Tullamore Dew Challenges America to Forget Shamrocks and Leprechaun Costumes and Keep This St. Patrick's Day 'Irish True!'

NEW YORK, March 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite St. Patrick's Day being one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the U.S., a new survey commissioned by leading Irish whiskey brand, Tullamore Dew, found a surprisingly low number of Americans understand who or what they celebrate on March 17th. In fact, more than half of Americans age 21+ (51%) don't even know that St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. So this year, Tullamore Dew is challenging Americans to forgo the cliched green shamrocks and leprechauns and celebrate in a more authentic "Irish True" way.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120301/NY62090LOGO )

Conducted online by Harris Interactive in January among 2,143 U.S. adults aged 21 and older, the survey findings reveal that:

• Only 25% of respondents know that St. Patrick was not born in Ireland (in actuality, he was born in Roman Britain, the part of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire)
• 34% of respondents falsely believe that the holiday (March 17th) marks the saint's birthday (when it in fact marks the day of his death)
• A little more than 25% of respondents falsely believe St. Patrick chased all the snakes out of Ireland – this is pure myth and legend and scientific evidence actually suggests that, after the Ice Age, no snakes could have crossed the North Channel into Ireland
• Only 18% of respondents believe celebrating St. Patrick's Day represents the true spirit of Ireland

"At Tullamore Dew, we set out to represent the Irish spirit and culture in an honest and genuine way – we call it Irish True," said Tim Herlihy, of Ireland's County Louth and Brand Ambassador for Tullamore Dew in the United States. "Americans have long embraced St. Patrick's Day, but this year we want to ensure they know the true story and encourage them to celebrate this special day the Irish True way."

Herlihy offers easy and insightful tips on how to celebrate this St. Patrick's Day in the more meaningful and genuine Irish True Way. 

• Kick off the day with a hearty, traditional Irish breakfast; it's going to be a long day and you'll need sustenance – my favorites include bacon rashers (real back bacon, if you can get it), both white and black pudding, fried eggs and a strong cup of Irish breakfast tea
• Take in a local St. Patrick's Day parade; in Ireland, a parade can be found in a big city complete with massive floats right down to a simple tractor parade in a small village. Every city, town and village has its own parade on St. Patrick's Day.  In America it's no different – go out there and show your support!
• Catch some Irish entertainment; pull up a chair at your favorite pub and listen to a traditional session band or, if you're in NYC, get tickets to the Craic Festival for the best in Irish film and music
• Go out and find an Irish True bar or pub; forget the green beer and shamrocks on the wall; an Irish True establishment has its own character and way of doing things; there's sense of community and camaraderie and, above all, friendship       
• Have a St. Patrick's Day toast at the ready; toasting is a big part of Irish culture; it should speak from the heart and is meant to be shared with those most important to you. So, gather your mates, buy a round of Tullamore Dew and use this toast for St. Patrick's Day –

"Glasses up to
The Irish saints
And to those whose
Hearts are
Never faint
Glasses up to keeping
Your head
When those about you
Play fools instead
So don the green
And a drop of
The pure
Now that's
IRISH TRUE
Of that you can be sure"

For more information, visit www.tullamoredew.com.

About Tullamore Dew
Tullamore Dew is the second largest Irish whiskey in the world in the fastest growing category. It has been widely acclaimed by whiskey connoisseurs, most recently winning five awards at this year's prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC), including 'Gold Best in Class' for its highly acclaimed Tullamore Dew 10-Year-Old Reserve. The brand has now achieved an impressive record of 29 gold medal awards in the last 10 years.

With an intriguing smooth yet complex character, Tullamore Dew is triple distilled, but is also a unique blend of all three types of Irish whiskeys; the pot still, malt and grain whiskeys. Using only the finest grains and purest water, it is patiently aged in specially seasoned oak casks to develop its complexity – making it the perfect toast when out, or with friends at home. Tullamore Dew is best enjoyed straight up, on the rocks, or served long with soda and a wedge of lime.

Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States between January 23-25, 2012 among 2,143 adults (aged 21 and over) by Harris Interactive on behalf of Tullamore Dew via its Quick Query omnibus product. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online. For more information regarding the survey and methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Dan Griffin listed above.

SOURCE Tullamore Dew