Happy Saint Patrick’s Day
Today marks Saint Patrick’s Day, a day where millions of people across the globe come together to celebrate Irish history and culture.
BCHC’s Culturally Diverse Network has taken the opportunity to talk to Irish native Colin Graham, our associate director of clinical governance, to learn more about how he celebrates Saint Patrick’s Day and how his culture influences his role.
I am a slightly different Irishman, as an Ulster Protestant from Northern Ireland, my background is very much from a Unionist tradition, growing up during the Troubles.
At home we wouldn’t have celebrated St Patrick’s Day in the same way as my Catholic school colleagues would have, (I went to one of the few senior schools that had both Catholic and Protestant boys attending), we had our own events such as the Twelfth, which celebrates Ireland remaining part of the United Kingdom in 1690. Having said that, as a rugby player, being Irish was part of my core, we have always had an all-Ireland team, and I proudly wear the green when supporting them (although we did get badly beaten by France at the weekend).
Since moving to England, my heritage has taken on a greater focus, my work colleagues and the public don’t see the difference between people coming from North or South of the border and it was easy to slip into being Irish. My children and grandchildren have probably celebrated 17th March even more enthusiastically than me, attending the parade in Birmingham and raising a glass to St Paddy.
Irish culture is very welcoming, you can’t cross our threshold without a cup of tea and a slice of cake and we don’t like going to your house with our two hands the one length (flowers, chocolates, wine, cake, as appropriate). We are in the main, a very gregarious people, and we do like to talk.
In terms of my role, I have on occasions been asked to do things directly because of my background, but I see that as a real positive, it is like any other skill or competence where I am lucky and have a slight head start. In the end it is all about helping people, whether that is staff, patients or the public, and making life that little bit easier and better.
Sláinte.