AMD 5 Luck of the Deurish?

If there's one thing that the most uninformed individual can infer about Germany, it's that the Germans love a good drinking holiday. And, as any stroll about town right now can demonstrate, today is one such holiday. So, I found myself wondering if the Germans would find the time to celebrate (and drink) the history of the nearby country. Sure enough, St Patrick's Day festivities can be found in Munich, among other places.
In 1995, a group of individuals spurred on by Mike Spillane advocated holding a parade in Munich to celebrate the Irish community in Germany (which is apparently quite sizable). The first parade took place on Leopoldstrasse, a major street in Munich, from Odeonsplatz to Münchner Freiheit. Usually, the parade itself lasts about an hour, and is quickly followed by more alcohol-laden fun.
The parade is increasingly popular, and has a wide range of sponsors including the "Deutsch-Irischer Freundeskreis Bayern," which translates to something like the German-Irish Friends Club of Bavaria. Many youth groups, private businesses including but not limited to pubs, and clubs also support the event. Unlike the US, the even took place about a week ago, from the 10th to the 11th of March.
Events include an Irish mass, a night of music, dancing, and drinking before the parade, and a party with more music, dancing, and drinking after the parade. There are competitions, people dress up in traditional garb, and a wide variety of music from traditional to new is played.

here's a link to the parade website, mostly in English:
http://www.stpatricksday.de/index_en.html

and here's a link to a German news article about the parade:
http://www.ganz-muenchen.de/freizeitfitness/st_patricksday/intro.html