Made of Waterford – Thank you Luke!

In two days time we will ALL be out watching the St Patrick’s Day parade, in our local parish. Some may even be lucky enough to be participating. Many will be looking for friends and family, to shout “Well Boy”, or “Well Girl” to. What’s guaranteed is that locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, the world will quite literally be turned green on Friday 17^th March. A unique access to the world even if it is “Just for one day!”

That is of course, unless you live in the good old US of A. Where for some reason, they have adopted this festival as their own and renamed it “St Patty’s Day”! Just who the hell is “St Patty” and he certainly wasn’t around when Luke first thought of and dreamed up the idea.

I have no doubt that when the indefatigable, Enda meets with The Donald, this wrong will be righted and next year it will be called “St Donald’s Day”!

 

One can only imagine the conversation, when they are gathered around that Waterford Crystal bowl, filled with shamrock, (not the traditional US four leaf clovers) and Enda starts asking about the undocumented Irish. The Donald will boot this to touch and soon the conversation will move on to his great margin of victory and the number of Electoral College votes that he actually won.

Or maybe, at the very last minute, he might just refuse to give Enda an audience at all. Because his favourite Irish golf course in Limerick, was once refused it’s very own “Wall”, by the local Council. Something to do with snails, if memory serves me correctly.

Whatever happens this Friday, rest assured that there will be very few who know that the parade they are watching or marching in, was actually created by one of our own. Brother Luke Wadding, an Irish Franciscan friar, who was born in Waterford on 16^th October 1588. There is actually a wee, inconspicuous, statue of this man outside Greyfriar’s Abbey or the French Church, as it is also known, halfway up Greyfriar’s Street, just past the Municipal Art Gallery.

Luke persuaded the Pope that St Patrick’s Day, should be recognised by the Holy Catholic Church, as a feast day. Such was his authority and power within the Church that he was granted his wish and the date of 17^th March was designated as the day we would feast for St Patrick. Luke, had too many enemies in Rome and as a result, was never made a Cardinal. He did however support the fight against English rule and in particular the fight against a certain Mr Oliver Cromwell. He sent very large sums of money and not insignificant amounts of gunpowder, to Ireland, to help the cause.

Luke, with I have no doubt some help from “His higher force”, would of course have been delighted that Cromwell never actually took his beloved City of Waterford. “Urbs Intacta Manet” is the City’s motto and long before The Donald had any of HIS walls, Waterford’s walls actually stood strong and proud against the mighty all conquering Oliver.

The Feast Day of St Patrick has in many respects lost its religious connotation. There are very few who will actually attend mass or church on the morning of this day. Perhaps the pressure to get our glad rags or costume ready and be in position for the parade start is just too much. What is certain, is this day gives so many the opportunity to break their Ash Wednesday and Lent promises. For twenty four short hours all thoughts of abstinence can be forgotten and more importantly forgiven.

For so many, St Patrick’s Day is about the parade and a celebration of all that is good about our local communities. It is also about being Irish and the reconnection of those Irish roots, which so many millions around the world hold on to with an amazing sense of pride.

It is unfortunate that we in Waterford do not push the Luke Wadding connection more. A son of Waterford has after all, created St Patrick’s Day. Yet, so few know of this association. 

St. Patrick’s Day – Made of Waterford!

Spraoi, Waterford City, St.Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day is often seen, in many circles, as the start of the tourism season. After all this is the first big event after the traditional celebrations of Christmas and New Year.

Certainly in my past life, at Waterford Castle, this day would be seen by champions of the mashie niblick as a date when you could look forward to better golfing weather and the promise of lots of course work, with much hollow tining, to make the greens as smooth and velvety as the proverbial baize on a billiard table. This by all accounts is the Holy Grail for many a good and bad golfer, as you “drive for show and putt for dough”, when chasing that infuriating wee white ball around the 18-holes of a golf course. It is the greens that spoil a scorecard and never the actual golfer. Like the modern day formula one driver, all golfers have a myriad of readymade excuses that tell the story of a bad round of golf.

Luke Wadding

When I first arrived in Waterford City I was not sure what to expect from my first parade in March 2001. But I was pleasantly surprised and I believe that I have attended nearly every parade since that date, missing 2014 to march in New York with the 69^th Infantry Division. I even used to get invited to sit in the posh seats, but hey-ho times have changed and I now happily stand with the madding crowds waving my tricolour and rather proudly wearing a sprig of Shamrock.

Surprise, Surprise, no not a reference to that hideous programme, I did plant last year’s Shamrock in a pot and despite having not a scintilla of green in my fingers the sprig has miraculously survived for twelve months and we will be wearing our own home-grown Shamrock this year at the parade.

My interest in all things relating to St. Patrick’s Day grew when I would later discover, probably around 2002 or 2003, a small statue of a certain Mr Luke Wadding, an Irish Franciscan Friar, outside a rather derelict old religious building in Greyfriars. On closer inspection of the statue we can read that Luke was quite literally responsible for putting St. Patrick’s Day on the religious calendar, after apparently lobbying Pope Charles I, and therefore it is he who is responsible for the celebrations we see around the world on 17^th March.

A green Sphinx!

Such is the global phenomenon that is St. Patrick’s Day all manner of “wonders of the world” are now turning green every 17^th March – Edinburgh Castle, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, One World Trade Centre, Christ the Redeemer, the Colosseum, the Sphinx and even Nelson’s Column have all succumbed to the charm of the Irish and been bathed in a green hue to honour St. Patrick’s Day.

I do however wonder if yet again Waterford is missing a trick and an opportunity here!

As we all should know the Irish Tricolour was flown for the first time on 33 The Mall by Thomas Francis Meagher, a Waterford born native, and we can also lay claim to “inventing” St. Patrick’s Day, albeit as a religious day and not the parade day we celebrate now, but invent this day a Waterford born native did.

So, two “things” that speak of the essence of Irishness, recognised and identified around the world as being integral to one’s Irish roots have a direct connection to Waterford City. Yet we are still better known for glass and crystal and not these two iconic images that tens of millions of people hold dear to their hearts on 17^th March every year.

Edinburgh's magnificent Castle

Surely, we have an unbelievable opportunity to put Waterford at the very heart of all these celebrations of Irishness and it is a prospect not to be missed.

As I have said many times before we just need to be a wee bit more imaginative and creative in how we promote this ancient City that has shaped modern day Ireland.