AWORKINPROGRESS has the tools to finish the job in the Jenningsbet Midlands Grand National (3.00) at Uttoxeter today. The Nick Gifford-trained seven-year-old has been a winning machine over fences – he’s won six of his seven starts in the sphere – and is mustard over a distance of ground that has plenty of juice in it.

Having signed off his career over hurdles with a win at Fontwell Park in May 2024, Aworkinprogress racked up a five-timer over the larger obstacles. The going was ‘soft’ or ‘heavy’ when the son of Soldier Of Fortune collected at Stratford, Lingfield Park (three times) and Uttoxeter between October 2024 and November 2025.

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The winning run came to an end at Chepstow 19 days before Christmas but Aworkingprogress resumed normal service in the Surrey National back at Lingfield last time out.

Ridden as this afternoon by James Davies, my preference got the better of a stirring duel with the reopposing Catch Catchfire, the front pair 12 lengths clear of the third horse.Under the circumstances, a 5lb rise in the weights could have been worse and Aworkinprogress has the ideal conditions to go in again.

The Jenningsbet Novices’ Handicap Chase (3.35) is taken to go the way of another son of Solder Of Fortune, AS THE FELLA SAYS.

James Bowen, who celebrated the first Cheltenham Festival winners this week, was on board when Nicky Henderson’s seven-year-old broke his duck over fences at the fourth attempt at Newbury 25 days ago.

As The Fella Says justified his status as the 15-8 favourite by powering way from Major Fortune to score by four and three-quarter lengths.

The British Horseracing Authority number-cruncher was never going to take that performance lying down and As The Fella Says is 7lb higher today – but still has more to offer.

Model of consistency JOHN BARBOUR is expected to give another good account of himself in the JenningsBet Handicap Hurdle (2.25).

From 12 visits to the track, Yeats’s son has failed to make the frame just once, gaining the last of his three victories here in the Potteries on New Year’s Eve.

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John Barbour found only the back-to-form Fiercely Proud too good over two and a half miles at Ascot next time and a first try over an additional four furlongs should suit the Fergal O’Brien trainee.

Also going up in distance is IT’S TOP in the opening JenningsBet 200 Shops Nationwide Handicap Hurdle (1.50).

Gavin Sheehan’s mount was strong at the finish when making all for a novice hurdle at Carlisle at the beginning of last month and a first try at two and a half miles should unlock further progress as the bottom weight moves into handicaps.

At Kempton Ryan’s Rocket is fancied to gain handsome compensation for Christmas calamity in Sunbury by landing the Virgin Bet Supports Safe Gambling Handicap Chase (3.18).

Punters sent the Fergal O’Brien-saddled son of Jetaway off the 7-4 favourite for the Grade 2 Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Handicap Chase on the second day of the King George VI Chase fixture after the eight-year-old’s comeback score at Newbury in November.

Everything was going to plan until my selection made a mistake at the eighth of the 12 obstacles, and decanted Johnny Burke into the turf. Ryan’s Rocket was going easily at the time, and it’s instructive to not that Thistle Ask, the 10-length winner from a British Horseracing Authority mark of 146, is now rated 160.

For his part, Ryan’s Rocket has been dropped 1lb to 134, a figure that’s well within range as he bids to pocket the £31,218 first prize.

Burke could also be in business aboard TURNDLIGHTSDOWNLOW in the Virgin Bet A Good Bet Handicap Hurdle (2.40).

Martin Keighley’s son of Court Cave scored over course and distance in September on his debut in the handicap sphere, following up over Kempton’s two miles and five furlongs three weeks later.

He lost little in subsequent defeats over further at Sandown Park and Wincanton, but coming back in distance – and returning to Sunbury – won’t hurt his chances.

After a fine second to Barlovento here on the King George undercard, TAPLEY and Izzi Ryder are likely to take some pegging back in the Virgin Bet Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (2.08).

