Patrick was a gentleman, came from decent people
Built the church in Dublin town, and on it put a steeple
His father was a Gallagher, his mother was a Brady
His aunt was an O'Shaughnessy, his uncle was a Grady
The Wicklow hills are very high, and so's the Hill of Howth, sir
But there's a hill much higher still, much higher than them both, sir
On the top of this high hill St. Patrick preached his sermom
Which drove the frogs into the bogs and banished all the vermin

The alarm went off at 3:15 am, yes you read that right. I was meeting Chris and Greg for the 5:10 train from Albany to New York City. We arrived in the city and walked out to the street from Penn Station and what is the first thing I see? The US Post Office building. The one with the motto carved into it. We walked over to Times Square and then to McNeill's pub for breakfast. I started with a cup of tea to warm me up a bit but when they brought out our Irish breakfast ( eggs, bacon, potato's, sausage and beans, black pudding and toast) I ordered my first glass of Harp of the day. We finished eating and had time to kill so we went downstairs to the bar. What a great place. Two fine bartenders, one from County Caven and the other from Tipperary. We drank and sang along with the music as we met other people celebrating the day.
Around noon we started to walk the few blocks over to 5th Ave. The Parade starts on 44th street and we were lining up on W46th. Crossing 5th Ave. was a chore, the parade had already started and barriers were all over the place. We had to walk up to 47th, cross there walk through the hundreds of firemen waiting on 47th till we got to 6th Ave then back down to 46th and past the police barriers. There were many groups waiting on 46th street. I was standing with Chris when I was bumped into by some guy walking past, he doesn't say a word. No excuse me or pardon me or anything. He takes a few steps past me and turns around laughing, it's Tim Ryan from Albany. We both laugh out loud and head into Mc Ann's Bar where Tim and his friends were. Greg had walked in there to use the men's room saw the Albany Limerick jacket on a guy and started a conversation. When Tim asked if Greg knew me he said, "Yeah, he's outside"
Well we stayed there for a couple of hours till it was our time to step off. The Parade is fantastic, it just goes on and on. People lining the streets in every kind of outfit you can imagine. We marched up to the end of the Parade at 88th Street. It was now around 4:30 and we needed a place to go. Off to the Kinsale Tavern on 3rd Ave between 93rd and 94th streets. This was a great place, good food, cold beer, a dj playing all kinds of music. A few of the crazies that had too much to drink but what can you do about that. It was now after work hours so people that had spent the day working were just heading out . The only downside to the Tinsale Tavern was, and it's hard to imagine I know, but some of the people from the County Cork group started to.......dare I say it......I must. They started to dance the electric slide to a Rolling Stones song.



I just wanted to give you time to let that sink in.

Chris had been in contact with a friend all day and she was at The Blind Pig with her friends so we decided to head there. We had no idea what to expect in a bar called the Blind Pig. We took a cap the seventy or so blocks and the place was packed. The reason for the big crowd was the band Celtic Cross. What a great band. Tim and his friends changed their plans and headed to Penn Station for the 8: 20 train home. Greg, Chris and I stayed till the 10:45 train. We arrived back in Albany a little after 1 am. By the time I got home it was two o'clock, just 23 hours after I had gotten up to start the day. All in all we had a fantastic time and are planning to do it all again next year. I hope we can talk some other people into joining us, it was fun.

here are some photos from the day http://picasaweb.google.com/saratogairish/NYCStPattySDay#