Ireland Shamrock Shortage SEVERE, Causes St. Patrick's Day 2010 Celebration Concerns

Ireland Shamrock Shortage SEVERE, Causes St. Patrick's Day 2010 Concerns

An Ireland shamrock shortage has sparked concerns leading up to St. Patrick's Day, which takes place tomorrow, March 17, 2010.

Botanist Dr. Declan Doogue of the Royal Irish Academy told IrishCentral that the shamrock was "hit hard" by severe winter weather and it "won't be easily found" in Ireland. That means less green for this year's St. Patrick's Day.

Doogue also said that the shamrock is under threat due to modern farming methods, which discourages its growth.

Despite typically growing wild in Ireland, the shamrock shortage is very real and has been classified as severe, per Newsday.com.

At least one local community in the United Kingdom averted a shamrock-less St. Patrick's Day this week when a County Cork shamrock supplier addressed the issue.

The shamrock is a widely recognized Irish symbol and also known as a clover. The Irish Gaelic word for "clover" is "seamrog", which was anglicized as "shamrock."

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