Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

Journal photo / Steve Szydlowski
Josh Goddard, a Johnson & Wales student, raises a glass at Fatty McGee's this morning, as the pub entwined St. Patrick's Day celebrations with a fundraiser for the Rhode Island Food Bank. Browse listings of more events around our area to mark the day.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Meghan Driscoll of Providence figured it was a good way to start the morning and celebrate her Irish heritage.

So she got her daughter Maura ready, and they went to Fatty McGee's Pub at 8 a.m. for free green eggs, corned beef hash and toast.

Driscoll, who works in human resources at Citizens Bank, wore green leggings with her outfit. Maura wore a green derby-style hat and green beads she got from the Union Street pub.

They were two of about 20 people inside a tent Fatty McGee's had set up on the street outside the pub since 6 a.m. this morning offering free breakfast in exchange for a donation to the Rhode Island Food Bank.

The festivities will continue all day with live Irish music by Fishing With Finnegan's.

General manager Jason Poisson, the resident leprechaun who with his green derby hat and green vest is the spitting image of Fatty McGee on the pub's sign, said the goal is to raise $2,000. Someone had donated $200 this morning. He figured the goal would be met by the end of the day as revelers get into the spirit.

"Once people have a good buzz on, the twenties will start flowing," he predicted.

At noon the breakfast tent will convert to a bar, but there were already revelers inside the pub.

Josh Goddard, 21, Ross Quatrano, 21, and Brandon Nash, 22, all students at Johnson & Wales University, had had their breakfast and were now onto a pitcher of green beer.

Goddard, who wore a green derby hat and lei, said he had gotten there at 6 a.m. Quatrano got there at 7 a.m. and Nash at 9 a.m. Goddard said most likely he would go to South Street in Boston to celebrate later in the day.

Nash said he would stay at Fatty's until he had to go to class at 1 p.m. and give a speech about his life. "I had a plan for the speech, but now it's gonna change," he said.

 Tags  Providence R.I.

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