In fairness.

In the three years [since the first Arthur’s Day], politicians have also been eager to talk up the tourism potential of Arthur’s Day, and the Irish news media have carried overwhelmingly uncritical coverage of the events associated with it, generating enormous free publicity for the Guinness brand. But a backlash has begun in earnest…

…“Paint the town black? My town is already black with unemployment, shootings, depression, a lack of paying gigs and a lack of Irish artists on daytime radio,” Mr. [Steve] Wall [lead singer of The Stunning] wrote. “No thanks Diageo … go paint your own town black. We need some light.”