A St. Paddy's Day blessing from the President of Ireland...and one from your bartender

This post from my dear friend wcg (AKA the Marine at the End of the Bar in alt.callahans) made my St. Patrick's Day, and I just had to share it with my flist...including my favorite Irish-American, my sweet Songbird singing_phoenix, who is probably thousands of miles from the nearest St. Pat's Day parade at the mo'. It's a holiday message from the current President of the auld sod, Mary MacAleese, wishing her people and their descendants around the world all the blessings one of the Catholic Church's most famous saints can bestow upon them on his day.

And speaking of blessings, it also seems entirely right and proper to share this recipe for the most appropriate drink I can think of: the one Callahan's Crosstime Saloon author Spider Robinson calls a "God's Blessing," but which most of you probably know better as Irish coffee. Erin go braless! [eg] Who's your favorite Irishman/-woman (or Irish-descended person) or group thereof, and why? Post here.

"God gave the Irish whiskey to keep 'em from taking over the world." —unknown