St Patrick's Day 2012

It's St Patrick's day and Jude is out with the lads celebrating the big day in the Elephant and Castle pub.

A right dodgy looking bunch they look too, I think you'll agree, wha?

So the day started off all cool, calm and collected as everyone tried to pace themselves so that they would see the end of the evening in good shape. Here in this pic are: Stephen, Marissa (Stephen's girlfriend), Jude, Ian and Ciaran.

'Here Cindy dear, sure we'll sit over here in the corner here where it'll be nice and peaceful and quiet and all.......as long as we are away from McGinn and those other clowns we should be able to have a relatively quiet day.......now you put your head on me shoulder and go a wee snooze there now', said Darren.

'Hehehehehe.......if those two edjits think it's going to be a quiet night.....well they're stupider than I thought they were', said Ciaran (McGinn). Marissa and Denise are no dozzers either, so they chuckle away to themselves too, knowing full well Darren has as much hope of winning next Month's Masters at Augusta as he has of having a quiet night tonight.

Kevin, Tom and Darragh settle in. Kevin has had a surreal week indeed for 3 reasons: 1. He arrived in Boston (on his own) on the J1IWT visa on Tuesday and met with Jude at IIIC the next day. It just so happened that Jude's work were having their St Patrick's Day quiz and party that day, so Jude invited Kevin to join in for the craic and to make him feel at home quickly. 2. Later that evening there was a total power out in the Back Bay area of Boston where Kevin was staying and he found himself in total darkness for 2 nights. 3. As Kevin needed to open a bank account Jude sent him down to his mates at the TD Bank and he found himself invited along to the St Patrick's Day fun, quickly finding a whole bunch of new friends.

'Seriously lads............a fiver says McGinn will do something daft by 8.00pm tonight', said Stephen.

'Nah......surely he'll wait until after 10.00pm', replied Caoltan.

'What do you mean, I must be missing something, sure Ciaran seems like a sensible fella to me', said Kevin.

'Lads.......my fiver says 6.00pm....he'll not stay sensible until after 6.00pm, no way', said experienced Tom.

Grainne, David and Jude enjoy the craic in the Elephant and Castle.

'Alive alive ohhhh, alive alive ohhhhh, cockels and mussels alive alive ohhhh', sang Jason and Ian.

'Aye Tom, dead on........6 O'Clock ye say, wise up, I'll be as sensible as sensible can be tonight', said Ciaran. In the middle here are Caoltan and Ciaran's girlfriend Denise.

'Here Denise, those melters think I'm going to go hog mad tonight, but they underestimate, I'm a changed man, sure I've got you to help me keep 'er between the ditches tonight', said Ciaran.

Stephen, Marissa, Jude, Ciaran, Denise, Ian and Darren all enjoy the craic on St Patrick's Day. Actually.......today was planned as a pub crawl but having nabbed this nifty wee spot in the Elephant and Castle, and after hearing of the queues to get into bars (and seeing the queue outside this particular bar), this green gang decided to hog this spot all day. And a good call it was too. So this St Patrick's Day pub crawl started here and ended here.

'But Stephen I don't understand........I went down to the TD Bank the other day and Ciaran was so professional and a model citizen.....he sorted out me account and helped me no end, why does everyone think he's going to do something daft', said Kevin.

'We're not in the bank now ye know...........just you wait and see', replied Stephen.

Marissa, Ciaran and Denise enjoy the craic.

Tom, Aisling, Stephen and Marissa pull their best St Patrick's Day smiles here.

'Here Caoltan, what time do ye reckon he'll go bananas at? asked Stephen. 'I reckon he'll wait until at least 9.00pm, sure Denise is here, she'll keep him normal', replied Caoltan.

Soon enough Ciaran was up and singing along to the music goodo, though no-one is really paying attention at this stage, apart from the photographer of course.

'I wish I was back home in Derry.....wooo ohhhh....I wish I was back home in Derry', sang the two Derry lads Tom and Ciaran.

'Thank God we got this wee corner over here Cindy........well away from those edjits.....sure this is a magic wee spot isn't it, I love it over here, it's sooo quiet....just me and you.....sure this is lovely', rambled Darren.

'Come on Caoltan, just because you're from Donegal doesn't mean you can't sing these Derry songs', says Ciaran to Caoltan. And Tom just sang on regardless, just like the great singer he is.

That's better Caoltan.

'I'm Shipping up to Boston..........', sang Ciaran.

'Here we go now......look, wha? I saw this one coming like Christmas', said Stephen.

