Federal Way raises the Irish flag

City held its annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

By Alex Bruell • March 20, 2023 4:45 pm

Federal Way residents wished “Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig” — Happy St. Patrick’s Day — once more at the city’s annual raising of the Irish flag March 17.

The city and Irish residents raised the tri-colored flag and Mayor Jim Ferrell proclaimed March 17-23 as Irish-American Heritage Week during the ceremony Friday morning.

Washington State has an impressive 750,000 residents of Irish heritage, around 10% of the total population, Ferrell said in the proclamation. King County alone has nearly 200,000 Irish descendants.

The event was accompanied by the music of piper Neil Hubbard and three members of the Puget Sound Firefighters Pipes and Drums.

Craig Patrick, the regular organizer and speaker of the event, honored community members Ken Blevins and Cheryl Cole-Hurst for their contributions to the city and for displaying attributes known of Saint Patrick — faith, grit and self-discipline. He was joined by his wife Anna Patrick and their family.

It’s important to balance that celebration of St. Patrick’s Day with some seriousness so that Irish culture isn’t reduced to the Lucky Charms leprechaun, he said.

“We’re in every culture. We are open-hearted. We’re always trying to make things better, to do the right thing, to deal with how bad things are. … Trying to lighten it up. But not making it a cartoon, either.”

Patrick also shared the history of the eponymous Saint Patrick, a fifth-century Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland captured by the Irish as a teenager and taken as a slave. He escaped after about six years, returned to his family and became a cleric, later returning to spread Christianity in Ireland. Writing of Saint Patrick’s life credits him with explaining the concept of the Holy Trinity to the Irish people by using a three-leafed shamrock. Legend also credits him with banishing snakes from Ireland.

Why take the time to honor St. Patrick’s Day and the Irish community? Because it honors the experience, growth and hardship the Irish American community has faced in the U.S., Patrick said.

“We grew up in an area in the Northeast where they segregated the Irish, the Blacks, the Jewish, the Hispanic communities,” he said. “… When I came here, out West, it seemed to be more homogenized. Everyone looks at everyone as white. So I try to explain, not everyone is white … there’s a whole stratification within the Anglo culture. … You can’t broad-stroke everyone (as) white.”

As the city became more interested in the idea of raising flags like the pride flag, Patrick said he was excited to have the chance to celebrate his heritage too.

“We didn’t come over on the same ships,” Patrick said. “But here in Federal Way, we’re all in the same boat.”