Does anyone do anything special for St. Patrick's Day?
Last year, friends invited us over for corned beef and cabbage on March 17th. Ungraciously, I spent some time on my soapbox explaining for the 4 millionth time that corned beef is not Irish.
The Irish ate boiled bacon (like a ham) and cabbage - not corned beef. Two years before that, one friend brought several bottles of green food coloring to my party to dye the beer! Folks here in the South make key lime pie (which is naturally yellow) and add green food coloring for St. Paddy's Day. 
As the keeper of the Irish tradition (my father is actually from Eire), I am again trying to entertain on St Patrick's Day. A friend (knowing about my aversion to New England Boiled Dinner) asked if I would make shepherd's pie. Shepherd's Pie!
Traditionally, that's made from leftovers. I am certainly not serving leftovers to my guests!So, the menu is still taking shape, but so far it's:
First course:
Chilled apple & parsnip soup (after all it is 85F here this time of year, so hot soup isn't so great)
Main course:
Lamb shanks braised in stout
Roasted roots - carrots, rutabagas, turnip, onion, etc.
Colcannon
Soda bread
Dessert:
Apple cake made with hard cider and served with toffee sauce
I wanted to do a seafood dish (cockles & mussels and all that), but the boiled dinner and shepherd's pie lady won't eat anything that comes from the sea.
I'm still struggling for an appetizer. I'm a little unhappy with using apples twice in the meal, although they are very traditional in Irish cooking. And I have no idea about pairing wines with the meal. My Grandmother and aunts just served manhattans with everything.
I'd love ideas to round out my dinner, and wonder if anyone else is doing something for this holiday. Please share.
Although I like JesB's idea of a red ale for a lighter alternative. 
Okay, how about tiny bangers and mash for an appy? You could make little round slices of bangers, pipe on a mashed potato rosette and broil them just before serving. Or is that too English? It seems like it would satisfy the Shepherd's Pie lady with something that she's heard of that sounds "Irishy."
