17 APRIL 1926, Page 12

March 17th last was the first " dry " St.

Patrick's Day, and according to the Irish papers nobody seemed to enjoy the holiday any the less. Certainly a Government which can achieve sobriety on Ireland's national festival deserves congratulation. One of my earliest recollec- tions is of watching the endless stream of Irish jaunting cars conveying hilarious folk singing national songs from public-house to public-house. Evidently some of the leading Southern Irishmen realize that Ireland's greatest curse is drink.