Erin Go Bragh-Less! Happy St Patrick's Day From Not Another New England Sports Blog!

'Tis the time of year when Americans celebrate Ireland's patron saint driving out all the snakes from the Emerald Isle by coloring everything from their beers to nearby rivers green. The holiday, which is recognized by the Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox Churches actually marks the arrival of Christianity in Ireland- although over time, the legend grew to Saint Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland (with 'snakes' most likely being an allegory for Pagan beliefs).

While celebrations in cities like New York, Dublin and Chicago being large and boisterous, in 1999 the tiny village of Dripsey in County Cork went to the other extreme to mark the arrival of the new millennium and began hosting the world's shortest St Patrick's Day parade- 26 yards between the village's two pubs; the Weigh Inn and the Lee Valley. The idea stuck, and while the parade has garnered more and more particpants over the last 15 years and includes antique autos and tractors, the distance remains the same.

Although I'm not sure if the scarlet-tressed beauty shown above is going to Dripsey's St Patrick's Day, she should probably get a move on and finish her sweater for whatever St Patrick's Day event she's going out to.

The image is actually from a 1952 piece by Gil Elvgren called 'A Spicy Yarn'. Both the red hair and the green yarn were part of the 60+ year old original and haven't been photoshopped or modified for the St Patrick's Day Holiday.

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Passes Away

Baroness Margaret Thatcher- the UK's first female prime minister and staunch US ally towards the end of the Cold War- has passed away from a stroke at the age of 87 on Monday. Thatcher, along with former President Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul II and Polish labor leader Lech Walesa, was one of the most prominent figures in opposing the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

Thatcher got her start in politics as a Member of Parliament representing a district in Middlesex County and was appointed Secretary of Education and Science under Prime Minister David Heath in 1970. After the Conservative Party lost the 1974 general election, Thatcher became leader of the opposition and when the Labour party was ousted in a 1979 general election, Thatcher became Great Britain's first female Prime Minister.

In her first term, Thatcher sought to curb the expansion of the welfare state as well as the influence of labor unions in Britain's political affairs. Even before serving as Prime Minister, Thatcher had publicly made a number of anti-communist and anti-Soviet statements that led one Red Army publication to dub her "The Iron Lady"- a moniker she eventually embraced.

Much of her first term was also marked by strikes, high unemployment, inflation and an approval rating around 22%. Sensing weakness and a much-needed diversion from their own domestic problems, the ruling Argentine military junta annexed the lightly-defended Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic in April of 1982. However, the Argentine junta seriously underestimated Thatcher's resolve and a Britsh task force was immediately dispatched to the South Atlantic. While the USA was initially reluctant to take sides in what an inevitable 'hot' war between two countries considered allies, the United States eventually sided with Britain and provided the Ministry of defense sattelite imagery of Argentine troop movements from the mainland to the Falklands.

After a series of air and sea engagements, the SAS and Royal Army landed on the islands in May and engaged the occupying Argentine soldiers. By June 14th, the last of the Argentine forces had surrendered and the British had re-taken the capital of Stanley. Within a year, the military junta in Buenos Aires was forced to call a general election due to eroding support from their own soldiers and a civilian government was elected in October of 1983.

Thatcher's popularity increased after the Falklands War, demonstrating that Great Britain could still successfully defend her citizens and territory abroad- no matter how far-flung. Thatcher and the Conservative party would enjoy a sweeping victory during the 1983 elections.

In October 1984, Prime Minister Thatcher survived an IRA assassination attempt when a bomb was detonated in an adjoining suite at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, England. Although Thatcher survived, the blast killed five and injured 31. After vising the wounded at the hospital, which included members of Parliament, Thatcher would go on to address the Conservative party conference that morning as scheduled.

Thatcher and then-President Ronald Reagan had much in common and worked closely together throughout the 1980s. The Royal Navy nearly tripled their nuclear capability with the purchase of the Trident nuclear missile system, and in 1986 Thatcher allowed the US Air Force to use RAF bases to launch retaliatory airstrikes against Libya after the bombing of a discotheque in Berlin killed two US servicemen and a civilian and wounded more than 200 others. Intelligence agencies reportedly intercepted a telex from Libya to their East Berlin embassy congratulating them on a "job well done" immediately after the bombing.

Despite profound ideological differences, Thatcher and then Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev maintained a cordial personal relationship with each understanding that the other was firmly committed to their respective country's political system and could not be persuaded otherwise. The reform-minded Gorbachev credited Thatcher with bringing about change and the eventual end of the Cold War.

"We gradually developed personal relations that became increasingly friendly," he said. "In the end, we were able to achieve mutual understanding, and this contributed to a change in the atmosphere between our country and the West and to the end of the Cold War."

"Margaret Thatcher was a great politician and an exceptional person. She will be remain in our memories and in history," said Gorbachev, whose resignation as president December 1991 marked the end of the Soviet Union.

After winning three consecutive terms, Thatcher was unable to withstand an internal party challenge and resigned as the Conservative party leader in 1990, although the Conservative party would go on to win the 1992 general election with John Major as Prime Minister.