Councillors have also “called-in” the applications for legal examination

Controversial applications to turn three North Belfast houses into HMOs have been deferred by Belfast Council for site visits and “call-ins.”

Plans for three houses in close proximity in the Ballygomartin Road area, at 29 Glencairn Street, 24 Rutherglen Street, and 163 Ballygomartin Road have all gone to City Hall for conversion to HMOs. Each property has a different owner.

At the March meeting of the Belfast City Council Planning Committee, elected representatives agreed to defer decisions on all three for site visits.

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The Glencairn Street application is for change of use from a three bedroom dwelling to a five bed, five person HMO. 69 objections have been received to the application.

The main concerns raised within thes objections are that there are too many HMOs in the area, with multiple existing HMOs on Glencairn Street. Objectors state more family homes are needed in the area and the plan would reduce surrounding house values. The objectors also raise concerns regarding parking issues, added strain on local services, and increased noise.

The application has been “called in” by councillors to be looked at on legal grounds. Reasons for the call-in include overconcentration of HMOs, parking and traffic issues, impact on residential amenity, property and waste management. Councillors say it is contrary to planning policy.

Despite this, council officials are recommending the application for proposal, and state in the planning report: “The proposal is compliant with policy in that the 10 percent threshold for HMOs on Glencairn Street has not yet been reached. Officers consider that the proposal will not be harmful in terms of traffic, parking, impact on residential amenity or the amenity of the surrounding area.”

The application for the neighbouring Rutherglen Street property is for change of use from a four bedroom dwelling to a five bedroom, five person HMO. 50 objections have been received to this application. Objectors raised similar concerns to that surrounding the application at Glencairn, and councillors again called-in the application.

The application for the neighbouring Ballygomartin Road property is again for change of use from a four bedroom dwelling to a five bedroom, five person HMO. 41 objections were forwarded regarding the application, with similar objections. Councillors again called in the application.

Both the Rutherglen Street and Ballygomartin Road applications have been recommended for approval by council officers.

Houses of Multiple Occupation, also known as a “house-share” residencies, which landlords lease out to three or more tenants from different addresses, have become increasingly controversial, with some arguing they have negatively affected communities and led to anti-social behaviour in places like the Holylands and Stranmillis in South Belfast, where landlords pack houses with undergraduates and others.

Applications for new HMO licences have increased in other parts of the city in recent years. A series of applications have been refused across the city, but many applicants are successfully appealing the decisions via the Planning Appeals Commission.

HMO licence renewal cannot be refused on the basis of overprovision of such properties in an area, but new licences can be refused on this basis.

While the council policy is that HMO’s should not account for more than 20 percent of any area of housing management, in reality many streets exceed this, with some in the Holylands reaching over 90 percent. Outside housing policy areas the threshold is 10 percent.

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Chancellor Rachel Reeves told petrol retailers they had a “shared obligation” to keep prices down for motorists.

The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) had threatened to pull out of the Downing Street meeting with Ms Reeves and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband after claiming the Government’s “inflammatory language” over rising fuel prices led to abuse against forecourt workers.

At the Downing Street meeting, Mr Miliband warned executives from the forecourt operators and firms including Shell that the Government would not tolerate “unfair practices” in the industry.

The RAC said the average price for a litre of unleaded had risen by 8p since the start of the crisis, with the cost now its highest for 18 months.

The Chancellor hosted industry chiefs in 11 Downing Street on Friday in response to rising concern about the impact of the Middle East crisis on household finances.

Ms Reeves thanked the petrol bosses for their co-operation, but told them she wanted an “open and frank conversation” with them.

She said: “We have concerns around the high prices and we do have a shared obligation.”

Mr Miliband told them: “We have said so clearly that we won’t tolerate unfair practices either here or anywhere else in the industry. It is out obligation as the Government to ensure the consumers are treated fairly in this crisis.”

