Many Americans claim a wee bit of Irish ancestry on St. Patrick’s Day, a chance to wear green, whoop it up and celebrate Celtic culture.

In this 1989 Blade archive photo, Pat Connolly sits at the front of the Bus 29, blowing a noisemaker in celebration. The decoration just behind the driver wishes riders a Happy St. Patrick’s Day for the Maumee-Waterville 29’ers. In America, the holiday is celebrated with wearing green, eating Jigg’s dinners, listening to Irish music and partying. It was a bit more sober in Ireland, where St. Patrick’s Day was a religious holiday, Irish immigrants told The Blade in 1989. 

James Noone of Leipsic, Ohio, said, ‘Here I would say it’s an excuse to celebrate and be silly. Mind you, there’s nothing wrong with that. But we’re not much of a party people in Ireland.’

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First Published March 17, 2025, 4:00 a.m.