Party leaves Irish There are those who celebrated a bit too much on St. Patrick's Day, putting them out of action yesterday and perhaps even today.
hearts a-brimmin’
Celebrants manage
By Dave Donnelly
to stay toasty warm
at events along Nuuanu
Star-BulletinThey should have heeded that old Irish toast:
St. Patrick was a gentlemanThere was much imbibing going on in and around the intersection of Nuuanu Avenue and Merchant Street Saturday, not to mention in the Irish pubs that stand across the avenue from one another, Murphy's and O'Toole's.
Who through strategy and stealth
Drove all the snakes from Ireland,
Here's a toasting to his health;
But not too many toastings
Lest you lose yourself and then
Forget the good St. Patrick
And see all those snakes again.All the setup work nearly went for nothing. It started raining at 11:15 a.m., just 15 minutes before lunch was to be served. Murphy's filled up anyway with those who had waited a long time for St. Paddy's Day and were not about to let a rainstorm get in the way of their celebration. So while it was pouring outside, the bartenders were doing likewise inside.
The fog in Nuuanu Valley began lifting just after 1 p.m., and at 1:50 p.m. the sun came out. So, too, did the multitudes. People were already bellied up to the bar in both establishments before they opened for lunch. Murphy's offered a choice of corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew and Gaelic steak, and O'Toole's menu was more modest with a corned beef sandwich in a baggie or paper cup full of stew.KPOI 97.5 had a rock stage set up at Merchant and Bethel streets, while KORL 99.5 had a stage at King Street and Nuuanu Avenue.
A duo from Seattle played Irish music in the Bankoh parking lot, transformed into an oyster bar and eatery by Murphy's for the day. And the popular Irish Hearts, who had played to a full house at the Academy of Arts Theatre on Friday night, had another full house at O'Toole's, but in another sense of the word.
Well into the afternoon, a very tall gentleman dressed like St. Patrick himself -- or at least a bishop -- stopped by Murphy's to offer his blessing on those still drinking to his memory. Many looked like they could use it.
Publican Don Murphy arrived at the scene of the sublime at 4 a.m., two hours before O'Toole's owner, Skip Naftel. Friends of both showed up early to help raise the tents, load the ice, set up the merchandise for sale and generally help people pushing Budweiser, whose presence was trumpeted by the presence of several trucks loaded with beer. I mentioned to Murphy that there were bartenders working behind the numerous bars he had set up in his establishment whom I had never seen before. "Me either," he deadpanned. Even other Irish entrepreneurs stopped by to enjoy the music, food and frivolity.Ed Greene, who owns Jameson's by the Sea and whose new Jameson's in Restaurant Row opens for lunch for the first time today, explained why he was at the block party and not at one of his eateries. "Are you kidding?" asked Greene. "I'm going to enjoy myself today."
Likewise, John Ferguson, who on Wednesday had just opened his new Ferguson's Irish Pub in the site of the old Clubhouse in the Dillingham Transportation Building, showed up. "I got a bartender working," explained Ferguson.
It was still elbow to elbow well into the morning, and you can be sure those elbows were bending as the empty kegs were rolled merrily away.
While O'Toole's soldiered on yesterday and today, Murphy chose to close down both days, and not, as we kidded him, to count his money. A mammoth cleanup needed to be done, and literally dozens of beer coolers had to be packed up along with a number of generators and removed.
It may be some time before the owners of the parallel bars on Nuuanu Avenue find out what their total take was Saturday night, but you can bet they will not see another like it for another 363 days. No wonder Murphy refers to St. Paddy's Day as "our 13th month."
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