St Patricks Day Poem - Greetings of Donegal friends

                                                                                                                                           

St Patricks Day Poem - Ballybofey and Stranorlar

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St Patricks Day Poem

 

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY

The theme for this year’s poem came from a relative in Co. Donegal, Tony Gallinagh who resides in the Twin Towns area. Stranorlar and Ballybofey have joined hands to break  The Guinness Book of World Records for the most people with the same first name gathered together at the same time and in the same place and the name they have chosen appropriately enough is Patrick.

This is their contribution to The Gathering a year long initiative sponsored by the National Tourism Development Authority aimed at reconnecting decedents of the Irish Diaspora with their roots while at the same time helping Ireland’s economy.

 

A Gathering of Patrick’s

By Pat Gallinagh

 The Irish Diaspora was fueled by famine, poverty and fear

Of a tyrannical overlord that made immigration grounds for cheer

They left Ireland by the millions and scattered to the four corners of the earth

They settled, multiplied and prospered and kept their heritage for all its worth

After many generations they now numbered over seventy million strong

Yet many had never set foot in Ireland, and to the government this indeed seemed wrong

To address this anomaly an initiative called The Gathering was born

To help reconnect their descendants with the roots from which their ancestors had been torn

It’s a year long celebration from New Year’s Day until December fades from light

Featuring fairs, festivals and reunions that will be running both day and night

But there’s one day that stands above all others in the Irish calendar

Tis the day they honor Ireland’s patron saint and celebrated near and far

In county Donegal there are Twin Towns separated by the river Finn

The intersection of The Gathering and St. Patrick’s Day presented them a chance to win

“What if we could gather on this day in one place at one time more Patrick’s than ever before.

We’d make the Guinness Book of World Records and get compliments by the score”

Their first name can be Patrick, Paddy, Patricia or any derived from it thereof

From the saint who converted Ireland from paganism into a Christian Hub

They must be there in person and with them proof of birth

Tho they needn’t necessarily be Irish and this could cause some mirth

This endeavor will not be easy but then no one said it would

But it’ll be well worth the effort to break the record if we should

So the call has gone out far and wide for all Patrick’s to set their sights

To converge on the Emerald Isle and help the Irish celebrate their rites.

So if you are in County Donegal on St. Patrick’s Day and Patrick is your name

Make your way to Stranorlar and Ballybofey and stake your claim to fame

And your presence there to no one will be a great mystery

For if the Twin Towns are successful, you’ll be going down in history