So, you have been following Ireland’s Tullamore Distilleries U.S. Ambassador Tim Herlihy on the American Bars site. Up to this point American Bars has been tracking the various bars Tim has visited, especially since he has had little time to actually do much more than travel from point to point in his 50 States, 50 authentic Irish pubs in 30 Days. 

But let’s take a moment to chat with him and get the Irish and St. Patrick’s day perspective from a native of the Emerald Isle. 

That St. Patrick’s Day includes a parade is an entirely American tradition, beginning in Boston in the early 1700’s. No, the Irish didn’t go for parades until much later. From sacred holiday to international day of celebration, St. Patrick’s Day isn’t a holiday that excludes any. Those who have Irish heritage welcome all to celebrate, even if all you only Irish at heart.

Tim Herlihy, an Irish historian, is making his way across the United States to prove just that; we are all Irish at heart. During his tour of all 50 states and Washington, D.C., he is in the process of stopping at an Irish pub in each state to chat with locals about celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Of course, he is also introducing a new Tullamore DEW whiskey, which may have something to do with the timing and the task at hand. 

“I spend a lot of time in bars and pubs for my job,” Herlihy said. “And every year I get more and more fascinated by how people celebrate, so that was kind of the idea behind the tour.”

Herlihy’s job is one that many might envy. He is a spokesman and ambassador for Tullamore D.E.W., a whiskey distillery whose roots can be traced back to the mid-1800s. But, keep in mind, with as many as four pubs in four states in one day alone, does lead to a few hangovers along the way, he admits. 

But, back to St. Paddy’s Day…

Herlihy said the biggest difference between celebrations in the U.S. compared to those in Ireland is that’s it not an official holiday here, but in Ireland, schools and companies close down to celebrate.

Herlihy likened the old Irish holiday to a family day starting with extravagant parades, then to participating in a Catholic Mass and finally ending the day at the favorite local pub.

But there was a time when that picture-perfect ending wasn’t a possibility.

“Up until 1961, no bar or pub was open (in Ireland) because it was a holy day. There was a change in mindset then, and it kind of started to take on being the national Irish holiday to celebrate being Irish,”he said.

Herlihy said that, in some ways, he believes America celebrates the holiday in a better fashion. As an example, he again referenced that the first St. Patrick’s day parade took place in Boston, not Ireland.

Herlihy said while it’s often thought of as a “big drinking day” in the U.S., he thinks it’s the nature of the holiday, the people and the pubs that make St. Patrick’s Day as popular as it is.

“I’ve done a bit of research on the Irish pub and I’ve always been interested in it,” Herlihy said. “It’s like a network of Irish embassies across the nation. It kind of took over the world.”

Herlihy doesn’t think there is only one correct or authentic way to celebrate the holiday because there are so many different traditions and eras a pub and its patrons can be true to.

“I’ve seen quite a bit and I think you can be authentic in different ways,” he said.

But Herlihy does have a couple favorites, including Swift Hibernian Lounge, an old-school-“no-tvs”-only-conversation type of pub in New York and Tom Bergin’s, a robust Irish coffee house in Los Angeles.

“It’s the unpretentious nature of the Irish pub that makes it popular,” Herlihy said. “It’s a very friendly, welcoming place.”

Tim has about 20 more states and pubs to welcome him before the Holy Day.