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Get Away

Paint the town green

By SHARON KENNEDY WYNNE
Published March 16, 2006

What kind of luck of the Irish is this: a holiday that's flush with green beer and cocktails falls on a Friday this year. That makes it awful easy to be green this St. Patrick's Day.

"It's very lucky for us because when St. Patrick's Day falls on Wednesday we do big business, but we lose our Friday," said Barry O'Connor, general manager of MacDinton's Irish Pub in South Tampa. Every club in town may be celebrating, but O'Connor insists that people prefer old-school Celtic pride on that day. "There's no such thing as green beer here," he said.

Some suggestions for Irish fun:

Irish pubs

O'Keefe's Tavern

1219 S Fort Harrison Ave. Clearwater; (727) 442-9034.

Nearly 500 pounds of corned beef and 200 kegs of beer will feed a crowd that spills outside to a block-long party zone under a tent. They start things off today at 5 p.m., and take up the clover again at 11 a.m. Friday. There's a $5 cover both days.

Fitzgerald's Irish Tavern

5811 Nebraska Ave., New Port Richey; (727) 816-9092.

Make-believe "Irish Wake,'' 7 p.m. today, and until closing at 2 a.m. Friday. Big tent for dining and dancing from 11:30 a.m. Friday to 2 a.m. Saturday.

MacDinton's

405 S Howard Ave., Tampa; (813) 251-8999.

South Tampa's largest Irish pub opens at 11:30 a.m. Friday, serving an array of Irish food until 10 p.m. The music (and $10 cover charge) starts at 2 p.m. with Irish dancers, the Dunedin Pipe Band, E/phonick, Quick Shot Paulo and Orpheus.

Foxy O'Toole's

8585 Ulmerton Road, Largo; (727) 531-7373.

They do it big at this venerable Irish sports tavern with a huge tent, extra parking and a band starting at 4 p.m. They are known for their great corned beef. No cover charge.

James Joyce

1704 E Seventh Ave., Ybor City; (813) 247-1896.

It sits discreetly on top of the Green Iguana in Ybor, but it feels worlds away. Come for the beer selection and dart board if nothing else.

Courigan's

1 Beach Drive SE, St. Petersburg; (727) 551-9019.

Courigan's has live music with Wayne Gladney from 8 p.m. to midnight.

MacDaddy's International Irish Pub

11024 State Road 52, Hudson; (727) 856-1221.

Irish music, dancing and karaoke, corned beef and cabbage with green beer, 10 a.m. Friday to 2 a.m. Saturday.

Grace O'Malley's

250 75th Ave., St. Pete Beach; (727) 363-4007.

The fun-loving but intimate pub serves up Smithwick's, Guinness, Harp, Bass and a shelf of Irish whiskeys. Friday, there will be singer-songwriter Brendan Nolan and the Irish folk band Guinness. Entertainment starts at noon and there's no cover charge, but the bar is selling meal and drink tickets for $20.

Four Green Fields

205 Platt St., Tampa; (813) 254-4444.

This favorite neighborhood haunt in South Tampa looks like it was transported from the Emerald Isle, complete with a selection of imports you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere outside of Dublin. On St. Patrick's Day there's an Irish buffet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. that includes shepherd's pie and corned beef for $13.95. If you just come for the music, which runs noon to 3 a.m., it's a $10 cover.

Dubliner

2307 W Azeele St., Tampa; (813) 258-2257.

They get the party started at 11 a.m. and go on until the wee hour of 3 a.m. with a special menu of corned beef and cabbage, shepherd's pie and fish and chips. Local acoustic artist Ted Wray plays the outdoor patio at 11 a.m., followed by Roberto Debourg at 5 p.m. and the headliner 2 Dollars Short at 9:30 p.m.

Emerald Bar

550 Central Ave., St. Petersburg; (727) 898-6054

The Crash Mitchell Quartet pays tribute to Florida folk legend Paddy Mitchell, who traveled with Jack Kerouac and recorded with Will McLean. He's also Crash's daddy, and Paddy was born on St. Paddy's Day. Show starts at 9 p.m.; $5 cover.

Flanagan's

465 Main St., Dunedin; (727) 736-4994.

The popular pub holds its party in the bar and on Main Street in downtown Dunedin starting at 11 a.m. Irish beer and food will be available, and entertainment is planned all day, including bagpipers and Irish dancers. There's no cover charge.

O'Houston's Irish Pub

518 West Bay Drive, Largo; (727) 584-7772.

The Largo mainstay will feature Irish entertainment all day, beginning at 11 a.m., with dancers from McKinley's School of Dance, bagpipers and live Celtic music. Cover charge is $5.

Other parties

St. Pete Shuffle

The young folks who rediscovered the sleepy downtown shuffleboard courts in St. Petersburg will make the most of St. Patrick's Day falling on their usual night for rock-fueled black-lit shuffleboard games.

Mac Perry will perform traditional Irish songs on guitar, pennywhistle and bodhran. Other local bands and "Agnes, St. Petersburg's finest green dog" will be there.

No cover charge, and no alcohol at the courts at 559 Mirror Lake Drive. The party runs 7-11 p.m.

13 Ugly Men

The fun-loving group 13 Ugly Men mixes charity with mixers at its St. Patrick's Day party from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. at Whiskey Park Soho, 720 S Howard Ave., Tampa. Tickets are $15 and that gets you Miller Lite, nibbles and entertainment. Benefits Children With Voices.

Lava at Floyd's

The Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa will play top 40 and hip-hop while pouring $2 Guinness and $2 Heineken all night. Admission is $5 at 11 p.m., $10 at midnight for ladies. Since it's an Indian reservation, last call is 6 a.m.

[Last modified March 15, 2006, 13:16:29]