Hi °C | Lo °C Although St Patrick’s Day is one of Northern Ireland’s 10 annual permanent bank holidays, tomorrow will sadly not be a day of festivity for everyone.
Because it will be business as usual not just for the hard-pressed retail sector but for much of industry and a good few offices as well.
The problem is that March 17 is a bank holiday, but not a public holiday.
So although the public sector shuts down for the day, the private sector is free to decide whether to stay open or shut down.
All of which means that while Irish-America gets ready to drown the shamrock, there is a slightly more patchy response back in Northern Ireland.
For sure, the patron saint’s day will be celebrated in style in places such as Downpatrick, and a big parade is planned for the centre of Belfast.
And traditional events such as the schools’ cup finals in rugby and gaelic football will draw the crowds, as ever.
And yes, the rush-hour traffic will be lighter than usual with many schools closed for the day, and all those public sector workers staying at home.
Surely in this newfound era of political harmony, this is something the Stormont Executive could get its head round.
St Patrick is one of the few icons to which all sections of the community can claim allegiance, so surely March 17 should be an occasion for unity, not division.
And if the Twelfth is a public holiday, surely March 17 should fall into the same category, on the grounds of parity of esteem as well as being a good reason for a day off.
Although this issue might not have been a deal-breaker in the political negotiations, perhaps it is something that our Ministers might be able to agree on.
Already the Republic counts March 17 as one of the major dates in its calendar for inbound tourism, so why can Northern Ireland not cash in more effectively?
The only problem, of course, is the weather, with the patron saint sometimes failing in his duty to turn up the sunny side of the stone.
But with Easter not due for another month, March 17 provides a welcome break, and a chance to celebrate the arrival of spring.
So let’s loosen up, enjoy tomorrow and resolve to make Paddy’s Day a full-blown public holiday.
