There’s nothing at all wrong with being Irish for a day, or a weekend (or even all year long!)and the key to enjoying and surviving a spectacular St. Patrick’s Day is to keep it simple. With such a long history of celebrating the feast of St. Patrick, Montreal may be the best place on the mainland to come out and show just how easy it really is, being green!
Here are a couple of things we recommend you do!
Go to the parade!
Montreal is a city rich in Irish heritage and has held its Paddy’s Day parade every year since 1824. Kicking off in the early afternoon, hundreds of thousands of people, from Montreal and beyond, line up along St. Catherine Street to watch and participate in one of the longest running St. Patrick’s Day parades around the world. This is a family oriented event thrown by the city and a fun way to spend a couple of hours.
Next stop, Hurley’s Irish Pub
There are hundreds of pubs in the city and while some are good, some are a little less impressive. Hurley’s is by far the best (we may be a little biased, but with good reason) and while almost every bar and restaurant chain in the city suddenly flourishes with green, this is one of the only pubs in Montreal that embodies emerald all year long. Hurley’s has been around for twenty years and they know a thing or two about having a good time, so why go elsewhere?
The way to start St. Patrick’s Day off on the right foot is to eat a big breakfast. Every year, Hurley’s gets the St. Patrick’s Day ball rolling by serving a breakfast for their early arrivals. For a day as special as March 17th, it is recommended to come on a full stomach, it’s going to be a long, glorious day after all! As soon as the breakfast is wolfed down and out of the way, grab a Guinness and let the festivities begin.
Speaking of stout, Hurley’s has over a dozen types of beer, ales and stout on tap and an incomparable collection of whiskey and spirits so you won’t be stuck for choice. As seasoned St. Patrick’s Day patrons, we recommend sticking to drinking one type of beverage (beer, beer and beer etc.); you’ll last that much longer and thank yourself the next day. Our general rule, which is often broken, is no mixing and that includes shots. Shots are evil, awesome fun but be prepared for the aftermath, should you choose to dive in.
The food menu at Hurley’s is normally quite extensive (and Murphy & Co. are pretty handy in the kitchen), but on St. Patrick’s Day there is a special reduced menu. Who needs mounds of plates cluttering up precious pint realty? We usually take turns heading to pick up our food at the temporary counter set up near the stairs. This way, one person isn’t stuck in line for too long and missing out on all the fun.
For St. Patrick’s Day, Hurley’s will be a magnificent mad house with both floors packed to the brim with people from all over the world. There will be live music all day long with their most popular band, Solstice starting in the early afternoon. Patrick, Dave, Jonathan and his kilt are rock stars at Hurley’s and they get the crowd riled up with hours of the best sounding live Irish music in the city.
If you’re out and around on the 17th and you wish to brave the crowds, drop by Hurley’s during and/or after the parade and say hi. We will be the one’s wearing green, so we will be easy to spot.
http://www.hurleysirishpub.com
go léir is fearr!
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