“Faoi chomhair na Féile Pádraic”: St Patrick’s Day in ‘Culaith le Cois’ by Máirtín Ó Cadhain

 

Fianna Éireann scouts 1914 © fiannaeireann.com

Traditionally seen as a well-earned break and a chance to revel and make merry in the middle of the Lenten period, St Patrick’s Day has been marked in many different ways in Ireland. Famously, it is seen at home and abroad as a time to celebrate all things Irish, real or imagined. Millions will wear green, don a shamrock and drink – perhaps excessively – to mark the festival and, of course, many will parade through towns and cities great and small to celebrate the holiday (see van der Heide 2022).

As a student of modern Irish literature focusing on gender, I don’t often have an excuse to discuss Naomh Pádraig or his festival. But one text which features in my research takes place during a St Patrick’s Day parade. This short story, titled ‘Culaith le Cois’ [‘A Spare Uniform’], was written by renowned Irish-language author and activist, Máirtín Ó Cadhain (see here), and was published in his first collection of short stories Idir Shúgradh agus Dáiríre in 1939.

‘Culaith le Cois’ centres on a thirteen year old boy named Micilín Phádraic an Iascaire – Micilín son of Pádraic the Fisherman – who desires a new outfit for the local St Patrick’s Day parade in the year 1918. Micilín was selected as commander of the local Fianna Éireann band for the parade and he desires a respectable uniform so that he will look the part.

Fianna Éireann were an Irish nationalist youth organisation founded in 1909, akin to the Boy Scouts but with a more paramilitary bent. Many members of the Fianna subsequently joined the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Republican Brotherhood and Fianna members were involved in notable events such as the 1913 Lockout, the Howth gun-running in 1914, the 1916 Easter Rising and the Irish War of Independence and Civil War (see Hay 2019). The name purposefully conjures images of the legendary Fianna warriors led by the hero of Gaelic folklore and early literature, Fionn Mac Cumhaill.

‘Culaith le Cois’ provides us with an insight into how St Patrick’s Day was celebrated in rural Ireland in the first half of the 20th century. We see the collecting and wearing of shamrock and green ribbons, people gathering from far and wide for the parade, the flying of flags and the displaying of nationalist medals and symbols:

“Na daoine ag dul trína chéile ina gcíor thuathail – broscán anseo, scuaidrín ansiúd thall, seala go siamsúil ag saighdeadh faoi leathleibide eicínt a lean na daoine ó bhaile, is deascán ag ceiliúr os íseal le balla. Maidir le brandaí, boinn, bratóigíní, is suaitheantais de gach uile chineál is ann a bhí a dtabhairt amach. Ribíní glasa is glasuaine, boinn bheaga trí dhath, “cláirseacha,” is pictiúir pháipéir den Phiarsach is de cheannairí eile na Cásca, d’Éamon de Valera is d’Art Ó Gríofa, le cronú go fairsing ar fud an chruinnithe. Bonn páipéir na bliana anuraidh – “Conscription - Not Damn Likely” – sna casóga ag corrdhuine fós. “Sinn Féin Abú” ionann is ag gach uile dhuine. Ba iad na gasúir ba bhrandáilte a bhí, ach ba dhuine sé nó seachráin a bhí ann gan aon suaitheantas.” (Ó Cadhain 58-59)

 

[The people were mixed together in the hubbub – a crowd here, a squad over there, a group merrily teasing some half-fool who’d followed the people from town, and a handful celebrated quietly by the wall. As to brands, medals, small flags, and emblems of every sort, they were all there displayed. Green and bright green ribbons, small tricolour medals, “harps,” and paper pictures of Pearse and the other Easter leaders, of Éamon de Valera and Arthur Griffith, widely visible across the assembly. Last year’s paper medal – “Conscription - Not Damn Likely” – in the jackets of the odd person still. Nearly everyone had “Up Sinn Féin”. The children were the most branded, but it was only the occasional person without any badge.”]

My research focuses on the portrayal of masculinity in Ó Cadhain’s short stories. ‘Culaith le Cois’ tells a lot about the ideal form of manliness emphasised in the rural Irish community of the tale, such as the importance of Nationalist Republican militarism. We see this in the symbols of masculinity described – the soldier’s uniform, drilling, marching – and the masculine exemplars that are exalted – the heroes of 1916.

We also see the importance of fashion in the construction of masculine identity. Throughout the story, Micilín feels ashamed of his worn, homespun clothes and connects authority and status with a true, Fianna uniform. When his mother buys him a new uniform as a present, he feels like a proper soldier:

“Shiúil sé ar fud na cisteanaí, is thosaigh ag méirínteacht lena stríocacha dearga – suaitheantais an oifigigh. Nach breá gur chuimhníodar ar iad a chur uirthi, is nach maith go raibh a fhios acu go mba oifigeach é féin, is cén ceann posta a bhí aige!” (Ó Cadhain 55)

 

[He walked all over the kitchen and started fingering his red stripes – the emblems of an officer. Isn’t it wonderful that they thought to add them, and isn’t it well they knew he was an officer, and what occupation he had!]

Internalised class prejudice intervenes, however, and Micilín decides to leave his new uniform at home instead of wearing it to the parade, as it wouldn’t be proper for a fisherman’s son to wear something better than the schoolmaster or shopkeeper’s son.

Clothes play a major role in the final conflict between Micilín and Christy an tSiopa when Christy appears at the parade wearing a Fianna uniform. Christy’s new look leads to Dónall Breathnach, head of the local Volunteers, removing Micilín as commander and handing the job to Christy, which shatters Micilín’s confidence. The clothes maketh the man, or the boy, in this case. The story ends somewhat melodramatically with Micilín failing to march in step with the rest of the parade and then running home to set fire to the uniform his mother gifted him:

“Ach ní raibh culaith amháin acu aige le cois an tráthnóna sin. Dhóigh sé í ar an dá luas is ar shroich sé an baile!” (Ó Cadhain 69)

 

[But they didn’t have a spare uniform on him that afternoon. He burned it as soon as he arrived home!]

‘Culaith le Cois’ is just one example of St Patrick’s Day in Irish literature. Reading it or any other story by an Irish writer is a great way to mark the holiday, if you’d rather not wear green and go drinking. Or you can do both! However you celebrate Ireland’s national day, I hope it proves safe and enjoyable. Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!

Further reading:

•  Danaher, Kevin. The Year in Ireland. Mercier Press, Cork, 1972.
• Hay, Marnie. Na Fianna Éireann and the Irish Revolution, 1909-23: Scouting for Rebels. Manchester University Press, Manchester, 2019, doi:10.2307/j.ctv18b5kfx.
• Ó Cadhain, Máirtín. Idir Shúgradh agus Dáiríre. An Gúm, Dublin, 1939.
• Ó Háinle, Cathal. “Ó Cadhain, Máirtín.” Dictionary of Irish Biography. October 2009. https://doi.org/10.3318/dib.006285.v1.
• van der Heide, Ailbe. “Dressing the Part for St Patrick’s Day.” UCD Library Cultural Heritage Blog. 17 March 2022. Link.

Stiofán Ó Briain