Before the meeting, Gordon Balmer of the PRA raised concerns that recent language from the Government was driving abuse against fuel retail staff by members of the public “following several days in which ministers have suggested that forecourts may be ‘price gouging’ and ‘ripping off’ the motorist”.

The PRA later said it would take part in the meeting after assurances from the Treasury that it would be held largely in private, which the group said would “allow a conversation to explain how the fuel market works”.

Mr Balmer said: “Recently, I have heard of incidents from some of our members of retail staff being abused by members of the public, who may have been provoked by the incorrect and inflammatory language emanating from some commentators, for example, the use of the terms ‘rip-offs’ and ‘profiteering’.

“Our members are working hard in difficult circumstances, making sure that motorists and businesses are getting the fuel they need, at prices that are very competitive, on razor-thin or in some cases negative margins, which means they are losing money.

“Our job is to serve the public, keeping motorists and businesses on the road.”

He added: “There is clearly still a lot of work to do to help politicians and commentators to understand how the fuel market works and our door is always open for constructive dialogue.”

Ms Reeves has asked the competition watchdog to “crack down” on “rip-off” fuel prices to guard against profiteering over the high oil prices due to the Iran war.

The Government has already promised to intervene if companies engage in “unfair” practices that would hit customers facing a rise in the price of home heating oil, which is not covered by Ofgem’s energy price cap.

However, the AA warned that motorists “will be stung” with inevitable rising costs because of a global hike in prices, and called on Ms Reeves to delay a planned increase in fuel duty.

The Chancellor has faced opposition pressure to abandon her decision to gradually phase out a 5p cut to the levy, starting with a 1p increase from September this year.

The RAC said the average litre of unleaded had risen from 132.83p to 140.60p.

The motoring organisation’s head of policy, Simon Williams, said: “Households, especially those that depend on the car, are under increasing financial pressure as a result of the conflict in the Gulf.

“The average price of a litre of unleaded has now risen by 6%, or nearly 8p, to 140.6p since the start of the conflict and is it at its highest in 18 months. Diesel has rocketed by 12% – or almost 17p – to 159.2p a litre, a price we’ve not seen since November 2023. Filling a family car is now £4 and £9 more than it was less than two weeks ago.

“The fact the cost of a barrel of oil has exceeded 100 US dollars and wholesale fuel prices continue to rise is concerning, but it’s the speed at which drivers are feeling the effects which is under the spotlight now.

“Drivers deserve – and should expect – to be treated fairly when it comes to filling up, especially with pump prices still heading north. We therefore hope the meeting between the fuel industry and government on this important issue is productive.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has since said the Government will keep the situation “under review” in light of the Middle East conflict.

On Thursday, the Competition and Markets Authority warned it was putting fuel retailers “on notice” of plans to step up monitoring of petrol and diesel prices in light of the Middle East uncertainty.

The Government has said drivers can compare prices at different petrol stations across the UK through its Fuel Finder service.

The scheme has been more than half a century in the making

Motorists can expect delays through Mottram Moor over the next two weekends as work continues on a major bypass scheme ‘60 years in the making’.

Work on the new A57 link road scheme began last year, The Mottram bypass has been an ongoing saga in Tameside for decades, but now it is close to becoming a reality.

The £228m project aimed at tackling congestion between Manchester and Sheffield.

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There will be disruption between 7pm today (March 13) until 6am on Monday, March 16 and between the same times the following weekend (March 20 to 23).

According to National Highways, the work involves installing utility services and building a new plant crossing. This will allow construction materials to be moved safely and efficiently across the A57 as part of the major scheme.

Following extensive preparation and site clearance works, the project is now moving into the main construction phase. Three key milestones mark this progress: the start of piling works for a new underpass in Mottram; construction of a new through road across Hattersley roundabout; and the building of a temporary plant crossing at Mottram Moor.

