St. Patty's Evangelists Arrive in Middle East

Students from Trinity College in Connecticut arrived today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on a missionary trip to proselytize Arabic people and Muslim devotees to the ways of Irish-themed merrymaking.

The group, "Students for St. Patty's," is a student-run organization whose mission is to elevate the recognition and adoption of St. Patrick's Day around the world. Though the group's focus is not religious, it recently has targeted areas devoid of Irish Catholic roots in an attempt to create as many new converts as possible. Shannon O'Keefe, the group's president and organizer, also believes that their efforts can go a long way toward reaching peace in a politically and socially precarious region of the word.

"If they just had some green beer and dressed as leprechauns, stumbling from bar to bar, I think they would forget their democratic efforts to oust despots and appreciate the important things in life," she said.

The group plans on setting up green pop-up bars in front of Riyadh landmark Al Masmak Castle, where the students will peddle green beer, four-leaf clover hats and "Kiss me, I'm Irish" t-shirts.

Originally featured in the Daily Pygmy.