OUR ST PATRICK’S DAY FAR FROM HOME
NI EXPATS ON THEIR CELEBRATION PLANS
‘Everything here is centred on the colour green and having good time’
Author Annemarie Neary is originally from Newry and has lived near Clapham Common in London for more than 20 years. Annemarie, whose first thriller, Siren, was published last year, is married to Michael Meade, a financial adviser, and has three boys, Patrick (24), Conor (21) and Rory (19). She says:
Igrew up in Newry as the eldest of three children. I studied law, as did my younger brother and sister. My late father, Kevin Neade, was a lawyer with his own practice and my mother, Rhonda, is a retired primary school teacher who still lives in Newry.
“I left Newry when I was 18-years-old to study at Trinity College Dublin, where I met Michael who was brought up in London by Irish parents.
“I studied literature and after graduating, worked as a civil servant in Dublin while studying part-time for the next four years to qualify as a barrister.
“Michael returned to London to work and, as soon as I finished the bar exams, I joined him and have been here ever since.
“In London, St Patrick’s Day is a big cultural opportunity and they do quite a lot; there is always some kind of event sponsored by the Lord Mayor.
“We also have that global greenery with the London Eye turning green as do Selfridges and Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square. I always think that, as a country, what Ireland has achieved in branding with the colour green is amazing.
“The shops here would devote a section to St Patrick’s Day selling themed goods — even the cake shops — and tonight you will see a lot of people, mostly in their 20s, in the bars wearing Guinness hats and drinking green beer.
“But all of that is not really my thing. When the kids were young, mum would have sent them some shamrock which was quite special as it was impossible to get any in London. The closest shops here got to it was to sell clumps of clover. The kids would have worn their shamrock to school and all the other kids would have wanted to know what it was, which was quite fun for them.
“We never do much on St Patrick’s Day — I’m not one for parades. However, the events here are not political, but cultural, and everything is centred on having a good time and the colour green. This year though, I’m having friends over for dinner on St Patrick’s night and I will cook something Irish as a nod to the day.
“As a child my biggest memory of St Patrick’s Day is getting a day off school.
“We did go to the parade in Dublin a few times and as a young child it was amazing to see the floats, they were all so colourful. I also remember as a kid we would always try and wear something green on St Patrick’s Day — not a leprechaun suit — but an item of clothing. Here, on the Tube, you do tend to see a lot of people wearing green on St Patrick’s Day and I’m not sure if that is a coincidence.
“It was never really a religious thing for us. However, I do remember singing some hymns in school for St Patrick.
“As a child, I’m sure I can remember some talk about moving St Patrick’s Day to July so there would be better weather, but obviously while the idea was mooted nothing ever came of that.”