As it’s St. Patrick’s Day, you might find yourself thinking about things associated with Ireland. What comes to mind? Four-leaf clovers? Leprechauns? Green hats? Beer? Well, this St Patrick’s Day you should also consider that some of the the most prominent and successful teams in sports have Irish nicknames. Check this out and give your Irish friend a high-five today!

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (college):

There are tons of theories regarding how this nickname came to be. We get it; they’re the Irish, but why the “Fighting” Irish? One theory states that the name comes from the Union Army’s Irish Brigade in the Civil War, but the most widely accepted theory is that the name depicts the toughness and determination of Notre Dame’s sports teams and of the Irish people. Whatever the origin, the Fighting Irish pack a punch! Historically, the Irish have one of the best football teams in history, winning eleven championships. You can find the Irish in your NCAA March Madness bracket this year as a dark-horse team; with a record of 29-5, the Fighting Irish are a team to be reckoned with. Check out the intimidating leprechaun in their logo:

Photo courtesy of fathead.com

Boston Celtics (NBA Basketball):

New England is a haven for people of Irish ancestry, perfectly explaining why Boston’s basketball team has this nickname. Having won seventeen NBA championships and having a rich history including stars like Larry Bird, Bill Russell, and Kevin Garnett (who is back with the T-Wolves now), the Celtics are one of basketball’s most venerated franchises. Their logo features a leprechaun smoking a pipe, adorned with a vest covered in four-leaf clovers. What could be more Irish than that? All it’s missing is a rainbow with a pot of gold at the end.

Photo courtesy of sports-logos-screensavers.com

This St. Patrick’s Day, get out the green attire to avoid getting pinched and congratulate all of your Irish friends for being who they are. As you can see, athletic teams with Irish nicknames have had great success. And this week when you turn on the NCAA tournament, don’t forget to check out the Fighting Irish!