Andrew Scatchard, National Highways senior project manager, said: “This is an exciting time as we reach these three major milestones in our work to build the two new link roads, which will help address the long-standing issue of congestion in Mottram-in-Longdendale and improve journeys between Manchester and Sheffield.”

Underpass piling

The first milestone is the start of piling works for the new underpass that will carry the A57 Link Road beneath Roe Cross Road and Old Hall Lane in Mottram, connecting to the A57 at Mottram Moor.

To enable construction, a temporary relief road has been built to carry traffic along Roe Cross Road, with vehicles successfully transferred onto this new route. This has created the space needed to position the large piling rig required to construct the underpass.

Hattersley roundabout

The second milestone can be seen at junction 4 of the M67 motorway, also known as Hattersley roundabout.

Groundworks are underway to create a new through road across the roundabout. Once complete, this will allow westbound traffic travelling from the new dual carriageway link road to access the motorway more directly, improving traffic flow and making journeys quicker and smoother.

Mottram Moor plant crossing

The third milestone is the construction of a temporary plant crossing over the A57 road at Mottram Moor, starting this week.

The crossing will allow construction vehicles to safely transport excavated material from the underpass works across Mottram Moor for use along the ‘Glossop Spur’ link road, reducing the need to transport material off site.

Andrew Scatchard added: “At the same time as we construct the crossing, our utility partners will also complete important utility works. We always strive to minimise disruption where possible, but delays to journeys are expected over the next two weekends and the week in between.

“We therefore advise people to plan before they travel and allow extra time to complete their journeys. We would again like to thank the local community, including road users, for their support and patience while we carry out this work.”

The A57 link roads project includes the creation of two new link roads. One is Mottram Moor link road – a new dual carriageway from the M67 junction 4 roundabout to a new junction on the A57 at Mottram Moor.

The other is the A57 link road – a new single carriageway link from the A57 at Mottram Moor to a new junction on the A57 in Woolley Bridge.

Once installed, the plant crossing is expected to come into use from mid-April. When in operation, traffic will be held for short periods only, with traffic lights in place and regularly monitored, while construction vehicles transport materials across Mottram Moor.

The A57 link roads scheme is estimated to be up and running by 2028, but a full completion date could be as late as 2031, according to the National Highways website.

As the US and Israel’s assault on Iran grinds on, the Trump administration has issued increasingly bellicose claims that American and Israeli forces are delivering ferocious blows to the Iranian regime.

The US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, warned of the “most intense” day of strikes yet on March 10. And Donald Trump followed with a claim that the war will end soon because there is “practically nothing left” in Iran for the US military to target.

This is all part of a campaign that the White House has declared is aimed at “systematically dismantling the Iranian regime’s ability to ever again threaten America, our allies, and global security.”

So far, this campaign has largely targeted Iran’s military and nuclear facilities. But some critical non-military infrastructure has also come under attack. Israel struck two oil refineries and two oil storage facilities near Tehran on March 8, with Iran accusing the US of attacking a desalination plant the same day.

Yet one target vital to Iran’s economic survival, its largest export terminal for sending oil to international markets, remains unscathed. That terminal sits on Kharg, a small coral island off Iran’s south-western coast. This is where oil pumped across Iranian oil fields arrives via subsea pipelines to be loaded on to tankers, mostly bound for China.

At peak capacity, the terminal’s vast storage facilities and multiple jetties can handle millions of barrels of oil per day. Kharg accounts for an extraordinary 90% of Iranian crude exports and tens of billions of US dollars of annual government revenue.

No other major oil-producing country is so reliant on just one facility. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf, and massive producers elsewhere such as Russia, Mexico and Venezuela, do not concentrate almost all their export capacity in a single location.

Iran’s energy lifeline

Kharg Island became the linchpin of Iran’s oil industry due to a convergence of history and geography. Nowadays, Kharg is widely known among Iranians as the “forbidden island” because of the tight military restrictions and secrecy that surround it.

