Ireland cancels St. Patrick's Day festivities over coronavirus concerns

[Dennis Donovan]

Source: NBC News

March 9, 2020, 4:15 PM EDT / Updated March 9, 2020, 4:48 PM EDT

By Doha Madani

St. Patrick's Day festivities in the Republic of Ireland have been canceled amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus.

The cancellations have come at the advice of health officials to help slow the spread of the virus, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said Monday. There have been a total of 19 cases of COVID-19, the disease associated with coronavirus, in the Republic of Ireland.

The cancellations include the national St. Patrick's Festival parade in Dublin on March 17.

"But I think it's really important to get across a very important fact; the vast majority of people who get COVID-19 in the next couple of weeks or couple of months will not do so because they attend a mass gathering, they will most likely pick it up in their own home from their family, or from interactions with friends and others," Varadkar said.

Link to tweet

Leo Varadkar ✔@LeoVaradkar

St Patrick’s Day parades, including the Dublin parade, will not proceed. This is based on the advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team. The situation in relation to other events & mass gatherings is under review & will be guided by public health advice. #COVID19

2:31 PM - Mar 9, 2020

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Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ireland-cancels-st-patrick-s-day-festivities-over-coronavirus-concerns-n1153591?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma

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Wow! I heard it's a big day there!

[underpants]

1. Holy cripes

[doc03]

2. I know it is serious now. nt

[DENVERPOPS]

3. This reporter

must have it all wrong. Trump has stated it is all a HOAX and merely a rumor perpetrated by The United States Democrats.....

Israel is now quarentining every person coming from anywhere to their nation. I thought Netanyawho was a butt buddy of Trump's.
He must not have gotten the news from Trump or Putin.......

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

4. Hey, we can do a pub crawl in green hazmat suits!

Never say die!

Erin go Bragh!

[CountAllVotes]

5. St. Patrick's Day used to be a religious holiday

It was never intended to be what it has become, a day to drink yourself into oblivion!

[machoneman]

6. Wow! This is BIG! I sense the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse are saddlin' up! Ride right into the...

White House and take no prisoners! Hah!

[TomSlick]

7. Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

We're all doomed.

[Collimator]

8. A friend who vacations in Ireland every year around St. Patrick's Day. . .

. . .Tells me that it is not the huge fuss that it is made to be in the United States. We theorized that Irish immigrants in the United States put more energy into it because it was a way to express their ethnic pride in the face of prejudice and celebrate their memories of their ancestors' country.

Whereas the Irish presently living in Ireland don't need to spotlight Irish culture and achievements since there is very little discrimination against the Irish living in Ireland. Also, since they do live there in the same reality of daily life that everyone experiences everywhere, they have no need to wax nostalgic over an idealized homeland.

So, squelching St. Patrick's Day activities in Ireland is less monumental than cancelling such activities in a city like Boston which a rich history of Irish immigration.