Celebrating St. Patrick's Day with dancing, costumes and good spirits
St. Patrick's Day is a day to celebrate Irish culture. But for some, it has a deeper meaning.
Wilfred Lane, 78, has terminal cancer. His son, Eugene, says dancing every week is what keeps him going.
"He was going through chemo and that had him really sick every week. And I'd say to him Saturday night, 'Are you feeling up to going tomorrow?' And sometimes he'd be so sick he'd say 'I don't know, I'll see how I'm feeling in the morning.'" he told CBC Radio's St. John's Morning Show.
"And come the morning I'd phone him and I'd say 'What are you doing?' and he'd say 'Just had a shower, I'm ready to go,' and I'd go and pick him up. This is what's keeping him alive.
Lane was one of many attendees at O'Reilly's Irish Newfoundland Pub Friday to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
Talk about a day of celebration — one couple even got engaged.
Jen Walters and her family arrived a half an hour early to snag the best seats in the house, while Scottish singer/songwriter Paul McKenna arranged his tour so he could spend St. Paddy's Day in St. John's.
Musicians Fergus O'Byrne and Fergus Brown-O'Byrne entertained the crowd who turned up early for the pub's special breakfast.
Costumes were a plenty at the festivities, which will no doubt last well into Saturday.
