I'm intrigued by the mention of "Irish Car Bombs". I expect it's a drink of some kind, albeit one with a somewhat insensitive name. :) And while admitting I've been on the wagon for going on two years now, I can't say I consider $6 for a pint much of a bargain or incentive to pound 'em back, even "tax included".
Still... funny enough. :)
P.S. Oh, and guys... it's "Paddy", not "Patty". That'd be his sister.
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Through odd coincidence I had occasion to connect with the family of an Irish human rights lawyer on the very day she was assassinated with an Irish car bomb. The drink got its name from the Irish beverages it's made from and the way it fizzes up, like vinegar and baking soda, during preparation. It's been around for a long time--I first heard of it in the '80s, but, not being partial to mixed drinks, never tried one--and then a few years ago a support group for victims of IRA bombs learned it was being served in American bars and tried to have it banned as being insensitive to the victims and their families. My sympathy for the IRA victims was attenuated by the fact that in their complaint they conveniently forgot about the part where the aforementioned human rights lawyer took hours to die after being blown in half by a loyalist car bomb.
Where I live beer is cheaper than mineral water, but the idea of pounding 'em back seems like a grim exercise, whatever the price.
And yes--it's "Paddy," for Padraic; perhaps the bar owners never had to call for the "paddy wagon" to haul any Irish-Car-Bomb-chugging Paddys to the drunk tank.
I've long had an ambivalent position on things in Ireland. When I was very young, I tended to identify with Loyalists in Northern Ireland on the basis of mistaken assumptions. "Loyalist" is a word with a Canadian context, but in not knowing the full story, I just traded one word for the other.
Later on, when I knew more about the history of Ireland and I was in the process of becoming an Irish citizen by foreign birth registration, I went the other way, and I identified much more strongly with the republicans.
On the whole, I still favour the republican side, but as I've gotten older my view has settled into shades of grey. I'd like to see a united Ireland, but I understand the obstacles, and I'm impressed with the wonderful balancing act they've actually achieved. Everyone has their civil rights, everyone can claim the identity they prefer, and London consults with Dublin on some matters. Maybe that's good enough. If the people can all live with it, then it is.
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