Yet behind its modern geoeconomic significance lies an ancient history, from early human settlements dating back more than 4,000 years to occupation by various empires that understood its strategic maritime importance as a trading post. The island also housed political prisoners in the mid-20th century, before the construction of Kharg’s modern terminal began in 1958.

The island quickly became Iran’s dominant export port for two reasons. First, it could be connected by pipeline to the major oil fields in south-western Iran. And second, its deep water location made it one of the only places on Iran’s western coast that could accommodate the new supertankers that were at the time dramatically reducing the cost of transporting oil.

Once the gigantic storage facilities, jetties and subsea pipelines feeding the terminal had been constructed, centralising exports there created significant efficiencies. Oil from multiple fields could share the same storage and loading infrastructure, thereby reducing overall operating costs.

Kharg’s dominance in the national oil export system was further reinforced after the Islamic revolution in 1979. This was because regional tensions and Iran’s emphasis on self-reliance discouraged it from using pipelines that pass through neighbouring countries.

At first glance, Iran’s reliance on one terminal for nearly all its oil exports seems like a major strategic vulnerability. There are also no significant operational challenges preventing the US and Israel from destroying it. Yet, paradoxically, this is precisely why it has not been targeted thus far.

Crippling Iran’s entire oil industry for months – if not years – would shatter the already fragile confidence in financial markets that Trump can achieve his vague war aims without long-term disruption to the global economy. Some analysts predict that oil prices could soar to US$150 (£112) a barrel if Kharg is hit.

To put that figure into context, Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine caused Brent crude to rise to well over US$100 a barrel for four months. This was not the only cause of the roughly 9% surge in inflation seen at the time, but it was an important factor in the ensuing cost of living crisis.

Launching an attack on Kharg would likely expose Trump’s gamble in launching a war against Iran while simultaneously promising US consumers that virtually everything would become more affordable as a catastrophic error. American voters are indicating that inflation and the cost of living are their biggest concerns ahead of the upcoming midterm elections in November.

Of course, Trump’s intervention in Iran may lead to rising prices even if the US does not attack Kharg Island. The wider disruption to Gulf shipping in the strait of Hormuz has already caused oil prices to rise to around US$100 per barrel. And in his first statement since becoming Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei vowed to keep blocking the waterway.

But at least for the moment, Trump seems to realise that Kharg Island needs to be left intact if he is to preserve the already shaky notion that he can end this war in a manner he can present as a success – which increasingly looks like degrading Iran but not forcing it to capitulate – without causing long-term economic pain for Americans.

One other factor preventing the US from destroying Kharg is that it would cause long-lasting damage to the Iranian economy. This would undermine any pretence that Trump is acting in the interests of the Iranian people, as he has claimed, since any new government would be financially crippled if the regime did collapse.

So Kharg Island survives intact for now. This is, in large part, due to the fundamental contradiction between Trump’s objectives in Iran and the political and economic costs he is willing to incur in pursuit of them.

You can check vaccination rates in your area and see how many cases have been confirmed using our interactive map

A disease that had been eliminated in the UK is returning. The Victorian illness had been eradicated thanks to a vaccination programme by public health leaders, but it has now reappeared in 50 council areas.

A new map has highlighted the low vaccine-rate areas where it is spreading quickly. Measles infections have now been confirmed by lab tests in every region of England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed, mainly among children under 10.

The figures come as one health chief has warned: “Measles is a serious disease that can cause pneumonia, meningitis, blindness, seizures and, tragically, death… Measles is one of the most infectious diseases known, and it will find those who are unvaccinated.”

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It comes after the WHO stripped the UK of its measles elimination status in January, following sustained circulation of the disease for more than a year. The UK was first declared measles-free in 2017, but lost its status two years later, only to regain it in 2021. However, that was mainly thanks to social distancing during the pandemic.

