Arthur’s Day a ‘gimmick’ - Fr MacGreil

Arthur’s Day a ‘gimmick’ - Fr Mac Gréil


Anton McNulty

PRAYERS should be said to celebrate the life of Arthur Guinness instead of knocking back pints of the black stuff in his honour according to outspoken critic of Ireland’s drinking culture.
Last week, thousands of people across Ireland took part in the Arthur’s Day celebrations to coincide with the founding of St James’s Gate Brewery on September 23, with participants encouraged to have a pint of Guinness at 17.59. Pubs like Matt Molloy’s in Westport, as shown by our pictures, were packed to celebrate the occasion.
However, Fr MicheΡl MacGreil, who is a former spiritual director of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association described last Thursday’s Arthur’s Day celebration as ‘a gimmick’, employed by drinks group Diageo.
“[Arthur] Guinness was a good man and he did a lot for the people of Ireland, but all of this talk of ‘to Arthur, to Argur, to Arthur’ is just a nonsense. It’s just a gimmick by Diageo to sell more drink and it smears the good name and character of Arthur Guinness.
“Moreover, I feel if people really think that much of Arthur Guinness and his memory, they should say a quiet prayer at 17.59 to him during the Angelus instead of drinking.”
The first Arthur’s Day celebrations were organised last year to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the founding of Guinness and because of its success it was decided to continue the ritual.
Concerts were organised in Dublin, Cork and Galway with Killers’ singer Brandon Flowers, the Manic Street Preachers, Westlife and The Script among the acts who took part in the celebrations. A number of smallers events were also organised around the country.