Why corned beef and cabbage? I thought potatoes was the staple diet. For me any day was a good day to have a drink. St Paddy's day made it compulsory as did Christmas, birthdays, ANZAC Day, all the other public holidays and main sporting events, elections, severe weather events and outbreak of war or peace. If I was still drinking I'd also be celebrating the referendum in Crimea tomorrow to justify a shot of vodka.
I have zero Irish heritage but used to get messy on St Paddy's. I remember one St Paddy's Day while traveling in the US. They were selling Green Beer for a nickel a pint at Daytona Beach. I almost died of alcohol poisoning that night. All I remember is vomiting green. I never actually found out what St Paddy's Day was about.