There's no Business like Snow Business

We signed off last night as we left for New York City in our bus - normally a drive of about three hours from Washington DC. It was getting noticably colder and a bit wintry. Eight hours later we crawled off the bus in New York and landed on ten inches of snow.

Us home grown Irish have no idea about weather. A snow storm is a sight to behold! It was like Places, Trains and Automobiles only we were driving home to drown the shamrock. But the craic was ninety and it was Joxer goes to Stuttgart - except it was RFJ going to New York...

So that left the schedule in a heap - we missed our St Patrick's Day breakfast in Manhattan but got to see the big parade. Arguments about fire fighters and health and safety concerns for Irish dancers dominated proceedings and seemed a bit strange to us Paddies. We know that Fire Fighters across the world are courageous heroes who should be leading parades and we also know that Irish Dancers are made of very strong stuff indeed and if you can get through a Feis at the levels of these lassies, you can see off a bit of the white stuff.

Martina Purdy said on the radio today that the main issues for St Patrick's Week in America were Victims and Collusion. Which gave us a warm glow in the cold weather! Then she gave Pater Hain what for pointing out the ridiculous position of the British Government on the Pat Finucane Inquiry. Hain is saying the only way to hold an inquiry is under the Inquiries Act - legislation his government introduced to ensure that their interest is protected and the full truth hidden. Fair play to Martina pointing this out and saying the Government just needed to change the legislation, particularly in light of two governments (Irish and American) passing statements of condemnation for the British Government's position and in support of the Finucane family's demand for public independence and accountability - But our Mr Hain isn't one to let the patently obvious contradictions in his argument get in the way of obstinacy and a patronising "you just don't understand".

Well from our experience this week I can say fairly categorically America is willing to understand, and they believe that equality, transparency and independence are the keys to unlocking these issues for all of our community.

Beannachtaí Lá Féile Pádraig