Green is the colour: People across Saskatchewan celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

Folks across Saskatchewan celebrated St. Patrick’s Day on Friday by sipping on a cold one in honour of the Irish.

Things got started early at Shannon’s Pub in Regina, where Tom Grainger showed up to celebrate.

“St. Patrick’s Day looks like showing up to the pub at 9:30 a.m. and staying until 5 p.m.,” he said as he sipped on a pint of beer.

According to Grainger, this is the fourth straight year he has showed up at Shannon’s Pub to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

While he was at the pub early on Friday, he said he was making sure he was taking good care of himself as he was just starting on his fourth beer when lunchtime rolled around.

“I’m pacing myself,” he added.

He was sitting at the pub with a couple of friends.

While Grainger is part Irish, he says he and his friends don’t need a good excuse to go out and pop a of couple cold ones.

“Part of the family is Irish, only the good family,” he joked. “And I don’t really need a good excuse to get drunk. We (Grainger and his friends) are all degenerates.”

Grainger and his friends say they’re also regulars at the pub and meet up every Sunday. He noted they’ll be at the pub this Sunday despite also drinking on Friday.

As for how Grainger’s St. Patrick’s Day will end, he said it usually ends with a tap on the shoulder and exiting the bar.

Darryl Salisbury and Murray Wall were both enjoying their lunch and a pint at Shannon’s Pub. They were both off work for the day.

“My out of office (message) is officially on,” said Salisbury.

“This is work for me today,” Wall added.

Catherine Lee was visiting all the way from Ireland.

She’s friends with Caroline Shannon — the pub’s owner — and felt it was a great atmosphere inside.

“I usually come here to celebrate New Year’s Eve and I’m impressed. They’ve put on a good show (with) dancers (and) music. I’m here to have a good time,” she said.

“It’s hard to compete (with Ireland) because it’s a national holiday there and it’s parades all day, but I think (the event Friday at Shannon’s) is giving it a pretty good run for its money,” Lee added.

Most people said they weren’t planning too far ahead Friday afternoon and were going to enjoy themselves for as long as possible.