"Go out and enjoy yourself," as the Irish say. Taipei's popular expat hangouts will be pulling both the crowds and copious pints of Guinness this coming Wednesday, when the capital's Irish community and those simply out for the craic raise a glass, or half a dozen to Maewyn Succat -- or Saint Patrick as he's known today.
Credited with driving the snakes from Ireland using nothing but a three-leaf clover, or shamrock, and converting the Celtic Pagans to Christianity, Saint Patrick died aged 76 on March 17, 461 AD. While there is some disagreement as to where Patrick was born and is buried, Irish communities the world over all agree on one thing -- March 17 is a day to raise the Tricolor and indulge in heavy drinking.
Brass Monkey: This is the place to be for those seeking to impress with their Lord of the Dance impressions. The best Michael Flatley impersonator, be it a he or a she will receive an as-yet unspecified cash prize. Those dressed in the green, white and orange of the Tricolor will get a free shot of Jameson's Irish Whiskey and -- if they're still standing -- another at midnight. Members of the Taiwan Celtic Sports Club will be showing off their artistic side and painting the faces of anyone who purchases three or more pints of Guinness or Murphy's.
The Tavern: While Taipei's popular sports bar will not be giving away free drinks to customers dressed up as leprechauns or in the Tricolor, it is the place to go if you fancy dinning out on some memorable Irish fare. For NT$590 patrons can eat their fill at the Tavern's Irish buffet, which will include Irish Lamb stew, Irish rarebit and Limerick ham as well as a couple of complementary cans of Guinness or Murphy's.
The Shannon: Taipei's supposed only "genuine" Irish pub will be laying on a special spread of Irish grub for NT$317 and offering half-price beers all night for patrons willing to prove that they're wearing green underwear. For those not wishing to flash their skivvies and who are simply dressed up in Irish attire, then there's a chance for the best dressed to win a grand prize. All patrons who come in fancy dress, however, will have the opportunity to win hats, T-shirts and get free shots of Jameson's throughout the evening. The evening's two live bands will be cutting it up with plenty of U2 cover tunes.
Carnegie's: A huge Irish Tricolor will greet patrons and will be the place to go if you're after a few free pints, as Carnegie's will be giving away 500 cans of Murphy's between 7pm and 9pm, or as long as they last. Ladies will receive free Bailey's and anyone turning up wearing green will receive a coupon which can cashed in for a free shot of Jameson's.
Wherever you go and whatever you do, the Taipei Times wishes you all a happy Saint Patrick's Day, or "beannachtam na femle padraig," as the Irish say.
“China wants to unify with Taiwan at the lowest possible cost, and it currently believes that unification will become easier and less costly as time passes,” wrote Amanda Hsiao (蕭嫣然) and Bonnie Glaser in Foreign Affairs (“Why China Waits”) this month, describing how the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is playing the long game in its quest to seize Taiwan. This has been a favorite claim of many writers over the years, easy to argue because it is so trite. Very obviously, if the PRC isn’t attacking Taiwan, it is waiting. But for what? Hsiao and Glaser’s main point is trivial,
May 18 to May 24 Gathered on Yangtou Mountain (羊頭山) on Dec. 5, 1972, Taiwan’s hiking enthusiasts formally declared the formation of the “100 Peaks Club” (百岳俱樂部) and unveiled the final list of mountains. Famed mountaineer Lin Wen-an (林文安) led this effort for the Chinese Alpine Association (中華山岳協會). Working with other experienced climbers, he chose 100 peaks above 10,000 feet (3,048m) that featured triangulation points and varied in difficulty and character. The list sparked an alpine hiking craze, inspiring many to take up mountaineering and competing to “conquer” the summits. A common misconception is that the 100 Peaks represent Taiwan’s 100 tallest
Yesterday, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) nominated legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) as their Taipei mayoral candidate, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) put their stamp of approval on Wei Ping-cheng (魏平政) as their candidate for Changhua County commissioner and former legislator Tsai Pi-ru (蔡壁如) of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) has begun the process to also run in Changhua, though she has not yet been formally nominated. All three news items are bizarre. The DPP has struggled with settling on a Taipei nominee. The only candidate who declared interest was Enoch Wu (吳怡農), but the party seemed determined to nominate anyone
In a sudden move last week, opposition lawmakers of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) passed a NT$780 billion special defense budget as a preemptive measure to stop either Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) or US President Donald Trump from blocking US arms sales to Taiwan at their summit in Beijing, said KMT heavyweight Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康), speaking to the Taipei Foreign Correspondents Club on Wednesday night in Taipei. The 76-year-old Jaw, a political talk show host who ran as the KMT’s vice presidential candidate in 2024, says that he personally brokered the deal to resolve
RSS