiraled in order to keep up with its partners.

Before the current economic crash, Ireland had the fifth highest gross domestic product per capita and the seventh gross domestic product per capita considering purchasing power, and the fifth highest Human Development Index rank in the world.

The country also boasted the highest quality of life in the world, ranking first in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Quality-of-life index. Ireland was ranked sixth on the Global Peace Index. Ireland also has high rankings for its education system, political freedom and civil rights.

Hi-tech moved in

On the heels of the tremendous development and the economic upswing that took place, the hi-tech industries of the world all fell in love with Ireland and huge manufacturing plants mushroomed. Everyone is there: Intel, Dell, IBM, HP, Oracle, Lotus, Microsoft and most other hi-tech names you can think of.

Linking Ireland

One month ago, in January 2009, it was announced that tens of millions of euro are to be invested in providing cheaper and faster broadband connections between Ireland and the US. They named this project Kelvin. This will be the first direct telecommunications link between North America and the north of Ireland. The project is a venture which involves the laying of an undersea cable that will cost some €30 million Euros and will be completed by March of next year by Hibernia Atlantic.

Down the tubes

Saturday’s crowd, estimated to be between 85,000 and 100,000 people, accused the government of leaving teachers, nurses, civil servants and construction workers with the bill for Ireland’s economic woes.

The protest comes ahead of strikes set for later this month by public sector clerical workers and bus drivers and marks a clear break in peaceful industrial relations, which had been an important contributor to the success of the “Celtic Tiger” economy.

A protracted and sharp drop in property prices, starting in March 2007, marked the beginning of Ireland’s economic decline which accelerated rapidly in late 2008 and early 2009 as job losses and falling output spread beyond the construction sector.

I’m not waiting

Thanks Ireland. It’s been a good 10 years for me. I enjoyed the Irish lasses and the Guinness stout. It’s time to move on. I’m flying out tomorrow, heading back to the U.S.

The threat of unemployment is everywhere. Anyone can be hit with a lay off at any time. Don’t wait until you’re out of work to apply for a Payday Loan. It may be too late. Apply now!

I think I’m about to drop into no-work mode.

The word is out from the CEO’s secretary – pink slips are being prepared. Until the middle of January I was under the impression that the economic destruction wave had passed me by. Then I sat down next to Suzie, the CEO’s secretary, in the canteen this morning. I sit down next to Suzie at every opportunity. She looked glum. I asked if there was a problem and she nodded. Another 11 questions down the line she finally spat it out. “Unless the Tunnel project comes through this week there are going to be firings.” The gorgeous Suzie also confirmed that I’m on the list, “near the top, Pete, if that makes you feel better. Anyway, don’t panic, the project may still be confirmed.”

I spent the next few hours wondering what coffee would taste like without Suzie next to me.

Nothing is forever

Things can change in an instant. Ask anyone who has been caught up in a disaster and you will find it hard to believe what a hurricane or a tsunami can do to your life from one minute to another. A month ago I had a job at Microsoft. Safe, secure, interesting project, good boss, pleasant team, great dining room and other facilities. You name it, I had it. Now comes the threat of downsizing and the decision hangs on one project. All I can think of is that I may need a Payday Loan in a great hurry if the axe falls.

I am surrounded by deaf ears.

I push my mental button and swing back into job-hunting mode. I haven’t forgotten the stress and strain of looking for a job. But this time I’m betting that the streets will be running like rivers, full of guys just like me. No one needs to compare stories; all the hi-tech hopefuls sing the same song. Only the companies vary – Intel, Microsoft, HP, etc.

I also remember the story one of the guys told me. “I was working for JXW Semiconductors. They told me I could either leave or relocate to their facility in Ireland and that the position there is only guaranteed for the next 6 months. I didn’t want to go to Ireland. The sun never shines there, it’s hard to understand the people and even the job’s not secure. And what about my wife and kids and health insurance and schools and our house and all our stuff? They can take that Irish job and …”
I nodded in sympathy.

And if the pink slip comes?

I’ll just start all over again. I’ll spend hours in front of the computer searching jobs on the internet. I’ll spend hours on the phone calling everyone I know and a whole bunch of people I don’t know. I’ll spend hours calling people I haven’t spoken to in years, and guys who have jobs who may be looking for help. I’ll be scanning the newspapers for leads. I’ve been in this movie before and despite the tension and the worry there is a feeling of real challenge and great accomplishment when you do land something.

The name of the game is to stay focused and to make sure you apply for the Payday Loan in time to keep the fridge full.