STAR-BULLETIN / 2001 Don Murphy, owner of Murphy's Bar and Grill, has celebrated St. Patrick's Day at his pub for 16 years. This year, he is working with the Special Olympics charity and will donate $1 for every pound of corned beef he sells.

Murphy’s helps give
Special Olympics
luck o’ the Irish

Toeing the line on St. Patty's Day

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By Nancy Arcayna
narcayna@starbulletin.com

Green mashed potatoes, dyed cupcakes and shamrock crowns remind me of my childhood, when on St. Patrick's Day, everything -- from the foods we ate to the clothes we wore -- needed to be green.

St. Patrick's Day Extravaganza WHERE: Murphy's Bar & Grill, 2 Merchant St. >> Today: "St. Practice Day" for those who want to practice being Irish; 11 a.m. to closing >> Saturday and Sunday: St. Paddy's Day warm-up continues; 11 a.m. to closing >> Monday: The Murphy's St. Paddy's Day bus leaves at 11 a.m. Monday for the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Waikiki parade, which starts at noon at the Waikiki Yacht Club, proceeding down Kalakaua Avenue and ending at the Honolulu Zoo. Then, at 5 p.m. there'll be a block party at Nuuanu and Merchant streets. CALL: 533-0033

My mother was not the only "green" fanatic. Some cities are known to be extreme in the wearin' of the green. The tradition of dyeing the Chicago River green started in 1962. Pollution control workers used dyes to trace illegal sewage discharges and decided that the green dye would provide a unique way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. In the '60s, 100 pounds of green vegetable dye was dumped into the river -- enough to keep it green for a week. Today, only 40 pounds of dye is used, so the river only stays green for a few hours.

In Boston, family pets can't escape a date with a bath of green dye.

Locally, 8,000 to 10,000 Irish and wannabes head over to Murphy's Bar and Grill for holiday festivities. Owner Don Murphy has celebrated St. Patrick's Day at his establishment for 16 years.

"It's like an Irish circus," he said. Tents will fill the parking lot across from Murphy's with entertainment by Shugah Daddy and Tino and the Rhythm Klub. The streets will close for a Monday block party at 5 p.m. And, of course traditional foods -- including corned beef and cabbage, Gaelic steak sandwiches, fish and chips, steamers and oysters -- will be available for purchase.

Murphy has celebrated St. Patrick's Day since he was a youngster. "There was always something going on. I grew up in San Francisco, and it was huge there. My mom would always do something funny," he said. "I also marched in the New York parade twice. It was kind of inbred into me. When I came here, I decided to start throwing a great party."

The Murphy's St. Paddy's Day bus will be a part of the Waikiki parade sponsored by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. "When the trolley is driving down the street, and you see several thousand people, primarily Orientals, all dressed in green and waving Irish flags. It's a real hoot," Murphy said.

And his cause is not just for fun. "Each year, we work with a different charity, and this year it is Special Olympics," he said.

A portion of the festival proceeds will be used to help send Special Olympics athletes to represent Hawaii in Dublin, Ireland, at the World Games in June. Murphy estimates it will be about $2,500 per athlete.

Murphy added: "It's a great day to play hooky. Come out and have some corned beef, support Special Olympics and enjoy St. Patrick's Day."

Additional celebrations

>> Hilton Hawaiian Village celebrates the Irish on Monday with the Celtic Pipe and Drum Corps performing Emerald Isle medleys in honor of the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick, in the main lobby at 5 p.m.

Stop by Durty Nellie's Pub to join in a sing-along and "drinks fit for a leprechaun."

Rainbow Lanai chef Aurelio Garcia is also enhancing the international buffet with traditional corned beef and cabbage, parsley potatoes and boiled carrots. The buffet costs $27.95 for adults and $14.95 for children ages 4 to 11.

Call 949-4321, ext. 48, for reservations or 947-7875 for more St. Patrick's Day information.

>> Chuck's Original Steak House is throwing a St. Patrick's Day party featuring "The Bawdy Songs of Don Conover" from 4 to 10 p.m. on Monday. Corned beef and cabbage, Irish Stew and dumplings will be available for purchase. No cover charge. Call 923-6111.

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Sweeneys toe the line when
it comes to St. Patty’s Day

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The Sweeney clan has been hosting large family gatherings on St. Patrick's Day for the past 25 years, with family members flying in from across the country to celebrate at Murphy's for the past 16 years.

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated at the beginning of Lent. The custom came to America in 1737 and was first celebrated in Boston. People could have the things that were given up for Lent, and no extra prayers were needed, explained Ray Sweeney, the family patriarch. "This was a day that you could do anything you damn well please. We always had a great warm feeling for St. Patrick for that reason alone. St. Patrick gave us a free pass on his day."

Sweeney grew up in California and attended Catholic school, where "one of the things that was always special was that they gave us the day off (on St. Patrick's Day). The kids in the public schools were kind of envious."

When he moved to the islands in the 1960s, Sweeney realized that there was no big St. Patrick's Day celebration. He and some friends decided there should be a big green line down the street, similar to the line drawn on Fifth Avenue in New York every March 17.

"We painted a green line down one block on Kalakaua Avenue, using water-soluble paint," he said. "We were careful not to have any cocktails before so that nothing could get us into trouble. We painted at, like, 3:30 in the morning."

Painting the green line became an annual ritual. But on the third year, a prison guard approached the group. Sweeney ran off, and the other two culprits were arrested. "When I went to bail the guys out, the desk sergeant said, 'Next time you come bail your friends out, get the paint off of your pants.'"

The parade started the following year, in 1969, and that ended the practice of painting the road. This will be the first time in 25 years that the Sweeney clan won't be marching in the parade. "People are getting older, and we are starting to tone down the celebration," he said, but he's gladdened that the parade and celebrations are continuing.

"I've been so surprised at how Hawaii has taken to St. Patrick's Day," he said.

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