The Irish’s Gift to the World by Senior Advisor to IPG: No not Guinness

Tom Coyner posted another very interesting piece in the Korean Joonang Daily on the history of St. Patrick and his holiday. 

The article in the Korea Joonang Daily notes, in part, that:

“While Ireland’s national holiday up through the mid-20th century was a relatively quiet day at church, the Irish diaspora around the world was meanwhile turning the day into something quite else. On St. Patrick’s Day, 1762, Irish soldiers stationed in New York City organized a march with the shamrock clovers in their lapels to differentiate themselves from other British troops. The notion struck the expatriate Irish so well that it eventually became a tradition for St. Patrick’s Day parades elsewhere. Eventually, the parade tradition spread throughout the United States and Canada. Eventually the notion expanded to other major destinations of Irish emigrants.”

For more information on a great Irish-American tradition that spread throughout the world please see Tom’s article at: Ireland’s Gift to the World.  

Very sad that Guinness (under Diageo-British MNC) has failed to sponsor the Irish Festivities in Korea this year, while, they sponsor parades and Irish events in most major cities around the world.  It must be noted, that Guinness is no longer owned by an Irish company and in parts of the world it is not marketed as a traditionally Irish beer.  I guess the Irishness of Guinness is not within the marketing strategy for Korea.  Very sad.

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