St.Patrick;s Day greeted us with another fine morning. First off we visited the Irish Club in the city, apparently almost an annual duty for our nation's diaspora operating out of Perth (and maybe other "home away from home" spots around the globe). Some say that Ireland is more a concept than a place and indeed it's said that astronomers gave the name to the largest body in the Asteroid Belt for this very reason. For some other strange reason the Club reminded me an awful lot of a particular late night drinking spot back in Dublin. Maybe it was the fact that I couldn't see where the drink was being "manufactured" although it seemed to be able to manifest an appearance with no bother at all, as did large plates of "traditional" fry up, apparently in an attempt to simulate the "hardy weather" national holiday back home. Inside in the dark extreme inside of the main room, music was taking place courtesy of a beardy (like meself) on mandolin and a better looking companion on guitar (she had a sweet voice too). They appeared also to be using an accompaniment device with tapes or disks for a "fuller" sound. Full bodied and full bellied. Anyway it sounded okay, even after a couple of rounds with the "blonde in a black dress".

After a while we moved on to Bridie O'Reilly's Irish bar where we filled our faces with some "soak up" nosh to keep us right for the long day. This place was full of Irish, both real and for the day, and if you let your grip on reality relax for a moment it was easy to imagine you were installed in some emporium in the little Isle on the other side of the world. After some time soaking up both the atmosphere and that which lubricates the atmosphere, we took a break for a stroll around in the warm sunshine outside before moseying on down once again to the local in Freo. After all it wouldn't do at all not to show our faces at all there on Paddy's Day. People might start to think we were really pommies in disguise and to be sure to be sure (as the woman in Kerry said after taking the pill twice) that wouldn't do at all at all.  Here we renewed acquaintance with Fingers (I wonder does he play 25s?) and one or two more of the regulars as well as with the more mellow tones of Toohey's Red.

The Mollies headlined that night in the beer garden at the Breakwater Tavern. Another good gig was had by all and as coincidence would have it I discovered that Ray's Mam and Dad lived next door back in Dublin to a lad I shared earning a crust with many moons ago - the small world factor again.

And so a very unusual (for herself and meself) and memorable St.Patrick's Day celebration came to a grand soft landing.