The Friday File: On St. Patrick’s Day we drink 1% of all beer consumed in America, which equals 1.62 pints per/person, so drink up! 34.5 million Americans claim Irish ancestry which is seven times the population of Ireland. The total value of Irish imports to the US is $39.4 billion and it takes 40 pounds of dye to turn the Chicago River green for the St. Patrick’s Day parade.