Whose Day Is It Anyway? S t. P atrick's D ay as a Contested Performance of National and Diasporic Irishness

One of the more intriguing aspects of S t. P atrick's D ay celebrations as a nationalised ritual of a performed I rishness, both within and outside I reland, is the extent to which it represents a dialogue between territorialised and diasporic expressions of I rish identity, and claims of belonging to I rishness. S t. P atrick's D ay celebrations in E nglish cities are a particularly intriguing example of this contestation, due to the proximity of the two countries and the historical structural and cultural constraints on the public performance of I rish identity in E ngland, as well as their more recent reinvention within celebratory multiculturalism. This article examines how debates around the authenticity of S t. P atrick's D ay parades in E nglish cities are employed in the identity work of individual I rish people. In doing so, it provides insight on the tensions between I rishness as transnational, diasporic, and ethnic, as experienced in E ngland.