Drowned Shamrock

Walking back to the car from a daytime gig I spotted this hangover from St. Patrick's Day.

The celebration was in two distinct parts: the carnival parade at City Hall the day before was a joy. My daughter and I had a great time. The atmosphere was positive, inclusive, vibrant, fun: brilliant.

Then, on the day itself, I witnessed mobs of almost-rioting, ignorant, blocked-drunk students handing out casual abuse, vomiting, breaking bottles in the streets and chanting moronically. You could hear them across the river. It was like 'Lord of the Flies;' they occupied several streets in the Holylands area of the city, and anyone not wearing a football jersey, tricolour, or some paddywhackery headgear was liable for some abuse. I got a double whammy: 'bike wanker' shouted at me as I cycled past, and a puncture from some broken glass.