Irish people around the world are gearing up for St Patrick's Day celebrations, but it seems that you don't have to be from the Emerald Isle to join in the festivities. It's been revealed that more Scots will be celebrating with their Irish cousins this Thursday than will mark St Andrew's Day later in the year, according to a survey released today by ancestry website Genes Reunited.
As many as 62% of Scottish respondents said they celebrate St Patrick's Day, but only 53% said they commemorate their own patron saint, St Andrew's Day. Of those Scots who will be sharing in the fun this week, 50% said they will be doing so because they have Irish ancestors, while the remainder admitted to just looking forward to a 'great party'. Only 40% claimed to know the origins of the great Irish saint.
The Scots were not on their own 67% of Australian respondents also said they will be joining in the festival, as did 50% of English respondents and 78% of New Zealanders, but over all only half knew the origins of St Patrick's Day.
Martine Parnell, head of Genes Reunited, said: "It seems that everyone wants to have Irish ancestors on St Patrick's Day and it's easy to find out if you have any Celtic links by doing a simple search on Genes Reunited. With 29 million names listed, finding an Irish connection may not be as hard as you may think."
Irish pride remains strong among those surveyed. One Irish member said: "Everywhere you go in Ireland you will get a smile or a 'hello', and wherever an Irish person goes they carry that warmth with them."
Another member said that being Irish meant "to be loved the world over for our friendliness and to welcome people with open arms".
St Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, was born in Wales around AD385. He considered himself a pagan until his studies at a monastery in Gaul, France, converted him to Christianity. He spent the rest of his life in Ireland, where he was appointed second bishop, converting pagans to Christianity and died there on March 17th AD 461. According to legend, St Patrick raised people from the dead and in a hilltop sermon he drove all the snakes from Ireland.
St Andrew, whose day is celebrated on November 30th, is thought to have been a fisherman in Galilee, responsible for spreading Christianity through Asia Minor and Greece. He was crucified by the Romans and, according to legend, St Rule, a Greek Monk, was instructed in a dream to take St Andrew's remains 'to the ends of the earth' for safe keeping. In his quest to do so, he was shipwrecked off the east coast of Scotland.
Genes Reunited can be found at www.genesreunited.co.uk For more information about Genes Reunited please contact Carolynne Bull-Edwards or Victoria Reed on 01883 717468 or email press@genesreunited.co.uk
Launched in November 2002, Genes Reunited is a sister site of internet phenomenon Friends Reunited. In just under two years it has become the UK's largest family tree, genealogy and ancestry site, with over 2.5 million members worldwide and 29 million names listed. Internet technology has created millions of 'cyber detectives' who are harnessing the web's incredible resources and unlocking the secrets in their family tree. It is free to join and search, with a fee of £9.50 per year to make contact with other members.
| No | Yes | |
| Australian | 33% | 67% |
| English | 50% | 50% |
| Irish | 14% | 86% |
| New Zealander | 22% | 78% |
| Other | 56% | 44% |
| Scottish | 38% | 62% |
| Welsh | 69% | 31% |
| No | Yes | |
| Australian | 87% | 13% |
| English | 91% | 9% |
| Irish | 94% | 6% |
| New Zealander | 78% | 22% |
| Other | 94% | 6% |
| Scottish | 47% | 53% |
| Welsh | 91% | 9% |
"I am only Irish by distant descent but I think it means I get excited when I listen to Irish fiddlers - no one can play the fiddle like the Irish."
"My ancestry gives me an affinity with Ireland. I love the country and find the people warm and welcoming."
"The Irish are a fun, proud people, who work hard for their living."
"It makes me proud thinking of the fun, yet hard working people that are my ancestors."
"I'm not Irish but wish I were. I have visited Ireland and enjoyed the country. The people are so friendly."