MEDIA
’Tis a fine day for a pig pickin’
Fayetteville Observer Weekender
March 14, 2008
By Brian Dukes
Staff writer
’Tis a fine day for a pig pickin’
Paddy’s: An Irish Public House celebrates its second St. Patrick’s Day, Paddy’s style
If there’s one thing Paddy Gibney has learned since opening his own bar last year on St. Patrick’s Day, it’s this: if you cook it, they will come.
“Man, people love a pig pickin’,” Gibney said. “So we’ll be having a pig pickin’ even though it’s not very Irish.”
Gibney owns Paddy’s: An Irish Public House, which is tucked away in the corner of the former Wheelers location at 2606-B Raeford Road.
This year will mark Gibney’s second St. Patrick’s Day as a bar owner — a milestone he wasn’t sure he’d make when he started out.
“It’s been a whirlwind year,” Gibney said. “I was panicking this time last year. I thought I overstepped my bounds in what I could do with this thing.”
After years of playing at other people’s bars, Gibney decided to buy his own, a decision which came to fruition just in time for St. Patrick’s Day.
Gibney said he was glad to survive — and thrive — during his first year as a bar owner. He said he owes his success to a lot of people, especially fans of his music.
Gibney is one half of a duo that’s completed by violin virtuoso Bill Ayerbe. The pair have performed together for years, bringing their unique blend of dirty Irish drinking songs, humorous ditties and soulful ballads.
The pair will perform throughout the weekend, and of course on Monday, as part of Gibney’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Local rockers DL Token also will perform on Saturday, along with traditional Irish musicians.
“It’s going to be a long weekend with St. Patrick’s Day falling on Monday,” Gibney said.
For those whose weekend libations won’t be enough to celebrate the holiday, Gibney said his bar will open at noon Monday.
“There’s only one place in the world where people don’t get excited about St. Patrick’s Day,” Gibney said. “And that’s Ireland. So I won’t be surprised at the amount of people who take that following Tuesday off.”
St. Patrick’s Day is the one time of the year where everyone is Irish, Gibney said. Or at least they think they are. Gibney offered some backhanded advice for Irish wannabes.
“The best thing you can do is have corned beef and cabbage — because that’s what everyone thinks we Irish eat,” Gibney said. “And talk with a Leprechaun voice — because that’s, of course, how we speak.”
Gibney hopes people eventually stop thinking of his countrymen as stereotypes.
“At least try to spell the holiday’s name right,” Gibney said. “But I guess I can forgive people. God’s Irish, too, after all.”
