A tradition isn’t worth respecting if it’s based on outdated sexism

FIANNA FÁIL TD Timmy Dooley has criticised Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore for refusing to attend a male-only dinner during his St Patrick’s Day trip to America.

So are we to assume the party favours gender segregation if “tradition” demands it?

The Hibernian Society of Savannah is more than 200 years old and, for all of that time, has celebrated St Patrick’s Day by hosting a banquet with a very specific entry requirement — guests must possess a penis. Not even the female mayor of Savannah, Edna Jackson, is exempt from this dictat.