Despite the celebrated drinking holiday falling on a Tuesday, Irish-blooded Charlestonians (and those who adopted the nationality for the day) began St. Patrick’s Day festivities on Saturday to ensure an adequate amount of drinking time. Green beer flowed at many Peninsula bars, including Tsunami and Johnson’s, which proudly exhibited some Irish spirit. However, with two North Carolina-based basketball teams playing games in the ACC Tournament, the optimal choice was O’Malley’s Irish sports bar. The pub and grille featured a special menu for the celebration, with classic Irish dishes such as lamb stew and corned beef and cabbage, not to mention $3 green Samuel Adams White Ale and specials on the classic Car Bomb. Recordings of Irish folk music played throughout the day, before Forth and Back took the stage later that night. Tommy Condon’s also drew a large crowd for their regular Irish folk band, Steve Carroll and the Bograts. Although the downtown bars were filled with green-clad, drunken patrons, the streets were largely quiet. It seems Charleston has a ways to go before holding its own with parties thrown in Columbia and Savannah for the lucky holiday. —Cara Kelly
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