Outbreaks began in 2023 and intensified throughout 2024. In England alone, there were 2,911 laboratory-confirmed cases of measles in 2024. That was the highest number since 2012.

On that basis, WHO and the UK Health Security Agency said that the virus had re-established endemic transmission, costing the UK its measles elimination status.

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The most recent figures show that measles cases have fallen since the 2024 peak. However, cases remain high. Last year, there were 957 laboratory-confirmed cases of measles. As of March 9, this year, there have been 235 cases.

Most of these infections have been in unvaccinated children under the age of 10.

Enfield, in London, appears to be the epicentre of the current outbreak, with 80 confirmed measles cases so far this year. That includes 35 new cases since the last update in February.

Enfield also has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, with around one in three children unprotected by the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine. The latest data shows only 64.3% of children in Enfield had received both MMR jabs needed for full protection by their fifth birthday.

The target vaccine coverage rate is 95%. Although the UKHSA has confirmed that 50 separate council areas have had at least one confirmed infection, it only publishes case numbers for areas with at least 10 cases.

So far, three council areas have met that threshold – all with low vaccine coverage rates. Apart from Enfield, there have been 43 cases so far in Birmingham, including 19 since February, and 15 in the London borough of Haringey, which neighbours Enfield.

In Birmingham, 75.5% of five-year-olds have received both MMR jabs, and in Haringey, just 65.0% of under-fives are fully protected.

The UKHSA has blamed the resurgence of measles on falling vaccination rates, after uptake of the MMR jab slumped to its lowest in a decade. As of last summer, 91.8% of five-year-olds in England had received one dose of the MMR jab, and 83.7% were protected by both doses.

In many areas, such as Enfield, Birmingham and Haringey, vaccine uptake is much lower. WHO says a vaccine coverage rate of 95% is needed to achieve “herd immunity”, which prevents transmissible diseases like measles from circulating.

From this year, the MMR jab has been replaced by the MMRV vaccine, which offers the same protection as MMR but also covers chickenpox.

You can check the vaccination rates in your area and see how many measles cases have been confirmed since 2024, using our interactive map.

Dr Yimmy Chow, UK Health Security Agency’s London Region Deputy Director said: “We continue to see measles cases in north London, and while children remain unvaccinated, the risk of further spread is very real.

“Measles is a serious disease that can cause pneumonia, meningitis, blindness, seizures and, tragically, death. Children and adults who get measles can end up in hospital suffering needlessly, sometimes with long-term consequences that stay with them for life.

“Measles is one of the most infectious diseases known, and it will find those who are unvaccinated. Two doses of the MMR vaccine provide vital protection. If your child has missed any vaccinations, or you are unsure whether they are up to date, please contact your GP surgery as soon as possible — it is never too late to catch up.”

The key symptoms of measles include a high fever, coughing, sneezing, red and sore watery eyes, and a rash that usually appears after the initial symptoms.

Measles usually starts to get better after a week. However, it can lead to serious problems if it spreads to other parts of the body, such as the lungs or brain. Babies and people with weakened immune systems are more at risk from measles.

Harry Redknapp says there were no excues after his horse The Jukebox Man fell away in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and that winning the race would have been like winning the Champions League.

Redknapp’s lifelong love of horseracing reached its zenith on a sunny afternoon at Prestbury Park as he, along with wife Sandra and son Jamie, cheered on the eight-year-old who was well placed heading to home.

The Jukebox Man then ran out of steam having kept up with the leader, Haiti Couleurs, before being passed by eventual winner Gaelic Warrior with two fences to jump.

“Yeah, absolutely [it would have been like winning the Champions League] if we had won here today, but Gaelic Warrior was fantastic. My God, didn’t he win? Really impressive,” said Redknapp after the race.

“Yeah, he traveled great until two out, and then he just seemed to just fall in a bit of a hole, but overall he jumped great, run great and he’s come back, hopefully safe and sound, which is the main thing.”

