Q: just curious...
A: It depends. In Dublin being Irish AND proud has become ok again since the 90s among government circles. So there are more parades, but these parades are predominately attended by IRish catholics in Dublin and by catholics in the partitioned part of Ireland known as Ulster.( and or northern ireland according to the unionist point of view) Theoretically the 'prods' tend to steer away from revering saints especially ones whom got rid of snakes (allegedly) and performed other miracles. I am sure some of them drink guiness on st patricks day. If you are talking about (Northern Irish protestants) in the annexed part of the island of Ireland it may be less likely. They celebrate a battle of the boyne fought over 400 years ago as it was a defeat of catholic armies heading from Dublin. They also tend to love guy fawkes night the celebration of the burning alive of a catcholic who attemted to explode a bomb under the Houses of Parliament. They also wear bowler hats (the members of the ORange lodge) They are vehemently 'anti- papist'. When you say protestant it is important to make the disctinction between presbytarian protestants and Anglican protestants; both groups being rather different in identity and outlook to the more assimilated Irish Anglican protestants who remained after the formation of the IRish free state in 1923. They have a seige mentality rather like the zionist invaders of Palestine so they prefer not to dally with the savages parties