CLICK & DOUBLE CLICK: HOW IRISH ARE YOU? INTERNET GIVES TIPS FOR WEARIN' OF THE GREEN

Seven days and counting to the wearin' of the green, St. Patrick's Day.

OK. Only one of us is Irish. But St. Patrick's Day gives everyone a chance to be Irish for a day.

The Internet provides plenty of information on how to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in style and in step with your fellow Irishmen. We talk often about how the Internet shrinks the globe, and this is a good example. In a flash we are in Ireland, learning about the holiday firsthand from the experts.

First stop, the Irish-Times newspaper atwww.irish-times.com/St.

Patricks/Peggy: The newspaper asks us to join in and tell them what we're doing to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in our part of the world.

Joni: You can find out about Ireland, Dublin and the saint. Let's look at Celebrate Ireland. You can read a message from the president of Ireland, Mary McAleese, and hear her speech using RealAudio.

Peggy: They are nice to visitors, giving us a choice of a 28.8 modem or a 14.4 modem connection. The Dublin celebration starts Saturday and runs four days, ending on March 17. You can view an interactive map of the parade route.

Joni: I think we should take the "How Irish are You Quiz?" It's a multiple choice quiz designed to separate the true Sons of Eireann from the Plastic Paddies. Are you nervous yet, Peggy.

Peggy: I'm only a little Irish, and this is current events and Irish history. Ouch, the quiz is painful. The easiest question was "Where is the Blarney Stone?" We didn't know for sure. We didnt do very well. In our rating, they asked if we even knew where Ireland is.

Joni: I don't like it that they didn't tell us the right answers. You can learn a whole lot about the Patron Saint of Ireland. On another part of the site, called The Snug, you can participate in online polls and discussion about Ireland and Irish life.

Peggy: You can also send video greetings or an e-mail message.

Joni: Not to be outdone, the Belfast Telegraph newspaper allows you to send Paddy greetings from around the world. You can post them online and in the newspaper.www

2.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/stpats/greetings/index.htmPeggy: There is no charge either. Thursday is the last day they'll accept messages to be printed in the newspaper. Currently there are 534 greetings from 35 countries, including lots from Canada.

Joni: They divide the U.S. into Atlantic Coast North and Pacific Coast North. Apparently they haven't heard of the Midwest.

Peggy: I guess they wouldn't do very well on a "How American are You?" quiz, would they. Let's travel elsewhereusacitylink.com/lucky/default.htmlJoni: Look, a pot of gold and a toe-tapping jig for my desktop from Lucky Leprechaun's Lane. The site celebrates activities surrounding St. Pat's Day.

Peggy: Learn more about limericks, trace your roots from Ireland or take a virtual visit to Ireland.

Joni: Are you ready for this -- Welcome to the Blarney Internet Castle. The person who kisses this stone is blessed with the gift of eloquence and persuasive flattery. They suggest: Lie on your keyboard and kiss it backwards.

Peggy: Well, Joni, I'm waiting. No kissing the computer monitor, I see. For the virtual tour of Dublin, click off this page or go there direct atwww.visunet.ieJoni: They call themselves Access Ireland, the smartest link to all things Irish. You can explore Ireland by clicking on the county you are interested in.

Peggy: You can also chat with others in the Virtual Irish Pub. Or you can make a stop at Clover All Over for St. Pat's history, traditions, recipes and more.www.invision.net/clover/clover_inside.htmlJoni: Check out some St. Patrick's Day history and myths. Basically they have collected links to a variety of pages about St. Patrick's Day and Ireland. What's good luck on St. Patrick's Day? Wearing green and finding a four-leaf clover.

Peggy: Clover also advertises "The Beer is Here," a list of links to beer sites online, including Budweiser. The Lucky Charm portion boasts the complete lyrics of "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall." When you click on the beer bottle, you get a picture of the number of beers.

Joni: In the recipe corner, you can find recipes for an assortment of Irish foods. Or if you are interested in Irish music, tryceltic.stanford.edu/ceolas.htmlPeggy: The site claims the largest collection of information on celtic music online and has links to hundreds of other related sites. You can also listen to music selections.

Joni: Celtic music is the traditional music of the Celtic countries, such as Ireland, Scotland and Wales. They point out that the music includes many different styles.

Peggy: I'm sure there are many more sites. What's your favorite Irish site on the Internet? E-mail us at click@semissourian.comSee you in Cyberspace.

Joni Adams and Peggy Scott are members of the Southeast Missourian online staff.