TWO new entries today! Be sure you see "Gobsmacked in Cashel" below.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! All the locals here call it "St. Paddy's Day", and they cut a sprig of fresh shamrock clover and pin to their shirt, so it gently wilts over the course of the day. And they dress their babies in green. But that's about it for decoration. It is the Tourists who go absolutely insane. I had forgotten my green shirt back in the states, so I just wore an Irish flag and shamrock enamel lapel pin I bought as a souvenir. And I fit right in with the natives. I'm sure some of the other low key people in the crowd were also tourists, but the decked out ones were definitely from other countries. The street vendors (who only came out for the holiday) took advantage of the influx of people, selling outrageous green, orange and white (the colors of the flag) hats to the people. Jester hats, overstuffed top hats, all sorts. Free green collapsible cowboy hat things that advertised a mobile phone company were also popular with the crowd. As were face painting, green clothes, green fright wigs and all manner of tomfoolery.

Ah but the Dubliners really shined during the parade. You must come see the parade in Dublin for St. Patrick's Day. I'll tell you why.

I expected the parade to be not unlike the St. Patrick's day parades in the States - marching bands, dignitaries in cars or carriages, folks walking behind banners - pretty sedate. Boy was I wrong.

Instead it was like Rio and New Orleans Mardi Gra, the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade AND the New York St. Patrick's Day parade all rolled into one. And, for an ostensibly religious festival, it had a great deal of pagan attitude. It harkened back to old Ireland, which has never really been fully suppressed.

It had all the traditional elements of a parade in the States as I mentioned above, but most of those groups actually were FROM the States. Or Germany. Or Belgium. Or Italy. I think there was maybe one or two Irish marching bands. The main Irish banners I remember where POST for the Post office (obviously) and Guinness ("it makes you strong"). They did have the lord mayor drive by in a fancy coach.

What really made the parade a sight not to be missed, though, was the contribution of the Irish and the Dubliners themselves. It is a little hard to describe. "Floats" isn't quite right, "street performers" doesn't quite cover it. "All out fantastic imagination street party" comes a bit closer. Try to imagine all the Cirque du Soleil show costumes going by over the course of 2 hours, with Mardi Gra huge elaborate costumes that stick 3 feet above the head of the wearer thrown in and giant inflatable floats of spiders and octupi going down the street. And people on stilts, waving huge gossamy purple flags and dressed as aliens with painted faces and silver head crests. I know they were aliens because there were harried humans carrying signs that said "The Aliens are Coming" and screaming "Run for your lives!" running before them. And later a large half naked man with a painted face and a red wig on top of a wheeled built up platform with tubes coming out everywhere (of the platform, not the man) attended by loads of people and singing "The Clothes Make the Man". It all made the gigantic paper-maiche pig that rose above us seem rather ordinary. The true pinnacle, though, was this fantastic contraption being propelled forward by several people, enormous gears on the side, and at the apex a man with a confetti cannon blanketing the crowd with snow. Amazing.

One more thought before I go - I love Irish television. Not just any RTE programme (not sure what it stands for, but it is like something television Eire, which means Ireland), but the Gaeilge programmes. I saw Sesame Street the other day. Elmo was speaking Irish (dubbed of course). He was dressed as a cowboy, including a large handlebar mustache, and riding a horse who was also speaking Irish. They were singing, in fact, and soon rode off into the animated sunset, which may have also been speaking Irish. Very soothing sound to someone who doesn't speak a word of the language. Couldn't get enough of it.

Well If I type much more in this cramped internetcafe my back will crack. Tomorrow I fly to Scotland and the day after I see my dear friend Michelle get married to her sweetie Gareth. Can't wait. Talk to you after that probably. Don't forget to read the Cashel entry!