ACCORDING to Irish expat Aaron Garahy, a pint of Guinness in Ireland tastes very different to the same beverage you would be served in an Australian pub.
The 25 year old, who has held the nickname ‘Irish’ since moving to Swan Hill in 2013, says he won’t drink the Aussie version, which is brewed in New Zealand — even on Saint Patrick’s Day.
The Irish national holiday was celebrated globally yesterday, and Mr Garahy, production and plant engineer at Grizzly Engineering, said back home March 17 is predominantly a family day.
In his hometown of Carlow, about 90km south of Dublin, Saint Patrick’s Day is a chance for the small community to get together and celebrate with parades and music.
“It’s a big day, not just in Ireland but for Irish people all over the world,” Mr Garahy explained.
“In Chicago they’re talking about dyeing the river green this year and last year I think they lit up the Eiffel Tower green and the Sydney Harbour Bridge green.
“I would go out with mates, there might be a bit of music in the town or we might go out and take part in one of the parades.
“Then we’d go out that night and have one or two beverages and end up going home at a reasonable hour.”
Mr Garahy said the origins of the day were steeped in Irish folklore surrounding Saint Patrick — the country’s patron saint.
“Saint Patrick was said to have brought Christianity into Ireland and he used a shamrock, that’s the significance of the shamrock,” he said.
“It’s also said that Saint Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland.”
Another Ireland-Swan Hill export is Kelly Carty, who told The Guardian that in Ireland Saint Patrick’s Day is “bigger than Christmas”.
Originally from Dublin but now engaged to a Swan Hill local, Ms Carty, who works at local drive-through cafe Bean N Gone, has set the wedding date for Saturday, March 17, 2018 — Saint Patrick’s Day.
Ms Carty said she was immensely proud of her Irish heritage and has even considered establishing an Irish-inspired pub in Swan Hill.
“Anywhere you go in the world you find an Irish pub,” she said.
“We have an Italian Social Club here, what about an Irish one?”
For more on this story pick up Friday’s Guardian (March 18, 2016).
