Leprechauns rob bank but get no gnomes!

St.Patrick's Day is supposed to be the feast day of the British Christian who went to Ireland. I say went but he was actually captured by Irish raiders who enslaved him. However, such an inauspicious start did not deter him in later life from becoming an important figure in Irish history.

A strange thing happened yesterday in Nashville, Tennessee. Instead of celebrating St.Patrick's Day properly, two men decided to raid a bank. One of them dressed up in a costume representing an Irish leprechaun. What brought this on is anyone's guess, but we won't find out as the two robbers were shot dead.

Perhaps they wanted the publicity? They got that. Perhaps they had a warped sense of humour? Or maybe they were trying to flush out a few gnomes? Whatever the reason, it has gone with them. Raiding banks is no answer to personal problems. Neither does it have any effect on the bank other than scaring the staff witless. Banks carry on, so raiding them makes no sense if it was a kind of political statement.

The BBC reports, "The suspects left their car in a field and fled on foot. They were killed while exchanging fire with officers, police said. No officers were injured and money was recovered from the suspects' vehicle. Both suspects were pronounced dead on the scene." So, on St.Patrick's Day two bank raiders celebrate in this style. As their souls drift passed the presence of St.Patrick will they be wondering if anything has changed since those first raiders confronted Patrick and gave him six years of hard toil and bother?