St Patrick's Day: some helpful facts and figures
The Guardian runs the data on our national holiday. But I do have to point out, about the Irish language thing: that's most likely a case of unreliable reporting based on wishful thinking, as there is no way 40% of the country can speak Irish with any fluency. I know I certainly can't. The language is taught so badly in schools that unless you grow up in an Irish-speaking environment (and I do have friends who speak as Gaeilge at home and elsewhere) it simply won't stick. #link