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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
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