Thatcher would become the longest-serving British prime minister and paradoxically was at times more popular in the USA than she was in the UK. The strong leadership and rejection of socialism make Thatcher popular with American conservatives to this day.

Out of office, Thatcher became an author and public speaker. In 2003, her husband Sir Dennis Thatcher, passed away and Thatcher herself suffered from a series of small strokes that limited her public speaking appearances.

Despite her declining health, Thatcher flew 'across the pond' for President Reagan's 2004 State funeral in which she delivered a videotaped eulogy for her close friend and again in 2006 for a memorial service in Washington DC marking the 5th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

In accordance with Baroness Thatcher's wishes, the former Prime Minister will not recieve a state funeral but will recieve a service at St Paul's cathedral in London with full military honors.

Luck O'The Irish- Happy St Patrick's Day From Not Another New England Sports Blog!

Irish tricolor swimsuits being modeled in Newfoundland K. Bruce Lane photography

March 17th marks the day when Ireland celebrates their patron saint dealing with the Emerald Isle's invasive species problem. Although Saint Patrick is credited with driving all the snakes from Ireland, some buzzkills in the scientific community maintain that there never were any snakes in post-glacial Ireland to begin with.

Nonetheless, the day is observed with a good deal of fanfare- particulary abroad where St Patrick's Day observances include parades, beer, sporting green attire, beer, Irish stew cook-offs, more beer, bagpipes, wearing pins in a desperate ploy for any attention from the opposite sex.

And perhaps one of the most Irish places outside of the British Isles would be Eastern Massachusetts. Although emirgration from Ireland across the Atlantic had been ongoing since the mid 1600s [at times under duress from British occupiers- NANESB!], the potato famine of the 1840s hastened the Irish exodus to both the Americas and elsewhere in the British empire. Irishmen migrated to places as far afield as Boston, Sydney, Buenos Aires or Montreal- in fact, Bernardo O'Higgins was the name of a general who fought Spanish colonial rule in the early 19th century and became the first president of Chile. To this day, streets in many Chilean cities and towns bear his name.

However, cities like Boston and New York were considerably closer to the Emerald Isle and saw the greatest influx of Irish immigrants. While many of the Irish remained on the east coast, often living in squalid tenaments and working dangerous jobs in factories or mines, some Irish began expanding westward with other immigrants with the discovery of gold in California, the advent of the Civil War and the construction of the transcontinental railroad.

By the early 20th Century, those in the Irish communities on the east coast could often be found working as police officers, firefighters or clergy in the Roman Catholic church. Perhaps to nobody's suprise eastern Massachusetts remains the most 'Irish' part of the USA- in 1919, Irish statesman Eamon de Valera delivered a speech at Fenway Park urging support for Irish fighters who were waging a guerilla campaign against the British in Ireland's war for Independence. More recently, during 'The Troubles' Irish Republican murals were a common sight on buildings in the Dorchester section of Boston and the Irish mafia trafficked weapons to the IRA.

But that's not to say Boston has the monopoly on all things St Patrick's Day. New York's St Patrick's Day parade boasts an even bigger turnout and Chicago makes it a tradition to dye the Chicago River green each St Patrick's Day. While not as famously 'Irish' as Boston or New York, the St Patrick's Day festivities in Savannah, GA can always boast a high turnout thanks in part to the presence of nearby military bases and the celebrations overlapping with Spring Break at some universities.

Whether your actual St Patricks Day plans involve non-stop binging on Guiness or something a little more sedate, here's wishing you a relatively safe St Paddy's day and here's to not waking up in the drunk tank.

Happy St Patrick's Day From Not Another New England Sports Blog!

What can I say? I know what I like.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day From Not Another New England Sports Blog!

(She's after me lucky charms! If only.....)

It's that time of year again, when those of us of Irish extraction drink to honor the occasion of St Patrick driving all the serpents out of Ireland- as opposed to the rest of the year when we drink to forget, drink to relax or drink to celebrate the Sox beating the Orioles.

Non-Irish are obviously more then welcome to take part, hence the big parades in Boston, New York, Chicago and even smaller cities like Savannah, GA. In fact, Chicago takes it a step further by having the Chicago River dyed green in the weekend leading up to St. Patrick's Day each year in a tradition that goes back more than 40 years.

As for the mischievous-looking shillelagh-wielding lass, that comes to us courtesy of Freeman Elliot- the exact year and title of the work eludes me, although Elliot did extensive work involving pin-ups, magazine covers and ads from 1949 to at least 1954.

So all of us (well, it's only me) at NANESB! would like to wish you a happy-but-not-necessarily-sober-unless-that's-your-thing St. Patrick's Day to our visitors! And remember to designate a driver or call a cab.....

Global Warming Plays Havoc With European Transportation Network

Airports, Railways and highways across Europe ground to a halt in the wake of severe winter weather last week with more snow and ice forecast for this week. Service on the London to Bussels or Paris Eurostar was often delayed or cancelled and airports in Dublin, Lyon and other cities were shut down completely.

All I can say is good thing the UN had that 'Global Warming' crisis summit in Copenhagen when they did. Kind of difficult to sell the masses on melting glaciers and rising sea levels when they have to shovel their way out of 20cm of snow just to get to the store.