On the 17'th of March New Orleans and much of the nation experiences a wave of green. Parades through the Irish Channel with heads of cabbage tossed to the crowd make this a special occasion. Parasol's gets extra attention as a watering hole and gathering spot.

Corned beef brisket is the meal of the day served with potatoes and plenty of green beer.

Legends about St. Patrick the man who lived in Ireland in the fourth century are interesting but thought largely to be legends. His time marked the transition of Ireland from the pagan religions of the past into Christianity and throughout most of the land, Catholicism. Resistance to the British remained strong in Catholic southern Ireland and to this day Ireland stands apart from Great Britain except in the north.

New Orleans experienced a huge influx of Irish before and during the potato famine of the 1840's. New Orleans was the second largest port of entry for the Irish most of whom settled across America rather than in New Orleans itself. Many of the New Orleans Irish come from earlier immigration. The so called old Irish include many professionals and came predominately from the British dominated Protestant north.