TORONTO — Break out the Shamrock Shakes and the Guinness — this is the weekend Canadians are celebrating the Irish holiday, St. Patrick Day.
According to Statistics Canada, a little more than 4.5 million Canadians claim Irish ancestry — making the Irish the fourth-largest ethnic group in the country.
On and around March 17, though, millions of people of all backgrounds don their green apparel and down some pints. (St. Patrick would likely not object, given that he wasn’t Irish either.)
Of course, no celebration would be complete without a playlist of songs evoking the Emerald Isle or simply inducing the raising of so many glasses that you wake up the next morning wondering who’s your Paddy.
Here are 17 tracks — not all Irish — that are sure to bring a tear to your eye or a spring to your step this St. Patrick’s Day weekend (and no, there’s nothing from Green Day):
The Irish Rover – The Pogues
Song for Ireland – Mary Black
Guinness – The Sunday Punchers
An Irish Lullaby – Kate Smith
Danny Boy – The King’s Singers
When Irish Eyes are Smiling – The Irish Tenors
Buy Us A Drink – The Irish Rovers
Fiddler’s Green – Irish Rovers
The Black Velvet Band – The Dubliners
Drunken Lullabies – Flogging Molly
Ireland Mother Ireland – Frank Patterson
It’s a Long Way to Tipperary – John McCormack
Irish Celebration – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
My Irish Molly O – Mary Culloty O’Sullivan
Barrett’s Privateers – Irish Descendants
My Wild Irish Rose – Daniel O’Donnell
Come Back Paddy Reilly – Louise Morrissey
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