Erin Go Bragh! “Ireland Forever”

Erin Go Bragh! “Ireland Forever” is the true meaning to this Gaelic phrase, but growing up as a kid I was told by my Father and Uncle that the meaning was “Drink until you puke”. …I kind of like the old man’s version better. Puking is never my goal when out boozing but when it does happen, it’s usually due to a random shot of a something opposite of what I have already been shooting. The random friend I haven’t seen in a while who insists of taking something odd or even me tricking myself to take a fruity shot of something besides my normal whisky in hopes that it might actually wake me up, an eye opener if you will. 

With St Patrick’s Day falling on a Sunday night I may be saving my eye openers for the day time events. Most importantly Charlotte’s 16th Annual St Patrick’s Day Parade falls on the day before. Surely I will be bellied up some where on the 17th catching a buzz immediately after waking up, but the real shamrocks & shenanigans will be coming out at the parade, one of my favorite days in Charlotte! If you have never been to the St. Patty’s Day parade, you have neglected the best Saturday afternoon party this city has to offer.

You don’t have to be Irish to enjoy the festivities on this day. But then again if you care not to drink early in the day & cringe at the beautiful sound of bagpipes this may not be the Saturday afternoon for you. My tradition of going to Savannah, GA for St. Patty’s was replaced by Charlotte’s parade years ago when age and responsibility started to kick in. Both of which will go out the window after my first beer and shot at the start of the parade. I might as well be 19 with a fake ID and no conception of what paying a bill even means. By the end of the parade, my bank account will imaginably have had thousands of dollars deposited as I insist to buy peoples drinks left and right. I may even high five a stranger, attempt to make out with my wife in public and even try a new dance move in the bar….all by two in the afternoon. Seriously, what other Saturday afternoon in the QC can you get this out of control along with hundreds of people doing the same?

Along with the parade is the worlds’, not the countries’, but world’s largest pub crawl. Rich and Bennett’s 13th annual pub crawl will be adding fuel to this green colored fire on Saturday.
The Irish corner is always the spot to be during this day; the Irish Corner to me is 5th and Tryon where you will find Ri Ra’s and my favorite Connolly’s. As a matter of fact, there’s a 99% chance that if I am downtown any, I will be in dark ass Connolly’s drinking and listening to some of the best music you’ll hear in a bar thanks to the bartenders set list.

Don’t fear there will be green beer the day of St Patrick’s Day in town that’s for sure. Downtown and the surrounding boroughs will be rocking-naturally, but off the beaten paths will be the way to stumble too. Bars close to home where you can walk to different joints and try different specials are right up my alley, especially on a Sunday. Even though every time I am on Montford Drive it feels like St. Patty’s day. Brazwell’s on Montford Dr. and a few more bars are hosting a St. Patty’s Day celebration with live entertainment and specials on Sunday starting at noon.

Parties will be held on the day of all across town; from Kennedy’s and the surrounding area bars walking distance off 7th Street, to bars throughout South Charlotte. With its Boston influence, and its’ obvious heavily Irish population, you can bet Beantown Tavern in Matthews will be throwing down on the 17th. Sheppard’s pie, bands, green beer and everything else you need and could ask for on St. Patrick’s Day will be at the Beaner. Last year, down the road at Finz Raw Bar sold record breaking pounds of proper Corn Beef & Cabbage (proper Corn Beef mind you) and will do it again this year as well as have live music and specials all day long! If weather permits, the patio at Finz will be rocking and you can walk to and from both bars.

So to all that, don’t be thrown off this year by the 17th falling on a school night, the real St Patty’s Day to me is and will always be the parade and the day time festivities throughout the weekend. Come Saturday morning I will get a good food fix out of the way to provide a nice layer to soak up enough booze to flood a small village in Ireland. As I squeeze in to my old Dropkick Murphys Tee with my age clearly bulging above my belt, I will savor the moment of this once a year tradition of not giving a shit for one afternoon…or two, actually three.

I’ll need a Bloody Mary come Monday. And with March Madness here I foresee having enough hair of the dog to make myself an entire rug this month. That’s right the good times are killing me for another reason to be passing the pen after this issue. Rushing drinks before last call has reformed to pounding them before traffic hits maybe a night cap after a dinner outing. I keep catching my pumpkin earlier and earlier each year and quite honestly I’m very content with it. Whether you have read my articles the past few years or just skipped to look at the pictures you can officially use this issue as a classic commemorative drink coaster now.

Erin Go Bragh my friends- my old man’s version that is.

Cheers!

Sean Flynn, Nightlife Writer

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