By Pat Maurer
Correspondent
Everyone is a little bit Irish around St. Patrick’s Day, particularly in Clare, named after Clare County Ireland. Along with the Irish events planned, the whole town’s businesses plan something special for the weekend.
For an actual taste of the Irish, there’s still time to sample some delicious food and enjoy drink specials around town during the last two days of the 48th annual Irish Festival.
Friday and Saturday
Everyone gets in the act with something “Irish” to eat or drink and some with entertainment too.
The 505 Café in downtown Clare will be serving Irish food and drink specials from 7:30 am to 3 pm.
The Whitehouse Restaurant will be open for 24 hours with Irish specials.
Just outside the Whitehouse see the “Kiss My Irish Ass” donkey kissing booth.
Both days from 8 am to 3 pm, at the Mulberry Café inside the Herrick House on the corner of Fifth and Pine Street, treat yourself to an Irish Breakfast – a Dublin Omelet & Corned Beef Hash. Then stop back for lunch – a corned beef & Cabbage dinner with the works or a Reuben Sandwich.
You can’t get much more Irish than that!
From 10:30 am to close on Friday, Ruckle’s Pier will feature a DJ, Irish nachos, corned beef and cabbage and grasshoppers. Saturday the Outdoor area will be open with green beer.
Head north about three-quarters of a mile from downtown for a Reuben sub at Buccilli’s Pizza from 11 am to 10 pm Friday, and on Saturday, a scavenger hunt that begins at 8 am, a green pizza buffet from 11 am – 2 :30 pm and 4 to 8 pm and Irish stew and Reuben subs all day.
Downtown at Timeout Tavern (corner of Fifth & McEwan) from 11am to 11 pm there will be serving Reubens, corned beef & cabbage soup and drink specials.
At the Evening Post (on Fourth Street), from 11am to 1am, there will be a full menu on Friday with green beer and a DJ beginning at 5 pm. On Saturday there will a be a DJ all day, and they will serve breakfast from 7 to 11 am, a limited Irish menu from 11am to 3pm and appetizers from 3pm to 1 am.
On Friday from noon to 8 pm, The Clare Moose Lodge (just a couple miles west of the city), will serve Reubens and drink special and feature live music by Detour from 6 pm to 11pm. On Saturday there are Reubens and drink specials beginning at noon, the Scottsville Clown Band plays after the parade, with live music by Lonesome Strangers from 4-6 pm and by Detour from 5 to 11 pm.
At the Clare Farwell American Legion (noon to 9 pm) between Clare and Farwell, on Friday there will be Reuben specials all day, Guinness, and live music by JJ & Jaimie from 4:30 to 7:30 pm. On Saturday there will be live music by the Real Deal Blues Band from 4-7pm.
From 6 pm to 2am on Friday, the Venue in Clare (on the corner of 4th and McEwan) will feature live music by Jedi Mind Trip from 7 to 11 pm and a DJ, dancing and drinks from 11pm to 2 am. On