Dublin Square Irish pub - a bit of the ol' sod
By David Rottenberg
San Diego Daily Transcript
03/10/06
"Kiss me! I'm Irish!" the words across the green T-shirt demanded. The shirt was to be worn on the most auspicious of Irish celebrations - St. Patrick's Day, which occurs March 17.

There are more than 35 million people of Irish descent now living in the United States, most of them clustered in the Northeast. There are famous parades and other festivities in Boston and New York. For many Irish people, St. Patrick's Day is a holiday to commemorate their heritage, not a religious event. It is a day on which many of the rest of us become "honorary Irish".

St. Patrick is said to have driven the poisonous snakes from Ireland by beating a drum to drown them in the sea. In truth, there were never any such snakes there. He did lead the conversion of the people of Ireland to Christianity. Snakes symbolized the Celts' pagan ideologies which were driven out.

March 17 is the date of the death of St. Patrick, not his birth. He lived during the fourth and fifth centuries. He was born in Britain but was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Ireland. He worked as a slave-shepherd for six years, and then escaped to France, where he studied religion in a monastery to become a priest.

Years later, he heard the voice of the Irish "crying to thee, come hither and walk with us once more." Pope Clemens commissioned him to go to Ireland to convert the heathen. His winning personality gave him great suc­cess. He built many churches and converted nearly all the people of the country to Christianity. He died in 461 A.D. and the date of his death has been commemorat­ed since. St. Patrick's Day was first celebrated in this country in Boston in 1737.

A number of traditions have grown up around the holiday. One is to wear green or risk getting pinched. This relates to the color of the hills in Ireland. It is so verdant that it is called "the Emerald Isle."

Another tradition is to wear the "shamrock," a three-leaf clover. That relates to St. Patrick's use of the shamrock to explain the con­cept of "trinity" to the Celts. He used it to illustrate how "three parts can make up the whole plant".

Leprechauns are Ireland's national fairies. They are the keepers of the treasures that were plundered by the Danes, who invaded the island in earlier times. Leprechauns are little gnomes, shoemakers who are usually too drunk to work, but who know where great treasure is hidden. The idea is to catch a lep­rechaun to make him reveal the treasure's hiding place. But, take your eyes off him and he'll disappear.

There are traditional foods for St. Patrick's Day. The most popu­lar dish is corned beef and cab­bage. One of the best places to enjoy the day and the dish is at Dublin Square Irish Bar & Grill, in the Gaslamp. The looks of a typical Irish pub from famous Grafton Street in Dublin have been reproduced meticulously on Fourth Avenue. Dublin Square's authentic dark wood interiors, outdoor patio and carved horse­shoe bar are great places to enjoy Irish music and dancers, food and gaiety that are part of the day's celebration. Of course, the Guinness flows.

Irish cuisine was transformed by the introduction of potato from the New World. By the mid-17th century, it was a staple in the Irish diet. Easy to grow in Ireland's fertile soil, and an efficient food source, the "Irish potato" led to a large population explosion that later was affected severely by a series of droughts and "potato famines." These famines led to Irish migration to America. In keeping with historical tradition, many of the dishes at Dublin Square include potato.

The corned beef is Dublin style, cooked with onions, garlic, herbs and Guinness. The sauteed cab­bage is served with a dijon sauce. Shepherd's pie is another tradi­tional dish, grilled sirloin topped by garlic mashed potatoes. Fish and chips are made with a Harp beer batter on Icelandic cod. Traditional Irish Lamb Shank Strew blends potato, onion and carrots.

Prices are normally reasonable at Dublin Square. There is a full bar and good selection of beers, although Guinness is the featured brand. The menu has traditional.