The 79-year-old then explained that his horse had missed a week of work before coming to the Festival but refused to use that as an excuse for his loss.

“He missed a week’s work and I’m not blaming it, I’m not making excuses,” Redknapp explained, “The winner won, different class but he did miss a week’s work. He simply just ran out of steam today.”

Redknapp went on to explain what his week at Cheltenham has been like and how he has revelled in then build-up to having a Gold Cup running horse.

He said: “I’ve loved it. It’s been a great week. The build up and the dream and everything. I’ve loved it. To have a runner here with a chance was fantastic for me.

“I’m not saying he would have won. The winner was amazing. That was absolute Gaelic warrior today. He absolutely bolted up, didn’t it? But we’ve had another great run for him again today. Yeah, he’s jumped, well, run well. So, yeah, that’s how it goes.”

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In spite of the obvious disappointment, Redknapp remained positive and praised how his horse had captured the hearts of the nation.

He ended by saying “that’s why it would have been great today if he could have won it. He didn’t but he came and give his best shot.”

Redknapp’s only previous success at the Cheltenham Festival came in 2024 when Shakem Up’Arry won the Plate Handicap Chase but the step up to the Gold Cup brings him into the upper echelon of successful owners.

In 1997, my students and I traveled to Croagh Patrick, a mountain in County Mayo, as part of a study abroad program course on Irish literature I was teaching for the University of Dayton. I wanted my students to visit the place where, each July, thousands of pilgrims pay homage to St. Patrick, who, according to lore, fasted and prayed on the summit for 40 days.

While there, our tour guide relayed the story of how St. Patrick, as he lay on his death bed on March 17 in A.D. 461, supposedly asked those gathered around him to toast his heavenly journey with a “wee drop of whiskey” to ease their pain.

The mention of whiskey left me wondering if St. Patrick may have unintentionally influenced the way most of the world celebrates the holiday today: by drinking.

It wasn’t always this way. The Festival of St. Patrick began in the 17th century as a religious and cultural commemoration of the bishop who brought Christianity to Ireland. In Ireland, there’s still an important religious and cultural component to the holiday, even as it has simply become an excuse to wear green and heavily drink in the rest of the world.

The legend of St. Patrick

Because historical details about St. Patrick’s life remain shrouded in speculation, scholars are often stymied in their attempts to separate fact from legend.

In his spiritual memoir, “Confessio,” St. Patrick describes how he was brought to Ireland as a slave. He eventually escaped, rejoining his family in Britain, probably Scotland. But while there, he had a recurring dream, in which the “Voice of the Irish” called to him to return to Ireland in order to baptize and minister to them. So he did.

The Irish revere the account of this dream described in the “Confessio”; they accept the simplicity and fervor of his words and feel a debt of gratitude for his unselfish commitment to their spiritual well-being.

St. Patrick’s efforts to convert the Irish to Catholicism were never easy. Viewing him as a challenge to their power and authority, the high kings of Ireland and the pagan high priests, called Druids, resisted his efforts to make inroads with the population.

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But through his missionary zeal, he was able to fuse Irish culture into Christianity, whether it was through the introduction of the Celtic Cross or the use of bonfires to celebrate feasts like Easter.

Again, many of these stories could amount to no more than myth. Nonetheless, centuries after his death, the Irish continue to show their gratitude for their patron saint by wearing a spray of shamrocks on March 17. They start the day with mass, followed by a daylong feast, and prayer and reflection at night.

St. Paddy’s Day goes global

From 1820 to 1860, almost 2 million people left Ireland, many due to the potato famine in the 1840s and 1850s. More followed in the 20th century to reunite with relatives and escape poverty and joblessness back home.

Once settled, they found new ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and their Irish identity in their new homes.

