Popular music would not be the same without the influence of Van Morrison, the social consciousness of U2, or the refreshing, if controversial, frankness of Sinead O'Connor.

The Irish have been in the forefront of the great humanitarian efforts of the past and present. Bob Geldof organized the phenomenal Band Aid/Live Aid music benefits. The founder of Amnesty International is Irish.

But education, health care and a rich culture constitute only one side of the Irish story. Ireland is a country which achieved its independence only in this past century, through a bloody civil war. Many Irish believe that the country is not yet completely free of imperialism; violence and oppression are part of daily living for many.

Ireland's economy is stagnating. Its unemployment rate in the late 1980s was a dismal 17 percent. Many of Ireland's best and brightest have left their homeland with their superb education for 'the West,' only to be denied a home in the United States due to immigration quotas. These young people are forced to resort to living as illegal aliens, taking jobs in nursing, child care, and forms of menial labor.

Recent legislation on immigration reform will hopefully alleviate this problem. Maybe the new European Community will help encourage economic development in Ireland. But how long will it take to compensate for centuries of imperialist oppression and international neglect? These problems are probably far from the minds of this weekend's revelers, but they are an integral part of being Irish.

I AM NOT trying to be the Grinch who stole Saint Patrick's Day. I encourage the commemoration of this holiday with merriment.

I merely hope that the first thoughts conjured up by the mention of Saint Patrick's Day are not of Guinness Stout or Bailey's Irish cream.