St. Patrick's Day (Observed)

Another year, another St. Patrick's Day spent in the sunny, coastal city of Melbourne.


Yes, the Houghs once again passed the Irish holiday season away from our hometown of Clare, MI... but, as the years pass by, the less and less I find myself missing the whole Clare scene. It's really the people you're around that make the holiday awesome anyway (my family, the ol' high school gang, the infamous 1214 brigands, etc.). Besides, a lot of the 'regulars' one almost always bumps into unwillingly at the Doherty Hotel - the epicenter of all Irish activity in Clare - are people you'd rather not associate with in the first place.

I find with each passing St. Pat's I spend in Clare, I end up engaging myself in more and more small talk with such people. Frankly, I'd rather be drinking.

So this year, like I said before, we spent our St. Pat's in Melbourne, which is a solid alternative. It's thirty degrees warmer, for starters, and it's laid out better so that it never feels as crowded.

Besides, the Melbourne Irish parade had four sets of Pipe and Drum bands - from what I've gathered from my Michigan counterparts, this year Clare didn't have one.

Anyway, like last year, we rolled into Melbourne with the Voigts, and spent about five hours checking out the parade and the big blowout behind Meg O'Malley's (the Doherty of Melbourne). There wasn't a bounce house area for kids this year, which was weird; we were counting on it, as they've had one the previous two years.

This year, the Meg O'Malley's crew seems to have opted to fill that vacant space with additional beer vendors instead (not that I'm complaining). For five bucks, you could have a 20 oz of Guiness, Smithwick's, Harp, or 'Green Beer' (also known as 'Coors Lite with Green Food Coloring'). So, while the kids didn't really have much to do, at least Adam and I had something with which to keep us busy. Rock and roll.

So, without further hooplah, here's a crapload of pictures and videos from the Houghs' St. Patrick's Day Extravaganza 2011. Slainté.

- Brian

Grandma's St. Patrick's Day care package. Sadly no whiskey enclosed for yours truly...

...so I ended up buying more of the usual for myself. Huzzah.

Suited up for Shenanigans

Creepy-ass building in Melbourne, where we set up shop for the parade

Awaiting the parade

Abby's 1st Irish Fest

The Voigts and the Cannonball

Beads!

Local men in skirts asserting their right to cross dress

Who the hell wears a Hawaiian shirt to an Irish festival?!

Local man, dressed up as what I can only assume is Santa Claus. Or Gandalf.

Meg O'Malley's: Melbourne's answer to the Doherty

The lot behind Meg O'Malleys - the bounce houses this year being replaced with additional beer tents and booze wagons...

Inflatable, 20 ft. tall Leprechaun? That's just the sort of thing one should have their picture taken in front of...

...and again...

...and again.

Having our picture taken with this random guy has turned into an annual, St. Pat's tradition down here in Melbourne...

...and yes, he always has free hats.

Fin.