Ireland Archives - Good Food St. Louis

This time of the year, most of us give a hat tip to St. Patrick. We wear a green tie or scarf, eat green-tinted pancakes, or cook up a pot of corn beef and cabbage. I’m convinced we celebrate the good saint far more than those living on the ol’ sod. On my first trip to Ireland more than 20 years ago, I made a point of seeking out the little town of Downpatrick, where the snake-banishing bishop is said to be buried. The peaceful site in Northern Ireland is marked by an enormous flat rock, with a large, disfiguring chip in one corner.

St. Patrick’s grave in Downpatrick, N. Ireland

Unlike Blarney Castle, there were no long lines; no tourist shops or tee-shirt and trinket sellers. Neither were there any highway signs hawking the location. There was just an ancient and unpretentious marker on the lawn of the local cathedral.

Rolla’s Unique, Beloved and Lengthy St. Pat’s Celebration

But on this side of the pond, the ancient bishop gets due recognition. I lived in Rolla, where the students at Missouri S&T consider the 5th century icon the patron saint of engineers and celebrate his birthday for the first 50 days of each year. They wear green sweat shirts, grow “green” beards, drink green beverages, design elaborate shillelaghs, carve giant tree trunks into cudgels, compete in contests of dubious distinction, and sponsor an elaborate parade. The campus is defended from a rubber snake invasion by shillelagh wielding students. The annual Follies is a time for jokes, poetry, and games, and a display of St. Pat’s swag from years past.

Students also conduct a finely costumed knighting ceremony and dance that, at one time, was meant to mimic St. Louis’ glitzy Veiled Prophet Ball. It is said that 40,000 people attended the weekend celebration in 2005. In a town of 19,000 that’s quite an influx of merrymakers.

Honorary Knights of St. Patrick: Lucy Sutcliffe, ’05; Jean Carnahan,’09; and Robin Carnahan, ’04.

In 2009, as I was about to be knighted by St. Patrick (upright sword in hand) after kissing the “Blarney Stone” atop the green-skirted table.

Memories of St. Pat’s Past

During my 40 years in Rolla, I remember mid-March as the highlight of the social season. Youngsters looked forward to the many activities with the same glee they showed for snow days. Some years ago, I was dubbed an Honorary Knights of St. Patrick, an honor that comes with no little distinction. I was given a lovely green sash, a weighty medallion, derby and cane, and a chance to kiss a fake Blarney Stone—a far easier task then bending over backward to kiss the real one.

The first St. Patrick’s Day celebration at the college in Rolla (then known as MSM), was held in 1908. Playful, class-skipping students marched up Pine Street to the campus and demanded that Dr. Young, the school’s director, kneel and be dubbed the first Honorary Knight of St. Patrick. No doubt sensing the solemnity of the occasion, he knelt, and the tradition of bestowing knighthood has continued.

A more current St. Patrick (’05) pulled through the streets of Rolla, as ceremoniously as ever, attired in the traditional bishop’s mitre and cape, updated with the addition of trendy sunglasses.

In recent years, much of the intemperate behavior associated with the event has been curtailed in the interest of student and public safety. Thankfully, “Alice” has gone to her long-deserved grave, with only her many survivors left to tell the tale of their immersion in the vile concoction.

Today student organizations earn competitive points by collecting canned food, volunteering, and giving to the blood drive. Yes, traditions evolve and some for the better. After 108-years of celebration, Rolla knows how to do St. Patrick’s Day with gusto.

Today a bronze sculpture of the patron saint hovers over the campus, bringing a calm and reassuring presence to Missouri S&T students, who have occasional bouts of revelry in his name.

Seamus McDaniel’s Irish Pub

A friend insisted that it was important for us to eat at an Irish pub before the month was out. In mid-March, they’re too crowded, she said, but now would be just right. I didn’t argue. I lived for decades in Rolla, the only place on earth that celebrates St. Patrick’s Day for three months of the year.

Seamus McDaniel’s Dogtown pub

So this week, we headed to Dogtown and my friend’s favorite watering hole: Seamus McDaniel’s. This is a familiar area to me; my daughter had a house on Louisville for a number of years. Before I moved to St. Louis, it was my home-away-from-home. The old Irish pub reminded me of some I had been to in Ireland. McDaniel’s wasn’t the Crown Pub, but it did have the wood-paneled walls and the warm feeling of a neighborhood landmark.

As I recall, Crown, the Belfast pub, had carved-mahogany booths, etched glass, gas lamps, and elaborate tiles. Since 1820, the barroom has discretely serving up pints of Guinness in its ten enclosed booths, or snugs. Each cubicle is decorated with stain glass, its own service bell, and a wall plate for striking matches.

The enclosed booths, or snugs, provided a discrete setting for a pint or two at the Crown Pub in Belfast. (Photo taken from a visit to Ireland several years ago.)

The best of “Pub Grub” at Seamus McDaniel’s. Cod Fish sandwich with fries.

But Crown Pub is an ocean away; Seamus McDaniel’s is just down the highway. When I asked about their much admired burgers, our server flashed a big smile and said they were “huge, juicy and delicious.” Even so, I went with the cod—which my friends had suggested—while one of them got a Reuben and the other the pulled pork.

It was mid-afternoon and past the lunch hour, but there were still a number of people eating and visiting. The eclectic clientele included families with young children, suited business men, students, neighborhood residents, and several women dropped off by the senior citizens’ van waiting outside the door. This could easily be a place where “everybody knows your name.”

Seamus McDaniel’s, 1208 Tamm. Open: Mon – Sat 11a-1a. Closed Sunday. Gallery of food and photos here. The adjoining patio at McDaniel’s—like the burgers—is huge. It’s enclosed for year round use, but the large doors on each side open during warm weather.