Tom -

'Here, what time is it now?

Like seriously.........is it past 6.00pm yet?

Am I collecting on me bet?

It's wha........6.30pm, I don't believe ye, seriously? Bollocks!!!!!

Tom narrowly misses out.

'Now Ciaran, my money's on 10.00pm, don't you be letting me down now..........

Oh no.....it's too late.

Ciaran has managed to keep himself reserved for just about long enough this evening and it's time to let loose and go proper hog mad. Denise doesn't know what to do besides laugh at her boyfriend.

Darragh, Simon and Aisling enjoy the fun.

Marissa is barred from this pic as Stephen and Caoltan grab the limelight.

Meanwhile Jude is busy describing Loughgiel's win in today's All-Ireland club hurling final to Grainne and Dave. 'Here Grainne......so Liam Watson plays for Loughgiel (County Antrim), he bagged 3.7 today, bloody hell it was magic listening to it on RTE radio this morning...... imagine.......Loughgiel are All-Ireland Club Hurling Champions, I think that's amazing', rambled Jude.

Well done Loughgiel indeed.

Ahhh.....the auld 'stack the glasses' game, sure it's a classic that one. But unlike skiing....Caoltan is not very good at this malarky and within seconds the whole lot was down around him. Sure look he's trying to place two cups on one cup.....sure that's never going to work Caoltan!!!!

'I had 7.00pm, I knew he wouldn't make it past 7.00pm without going nuts........I win.....I told ye......he's nuts', said Darragh to Simon and Stephen.

L-R: Kevin, Tom, Jude, Darragh, Dave, Bryan, Simon, Stephen and Caoltan (in front) soak up the fun.

This time Darren joins in to.

But where's Ciaran?

'Here I am over here lads.........check out me cool Derry shorts.......wha?', said Ciaran.

Patrick and Darren look on as Ciaran sings another song. This time it's The Wild Rover......no not Ciaran.......Wild Rover the song!!!

'Eh Ciaran.........Ciaran.....the camera's over.....

........this way. As you can see the craic was mighty at this stage, you could say it was the perfect St Patrick's day..........lots of beer and lots of fun.

'Ciaran push over and let me in', says Patrick (in the black t-shirt). Patrick is from the States but he has folks back in Strabane.....so he's like an honorary Tyrone man, or something like that. Patrick is also the boss of the lads who work in the TD Bank on Franklin St (Ciaran, Darren and Ian).

It's funny how you travel all the way to America and your mates work out to be lads from just down the road. In this pic are l-r: Ian from Dublin, Darragh from Derry, Jude from Down and Bryan from Dublin.

After all the singing things have settled down again and the couples are in a line up - L-R, Marissa, Stephen, Darren Cindy, Ciaran and Denise.

Ciaran is kind off recuperating over there on the right......in a 'one eye looking at ye and one eye looking for ye' type of a way.

As it was so hard to decide which of these two pics were best.........both were included.

'Here Adrian, can you believe it, the bar has ran out of Coor's light and Southern Comfort, we've drunk 'em dry lad, that's what I call a party, it's like being back in Dublin, drunk it dry lad, wha? said Bryan to Adrian. 'Yeah, I know, class party Bryan......sure look I've got me shamrocks on.....sure this is magic, this is the best party ever', replied Adrian.

The star of today's show.......all round entertainer.......but dodgy Softball player.......good auld Ciaran.

'You talkin te me'. Simon goes hog mad too and also sticks on the auld Shamrocks.

Dave says 'hello' to Macy. Macy was a randomer Dave got talking to, she was from Cape Cod. Poor girl got a bit of a slagging though because the lads told her she sounded and looked like a New Yorker. 'Eh....so you're from Long Island then....that's nice, yeah that's lovely', was repeated a good few times.

Tom ran around with the Tricolour wrapped around his neck all night. Here Jude tries to borrow it for a pic.

Caoltan, Simon and Darren are still standing.....which is pretty good going considering they've been out all day.

Now Ciaran has the auld t-shirt half on and half off.....it's his latest Saturday night style......he's says it's a cool look.

Meanwhile Jude has dug out his lucky Celtics T-Shirt for the occasion.

Eh.............

'Happy Easter Juuuuude', said Bryan the Dub. 'Aye sure Happy Christmas to ye too Bryan', said Jude.

Obviously by this stage folk were starting to talk like washing machines as this conversation confirms.

Jude, Dave and Stephen at the end of the night.

St Patrick's Day 2012 proved to be a great day indeed with lots of beer and lots of laughs.

Good times.