May the road rise up to meet you
               And may the wind always be at your back
               May the sun shine warm upon your face
               And the raindrops fall soft upon your fields
               And until we meet again
               May God hold you in the small of his hand.

    
A GREAT DAY FOR THE IRISH

     There may be always an Ireland, and beyond that lovely prospect, always 100 parades around the world to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
      From 11:00 a.m. until about 3:00 p.m. on March 17th, Manhattan will host The St. Patrick’s Day Parade—one of New York City’s greatest traditions. A green stripe runs down the middle of Fifth Avenue from 44th to 86th Street, marking the parade’s path.
      On St. Patrick’s Day a kind of wonderful delirium takes over in Gotham.
      Everyone is Irish!
      The annual procession marches up Fifth Avenue, past St. Patrick’s Cathedral at 50th Street, all the way up past the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 83rd Street.
      The St. Patrick’s Day parade in NYC began in 1766, even before there was a United States of America, when Irishmen from Ireland’s Revolutionary War brought the tradition here.
      Military units continued to march each year until after the War of 1812, when local Irish fraternal and beneficial societies began sponsoring the event.
      In those days, the parade was quite small, marching from local Irish meeting halls to Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Lower Manhattan on Mott and Prince Streets.
      By 1851, the groups had banded together, nominating a Grand Marshall and increasing the size of the parade.
      This was when the Irish 69th Regiment (now the 165th Infantry) became the lead marchers, and the Ancient Order of Hibernians became the official sponsor.
      We love St. Patrick’s Day.
      It’s when the “Irishrey” of New York come out in full celebration. Look into the faces of the uniformed services, especially the NYC Firefighters, and you will get it right away.
      We also like that St. Patrick’s Day Parade remains true to its roots by not allowing floats, automobiles, and other commercial overkill.
      Marching, great bands, and bagpipes fill the air as more than 150,000 people from all over the country and the world celebrate here in New York.
      Once again, we will be on the road for air cargo on Friday, March 17.
      But in between trips we slipped over to Tommy Maloney’s in Long Island City, New York. Tommy Maloney’s has the best real Irish corned beef, boiling bacon (our most favorite), and puddings.
      We ate the traditional dinner, delighting in every bite.
      The best part of St. Patrick’s Day is the leftovers—just a couple of hours later and you’re ready for round two!
      HAPPY SAINT PATRICK’S DAY 2017!
Geoffrey