PUBS ACROSS Dublin were rocking last night as a host of well-known musical acts performed in 22 official venues celebrating Guinness’s third annual Arthur’s Day.
Artists included the Scissor Sisters, Stereophonics and Paloma Faith. Elsewhere in the Republic, Seasick Steve performed in Cork while Calvin Harris played in Limerick.
Information on which artists were playing where was tightly guarded by Guinness, leading to a lot of guesswork and excited anticipation for the crowds gathered in the various venues.
Awaiting the official “toast to Arthur” at 17:59 in the Bruxelles pub on Harry Street in Dublin were Gillian Flynn and Allan Keating from Glasnevin, who were hoping to see the Stereophonics or Aloe Blacc.
“We’re quietly confident about the Stereophonics,” revealed Allan. “It feels like it would be a good match. It’s a rock and roll band and this is a rock and roll pub,” he said.
Also soaking up the atmosphere in Bruxelles were John Sheehan and Sheila Molloy from Drumcondra and Ferbane, Co Offaly, respectively.
The couple had met at the original Arthur’s Day two years ago, where they said singer Imelda May had put on a brilliant show. “It was a great night,” Sheehan recalled.
The venue always had good music acts, he said.
At 6.30pm, the Stereophonics took to the stage, much to the delight of the crowd, who submitted the Welsh band to a barrage of flashing camera phones and ear-splitting screams.
Earlier in the evening, Phil Lynott’s mother, Philomena, got the party started by counting down to one minute before six o’clock for the “toast to Arthur”, where the whole pub raised their glasses, Guinness or not, and toasted the founder of the famous brewery.
Elsewhere in the capital, those who had made their way to The Bank on Dame Street were entertained by the Scissor Sisters.
“They were very good,” said Nicola Armstrong from Lucan. “We actually walked in half-way through but everyone was having a really good time,” said Nicola’s friend, Emily Dwyer, also from Lucan, before explaining her lateness by pointing out that “some of us have to work you know.”
Ronan Neacy, from Galway originally but now living in Dublin city for work, called Arthur’s Day “the new St Patrick’s Day”, as he sipped a pint of the black stuff shortly after the Scissor Sisters had finished playing.