Timmins was celebrating the green Thursday night as residents flocked to establishments like the Grandview Tavern in Schumacher to raise a glass of green beer and sing some classic Irish songs in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.
Even the ghost of old Frederick Schumacher himself was decked out in green or so many of the celebrants said after quaffing a couple of mugs of green beer.
The evening’s Irish melodies were supplied by Killarney Jones and the Blarney Tones composed of local musicians Rob Parsons, on guitar and vocals, Lee Hannigan on mandolin and harmonica, Art Papone on drums, Brian Jones on tenor saxophone, Jack Larabie on bass and Jason Dagg on piano.
According to Parsons the band had been together all of 20 minutes, but their enthusiasm was infectious as they bathed the St. Patrick’s day merrymakers with plenty of Irish songs to keep them dancing a jig in the aisles.
“The band is called Killarney Jones and the Blarney Tones and we got official stamp of approval from the Irish embassy that it is a very fine Irish name for a band,” Parsons said.
“Tonight will be a celebration of not only all things Irish, but all things Schumacher and Timmins,” he added.
The band opened up with Whiskey in a Jar and through the night they played classics like The Gypsy Rover, Drinking Whiskey to Night, Cockles and Mussels, Johnny We Hardly Knew You (better known as When John Comes Marching Home) and the Unicorn by the Irish Rovers.
Alluding that there was no cover charge for the St. Patrick’s Day merriment at the Grandview Parsons informed the crowd - “We are going to play a lot of songs tonight that we are going to learn next year but don’t complain - you get’s what you paid for.”
In addition to the Irish songs the pace of the evening as kept lively and lighthearted by the jovial bantering between Parsons and Hannigan.
At one point Parsons chided the audience because his applause meter (that he kept on his music stand) showed that they clapped louder for Lee Hannigan than for himself.
“Now come on I want you to start cheering more for me,” he quipped.
To which Hannigan replied: “I had purposely toned down my charm, I guess I will have to turn it up for real now.”
The crowd loved every bit of it and some even got up to dance in the aisles
The bar and wait staff was kept hopping.
A good time was had by all.
And for a band that consisted of two Englishmen, an Italian, a Welshman, an Australian and one Irishman - Lee Hannigan - Killarney Jones and the Blarney Tones really put on the Irish last night.
“We are a living example that world peace is possible,” chimed Parsons.
