St. Paddy's WEEK?

Photo by Tara Merryman

This year, we are celebrating all things Irish for the entire week before St. Patrick's Day. I guess since the day itself falls in that holiday netherworld of mid-week. The festivities began the Saturday before with a parade starting downtown and ending just above Five Points South.

Bands played and dancers of all ages danced. 

 The Birmingham Irish Set Dancers. Couples from left, around to the right are:

Karen Cunningham and Ralph Crowe, Andrew Yeager and Renee Gainer, 

Eve and Gordon Graham, Roberta Stamp and Mary Bergeron.

Jasper Coal played around the corner at Sipsey Tavern then downtown at Mathew's Bar and Grill. And that was just Saturday.

Jasper Coal and the dancers from Alabama Academy of Irish Dance 

heat up the afternoon with a set of polkas. 
Ian Hoppe (yeah he's mine) on guitar
and Ryan Morrison on Highland Bagpipes. 

On Sunday, The Music Man briefly reverted to The Hunter and went south to take down his deer stands. I went to a concert by the Mairtian de Coigan Project. Roberta, Renee, Molly and I got up and danced a half set or two.

I was too busy dancing to take any pictures.

On Tuesday The Music Man and I went our separate ways, just for musical purposes. He played some chunes with his friends Jil Chambless, Dan Vogt and Kevin Nicholson, collectively known at The Vulcan Eejits down at Sipsey Tavern while I stayed closer to home and did some drumming and dancing with our old band mates, now called Hooley.

 Drumming with my old bandmates,

Me, Paul Merryman, Darcy Jones and Trent Bradford.

Thanks to Tara Merryman for the photo.

Today and tonight are a brief sea of tranquility in the madness but it will all start again tomorrow on the actual day of the holiday. The Music Man heads to Auburn to play at The Olde Auburn Alehouse with another former band mate, Scott, Miller and singer Joe Bagley. Again, I'm staying closer to home and performing with the Birmingham Irish Set Dancers at Greenbriar at Altamont retirement community. By that time I may feel like retiring!

Then again, Jasper Coal is playing at Mathew's. 
I might have to drop by for a pint.