IOWA CITY — A room full of smiles and shades of green were the first things people saw when walking into the new Social Hall at St. Patrick Church on Saturday, March 6. Approximately 450 people came to party and test their luck at winning a pot o’gold at the parish’s St. Patrick celebration.
St. Patrick (Dan Daly) and bagpiper (Troy Sheehan) greeted visitors at the entrance. Tables laden with potluck fare as well as corned beef and cabbage, chicken and hot dogs were waiting for guests to partake. Desserts of all kinds enticed those walking by to take at least one on their way to their seat.
Nominees for Irish royalty were crowned by former Mothers of the Year winners. With a bit o’ Irish luck, both Lorraine and Jim Werner were crowned queen and king, respectively, with Maggie Doyle and Luke Jensen crowned Irish princess and li’l leprechaun. They each received their crown, sash and a pot o’gold full of prizes and led the party-goers through the food line!
The Irish choir sang and kept everyone’s eyes a-smiling while waiting their turn to fill their plate. Husband and wife team Al and Aleta Murphy made hands clap and toes tap with their Irish music played on the fiddle and guitar. Kids enjoyed a bean bag toss, duck pond and several other games in the lower level gym and received a bag full of prizes and a temporary tattoo.
Before everyone followed the rainbow home, they waited and watched anxiously to see if their name was drawn by Father Rudy O’Juárez to win one of 11 pots o’gold filled with prizes by the different church groups and commissions and business donations. Even those who didn’t win were seen laughing and smiling as they left. ‘Tis no blarney, a great time was had by all!
