[markem]

Well, I'm Irish on all sides of the family and can trace my lineage back to 7 or 8 Irish kings of old (who can't, eh?).

Guinness is an Irish beer made in a uniquely Irish style, so that's something for an Irishman to be proud of. It's based on an English beer and the company is now English, so ...

The better thing is that St. Patrick's Day is only a big deal in the US, where it was used in day of yore to rally Irish spirit and provide an excuse for a really good drunk. So the holiday isn't Irish, per se, because in Ireland it really is just another saint's day requiring a trip to church (if you do that sort of thing).