It’s like Christmas for people over 20 and local bar managers can’t wait for the luck of the Irish to leave behind a pot of gold.
“It’s way bigger (than New Year’s Eve) for us in an Irish pub industry for sure,” said Adam McKill-Cayer, manager of Ceili’s Irish Pub downtown.
McKill-Cayer said St. Patrick’s Day brings in five times the amount of revenue Ceili’s would normally do on any given day.
The celebration starts bright and early at Ceili’s with a charity breakfast at 8 a.m.
“Legally we can’t start serving liquor until 10 a.m.,” said McKill-Cayer, before adding that people will come for the breakfast and stay for the green beer.
“From open to close tomorrow,” he said. “I’m expecting that from 8 a.m. until 2 a.m. it will be busy all day in here.”
What would a St. Patrick’s Day party be without a stop on Whyte Avenue? O’Byrne’s Irish Pub is the unofficial St. Patrick’s Day headquarters and the Guinness will be flowing all day.
“We sold 100 tickets for our charity breakfast already,” said Patrick Kelly, manager of O’Byrne’s. “At 10 a.m., we open the doors to the general public and it’s all hell-bent for leather after that.”
Kelly said O’Byrne’s is bringing in pipers and Irish dancers to help celebrate and, despite the large crowds and flowing beer, everyone tends to behave themselves.
“We’re fortunate,” he said. “We never have any trouble in this bar.”
City police are warning revellers to celebrate responsibly. Several Checkstops will be set up in different parts of the city.
“If you plan to drink any amount of alcohol, don’t drive. There is no safe amount of consumption when you plan on operating a motor vehicle,” said Sgt. Aubrey Zalaski of the EPS Traffic Section. “Not only do you risk great harm to yourself, you endanger every other person on the road.”
