It's not hard to find a shamrock and it's not hard to find good corned beef and cabbage, either. Here are some Rockford spots serving the Irish-American tradition.
Due to cultural shifts, expectations of personal space, and of course, a harassment lawsuit, I wasn't too worried about being pinched if I didn't wear the color green today. Getting a good pinch for making the poor sartorial choice of non-green clothing was a standard punishment back when I was in school, but now it appears that tradition has gone the way of the dinosaurs.