As college students prepare for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Madison, I hope for something better. With family back in County Kerry, Ireland, I reflect on the difference between wearing green for a day of drinking and what it is like to know and appreciate the homeland of this celebratory day.
There are many differences between Ireland and Madison that come to mind, but on a day like St. Paddy’s, these are just a few to compare the celebrations of a true Irish lad vs. a college student in Madison, Wisconsin.
1. Walking the streets of Dublin vs. walking down State Street
2. Going to the Guinness Factory vs. drinking Guinness at a frat
3. Enjoying the view from Connor’s Pass vs. the view from Bascom Hill
4. Walking around the campus of Trinity College vs. UW-Madison
5. Celebrating St. Paddy’s in Temple Bar vs. the KK
6. Experiencing the rural dairy lands of Ireland vs. those of rural Wisconsin
7. The view of a beach in Ireland vs. the view of Lake Mendota
8. Chancing a run-in with Leprechauns vs. dressing up as one for a party
9. A spotting of them in Dublin vs. an odd spotting in Madison
10. The constant hope of celebrating St. Paddy’s Day in Ireland vs. anywhere else in the world