St. Patrick’s Day in Birchport

Summary: Kerri, Flynn, and Kate celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

“Over here!” Kerri waved as she saw Kate walk into Shipwreck Sally’s.

Kate hurried over to Kerri and Flynn’s table. “Time to party!” She eyed their mugs of green beer. “Hey, you started without me!”

“We live closer, so we got here sooner. And we’re in a bar on St. Patrick’s Day. You expect us to sit here and not drink? It’s tradition!” Kerri picked up her beer and took a sip. “Besides, it’s not like we drank all the alcohol in the place. There’s plenty behind the bar.”

“Be right back!” Kate turned away and headed to the bar to order a drink.

Kerri looked to Flynn. “Did Kate ever tell you about the St. Patrick’s Day party we threw freshman year?”

“No, but I can imagine. Two Irish redheads? How could you not party?”
“It was in our dorm room. We made balloon shamrocks and hung them on the walls, and of course got lots of alcohol. Good thing we had fake IDs. We put green food coloring in the vodka. We also had whiskey, Baileys, and some other stuff. Our room was packed. Kate was pinching anyone who didn’t wear green.”

“I can picture that.” Flynn turned towards Kate as she approached. “Two drinks?”

“I couldn’t decide between green beer and Irish coffee,” Kate explained. “So I got both.”

“Damn, now I’m craving one.” Kerri stood up. “You want one, Flynn?”

“No, I prefer my whiskey straight.”

“Suit yourself.” Despite the crowd, she managed to get the bartender’s attention. When she returned to the table, she set her drink down and passed a glass of whiskey over to Flynn. “You didn’t say you didn’t want this.”

“You’re a bad influence.” Flynn chuckled as he took the drink.

“And you love it.” Kerri placed her hand on Flynn’s thigh and stroked it gently, slowly moving downward.

Flynn grinned at her. “Oh, yeah.”

Kerri turned to Kate. “Those pictures of Rachel that you posted on FaceSpace were so cute!”

“Thanks. I couldn’t resist dressing her up for St. Patrick’s Day.”

“Did you see my article in the Birchport Banner today?”

“Yeah, I liked it! The only Birchport history anyone ever hears about has to do with the Sterlings. It was nice to learn more about the Irish who lived here.”

“I thought it was important to tell the stories of the working-class people. St. Patrick’s Day seemed like the perfect time to write about the Irish immigrants who settled here.”

The three of them chatted and drank for a while. Then Flynn reached down and picked up his guitar case. “Time to play.” He and Kerri stood up.

“You’ll be great!” Kate told them.

They set up, and then Flynn spoke into the microphone. “Hello, and happy St. Patrick’s Day! I’m Flynn O’Malley, and this is Kerri Fitzpatrick. Tonight we’ll be singing some traditional Irish songs for you.”

In Dublin’s fair city
Where the girls are so pretty
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone
As she wheeled her wheelbarrow
Through the streets broad and narrow
Crying “cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh”

Flynn and Kerri traded verses on some songs. Other times, one would sing lead and the other would harmonize.

Oh, as I went home on Monday night
As drunk as drunk could be
I saw a horse outside the door
Where my old horse should be
Well, I called me wife and I said to her
“Will you kindly tell to me
Who owns that horse outside the door
Where my old horse should be?”
Ay, you’re drunk, you’re drunk you silly old fool
Still you cannot see
That’s a lovely sow that my mother sent to me
Well, it’s many a day I’ve traveled, a hundred miles or more
But a saddle on a sow, sure, I never saw before

They sung all the verses of “Seven Drunken Nights,” including the last two raunchy ones. The patrons in the bar cheered raucously. Kate climbed up on the bar and started dancing.

After their set, Kate ordered Irish Flag shots for the three of them. They raised their glasses and clinked them together. “Sláinte!”