Fergus Finlay: We must take opportunity to consider the merit and meaning of Paddy's Day 

'I know there is a lot of people, especially in events and entertainment, who will suffer again this year for the want of the kind of platform that Paddy’s Day offers. But I also think we should rethink the entire meaning of the celebration."  Picture: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

I don’t know whether I’m previous or late. I want to wish you a happy Mother’s Day and a happy St Patrick’s Day, and I’m stuck slap bang in the middle of both of them.

There was a lot of Mother’s Day going on all around me at the weekend. Our daughters (I suppose I should really say my wife’s daughters) collaborated to put together a box of goodies which had to be secretly collected (no 5k rules broken) and hidden in the boot of my car until the morning of the big day. Hand-made cards arrived from some grandchildren, and a box of hand-made chocolates  — hand-made by other clever grandchildren — was handed in at our door on Sunday afternoon.