If you’re going all Paddy today, I invite you to remember how your Irish Ancestors came to this country and what they suffered in Ireland that forced them to leave their land.

I recommend that you pour them a drop today and thank them for their courage in the face of sometimes overwhelming hatred. In this country, this day is about being Irish but it doesn’t have to be about drink and craic.

It can bring our minds into a clarity about what happened in 1916, why it happened, how it was so long in coming and perhaps give us the heart and the guts to be as fearsome in our love of freedom as they were. And to also remember that there are the counties in the North that were intentionally left behind because it was too hard to negotiate.

When it is our turn, let us vow to leave none of our kindred behind.