Hundreds of people are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Portland with parades, corned beef and cabbage and other events.
With the holiday falling on a Saturday this year and sunny spring weather, the St. Patrick’s Parade down Commercial Street this morning drew hundreds of spectators to watch marching bag-pipe bands, dancers from the Stillson School of Irish Dance, Girl Scouts troops, color guards, the Portland Hurling Club players and a long line of fire engines and rescue vehicles.
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Irish native Sen. Margaret Craven, D-Lewiston, the first Irish-born state senator in the country, delivered an address at the parade’s concluding ceremony.
Meanwhile, long lines formed outside the city’s Irish bars where it was standing room only.
Standing outside Brian Boru’s in Portland, Ray Leahy drew a crowd of admirers.
Leahy, of Vassalboro, said his St. Patrick costume, complete with the legendary banished snakes and a Bible, definitely paid off Saturday.
“I am getting a lot of free beers and shots,” he said.
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