Free Republic

The nation of Ireland has canceled all St. Patrick’s Day parades, including the massive Dublin festivities, over concerns about the spread of the coronavirus. The decision to nix large gatherings for the March 17 holiday was made Monday by a new government subcommittee on the virus, national broadcaster RTE reported. The celebrations are known for kicking off the country’s tourism season with 500,000 revelers from around the world flooding the country of 4.8 million each year for the various parades in its towns and villages. The popular Dublin parade alone has been responsible for more than 73 million euros ($83.5 million)...

Mr De Blasio, a first-term Democrat, told the Associated Press on Wednesday that for the first time he will take part in the parade along Manhattan's Fifth Avenue on March 17. He skipped the parade in 2014, when no gay groups were allowed to openly march, and he skipped again last year, when only one small lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group was permitted. "The St Patrick's Day parade is a New York City tradition, but for years Irish LGBT New Yorkers could not show their pride," Mr De Blasio told the AP. "Finally, they can celebrate their heritage by...

The ink on the Supreme Court’s lawless decree that God’s law aganst sodomy is null and void is scarcely dry but the Gaystopo has not taken a day off. They are pressing the fight and will continue to do so until either they or the Catholic Church in America have been defeated. Emboldened by the realization that they own the Supreme Court, the Gaystopo, as predicted here, are turning every screw they can to mock Catholic doctrine and press their attack. Now they have a new partner, the National Broadcasting Network (NBC) which has slithered out of the closet. In...

Analyzing Cardinal Dolan's version of: "Who am I to judge?" (A hypothetical but useful word-substitution exercise) (Imagine Cardinal Dolan or other prominent Catholic leaders voicing these slightly modified questions)           Cardinal Dolan:   "Who am I to judge whether it's right or wrong to promote or engage in homosexual activities?" Cardinal Dolan:   "Who am I to judge whether it's right or wrong to promote or engage in bisexual activities?" Cardinal Dolan:   "Who am I to judge whether it's right or wrong to promote or engage in adulterous activities?" Cardinal Dolan:   "Who am I to judge whether...

Here's a handy list of beverages to boycott from Heineiken, Guinness, Sam Adams, and their parent companies. Print it out before you go shopping for a party! If they're ashamed of St. Patrick, I'm ashamed of them.

The parade plot thickens, deliciously. Yesterday Brother Thomas Dalton’s boss said the Catholic Church may soon approve gay civil unions. That boss would be Pope Francis. Brother Thomas, principal of the Immaculate Heart of Mary School, had vowed to keep his band from the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade if gays march. As he said in a statement, “Homosexual acts are acts of depravity” and “intrinsically disordered.” Marching would “appear to condone the homosexual lifestyle.” Yet the pope not only appears to be condoning “the lifestyle,” he seems on the verge of approving its lawful recognition. Wow. Another Francis...

The president of the St. Patrick’s Parade Association expects the group to be in compliance with the demands of Bishop Joseph F. Martino. Though the group’s board must still vote on whom to honor, it is unlikely the group will choose to honor elected officials who support abortion rights, Mike Harrity, president of the association, said Friday. The diocese issued a letter warning Irish-American groups that the bishop may close St. Peter’s Cathedral during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations if pro-choice honorees are selected. “We are fully supporting the bishop’s position,” Mr. Harrity said. Mr. Harrity said he could not recall...

The United Irish Societies of Montreal picked Tara Hecksher Saturday as queen of the 180th annual St. Patrick's parade. The 21-year-old Montrealer of Irish descent is, in the words of one of the judges, "funny, intelligent and beautiful." And, for the first time in the 49 years the UIS has been choosing a queen, the Irish lass is also black. "I think this is great," UIS spokesperson Jolyon Ditton said yesterday. "Montreal is a mixed cultural society ... and I think this is nothing but good for the community." Although Montreal's melting pot has produced several queens of mixed...

Let's hope everyone has a riot on Fifth Avenue for the Patrick's Day parade - in the best possible sense of the word. For those parade-goers jittery in the post-Sept. 11th world, the word seems to be that the parade is as safe to attend as it ever was. While the New York Police Department never discuss security, a spokeswoman for the Commissioner of Public Information, Michael Collins, said, "there is adequate manpower there to deal with any incident." And should the parade-going public be concerned about anything? "Not at all." Just to check on what security measures might be...