Getting into the St Patrick’s Day spirit

Getting into the St Patrick’s Day spirit, one swig at a time

The look of the Irish

1. Fittingly enough, given their pots of gold, diminutive statures and enduring tackiness, two of the Kardashian sisters, Kourtney and Kim, posed as leprechauns in this St Patrick’s Day throwback Instagram last year. 2. In a proud tribute to her Irish-american mother, Mariah Carey wore a plunging emerald gown last St Patrick’s Day. Judging by the coat, her father must have been a polar bear.

Stout parties

3. Always one step ahead, royal aides ensured the Duke of Cambridge was given a drink that matched his sleeve-glove ensemble on a visit to Mons Barracks in Aldershot on St Patrick’s Day in 2015. 4. Forget the dodgy emails – photographers captured the exact moment a significant craic began to show in Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign during a visit to an Irish pub in Ohio last year. 5. David Cameron looked for answers at the bottom of a Guinness glass during the 2010 general-election campaign. Just out of shot, Theresa May narrowed her eyes and sipped soda water. 6. In a rare example of Nigel Farage embracing overseas cultures, the former – and probably future – Ukip leader tucked into a pint of Guinness in Belfast in 2014. 7. ‘Good things come to those who wait,’ goes the adage. On a state visit to Ireland in 2011, a thirsty Duke of Edinburgh looked like he’d waited quite long enough to get stuck in. It ’s easy to tell if someone has even a wisp of Irish ancestry, because they ’ll mention it within minutes of meeting you. Take American presidents, for example. Before Donald Trump – who, as we all know, is a unique mix of Scottish, German and orang-utan stock – the last five could all trace their lineage back to the Emerald Isle, and boy did they delight in that. It may be the accent that we all covet; perhaps it’s the lack of snakes (and moles, and weasels, incidentally); or maybe we’re just jealous of the Irish having Jedward. Whatever the reason, ‘plastic Paddies’ are never in short supply, and on Friday, everyone can join in. Craic on, now. —