Top o’ the mornin’ to yous…
St John’s Irish Ceilidh Group kicked off the March 17 St Patrick’s day celebrations at Biddy Mulligan’s Irish bar this morning.
Staff at Biddy Mulligan’s were all on deck by 6:30am today firing up the barbie and hanging orange and green balloons.
A hearty Irish Breakfast was served from 7am.
“We had a big night last night,” bartender DJ said. And they are expecting a big one again today.
Ross Boyce has been coming to St Patrick’s morning celebrations at Biddy’s Bar for the last 27 years.
Boyce was head of music at St John’s College from 1984-2008. Even though retired, he still directs the school’s Irish band.
He said he started up St John’s Irish Ceilidh Group soon after his arrival at the school. Three years later, the young musicians were ready to play their first gig.
Biddy Mulligan’s Bar has been part of the band’s regular annual calendar ever since.
“Joel Stevenson is the band leader,” Boyce said pointing to one of the fiddle players.
Stevenson now aged 21, took time off work to come and play the two-hour set with the band.
To his left is Xavia Fraser, a Year 12 student from Sacred Heart School in Hamilton East.
Pub owner/ manager Duncan Otto said would they have a live music programme all day today.
A call out from DJ at the bar has Duncan on the run again. There is another queue of a dozen people standing at the bar.
And it is only 9am.