Irish-Americans, especially, were quick to transform March 17 into a commercial enterprise. The mandatory “wearin’ of the green” in all its garishness is a far cry from the original tradition of wearing a spray of shamrocks to honor St. Patrick’s death and celebrate Irish solidarity. Parades famously sprung up – especially in New York and Boston – revelry ensued and, sure enough, even the beer became green.

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Children of Irish-Americans in the United States have absorbed Irish culture at a distance. Many probably know that St. Patrick is Ireland’s patron saint. But they might not fully appreciate his mythic stature for kids growing up on the emerald isle.

Ask children of any age in Ireland what they know about St. Patrick, and they will regale you with stories of his magical abilities, from his power to drive the snakes out of Ireland to his use of the three leaves and one stem of the shamrock to demystify the Trinity doctrine of the Catholic Church.

They see St. Patrick as a miracle worker, and as adults, they keep the legends alive in their own ways. Some follow St. Patrick’s footsteps all around Ireland – from well to hill to altar to chapel – seeking his blessing and bounty wherever their journeys take them.

Raising a glass

Of course, in America, the holy day is really a party, above all else.

Americans have in some years spent US$6.16 billion celebrating, with 13 million pints of Guinness consumed. Some parts of the country have even held a pre-celebration on Sept. 17 – or, as they call it, “Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day.”

Where all of this leads is anyone’s guess. But beginning in the 1990s, Ireland seemed to grasp the earning potential of the Americanized version. March 17 remains a holy day for the natives and a holiday for tourists from around the world, with pubs raking in the euros on St. Patrick’s Day.

But I’ve always wondered: What if St. Patrick had requested a silent prayer instead of “a wee drop of whiskey” to toast his passing? Would his celebration have stayed more sacred than profane?

This is an updated version of an article originally published on March 16, 2021

Flick Williams said “change is needed” to ensure disabled people who feel they have been discriminated against “have easier access to legal help” to “enforce our rights”.

Ms Williams, a visually impaired wheelchair user, has previously won legal battles over alleged discrimination against City of York Council, First York and Marks and Spencer.

The campaigner said she was “honoured” to be invited to give evidence to the Parliamentary Justice Committee, which is undertaking an inquiry into barriers to accessing justice for several groups.

Ms Williams said currently “too much of the burden of enforcing disability rights falls to us as disabled people”, and she was “confident that the changes that are needed are understood” by the committee.

“Change is needed so that we have easier access to legal help and representation to assist us to enforce our rights,” she added.

Ms Williams said the “core issue” is that there are “very few solicitors who will take disability discrimination cases because the compensation awards are so low it simply doesn’t pay to take them”.

She said it means people have been left with few options but to take discrimination cases on themselves. “This can be very daunting and many disabled people simply don’t have the confidence, the energy or capacity to do this.”

Ms Williams added: “I’ve always had a burning sense of injustice which has spurred me on to pursue blatant discrimination to the bitter end.

“I have now taken more cases than I can count, but always choose which cases to take on the basis of their wider impact for other disabled people.”

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Ms Williams said she was “most proud” of the case she won against City of York Council over its licensing of pavement cafes, which followed the campaigner becoming trapped on a footpath while out shopping in York city centre in May 2022.

On leaving a shop, Ms Williams found café furniture had been put out while she was inside, blocking the dropped kerbs on either side – effectively creating an island on which she was trapped.

At the time, a council spokesperson apologised, saying “we got it wrong” and “will continue to listen and learn from the lived experiences of disabled people”.

Ms Williams said the case “certainly had the greatest impact forcing the council to change its policy thereby enabling all disabled people to get around the city with fewer obstacles on pavements”.

The Parliamentary committee was told about many barriers faced by disabled people trying to access justice including inaccessible court buildings and a failure to make reasonable adjustments for court hearings.

“It’s bitterly ironic that disabled people going to court for failures by service providers to make reasonable adjustments as they are required to do by law, then face more reasonable adjustments failures by the court system itself,” Ms Williams said.

The Justice Committee is compiling a report with recommendations for the government.