When you think of Irish-Americans, probably Boston comes to mind first. Memphis had a goodly share of Emerald Isle immigrants as well in the 1840s and onward.  The Pinch District in the northern part of our downtown attracted many; later the Irish community gravitated to Goat Hill around present day Jackson Avenue & North Parkway. St. Peter’s was the cathedral of the Irish and Italian Catholics (St. Mary’s around the corner was the home of German Catholics).  Several street names and place names still bear Irish monikers. Of course, the greatest living memory of Memphis Irish-ness is the 1970s/80s pub crawl down Madison in Midtown. At present we have the ever ebullient Silky Sullivan with his famous goats in their Beale Street courtyard, and the short but festive St. Patrick’s Day Parade which will be held on Saturday, March 14, at 4:00 down a mere three blocks of Beale. For family entertainment there is the Inis Acla School of Irish Dance in Cordova http://www.inisacla.com/ . You can also tune in the WEVL on Saturday mornings for “Strands of the Celtic Knot.” Probably the greatest ongoing legacy of Ireland’s patron saint is the fine church and congregation at St. Patrick’s on Linden near the FedEx Forum where parishioners and other volunteers serve meals to the homeless a few days each week and a hot meal every Sunday. At any rate, I’ll see you at the parade. Watch for me. I’ll be wearing green!