In praise of the shamrock: A little plant that grew into a famous symbol

Our relationship with the shamrock is older than our relationship with Christianity, writes Fiann Ó Nualláin.

SO IT IS St Patrick’s weekend and many are wearing the green, as generations have before them and both real and artificial shamrock is to be seen, limp on lapels and precociously pinned to babies in prams, as we collectively freeze while watching the local floats and cheering on the pride of our communities.