As B.C.’s number of then-novel coronavirus cases began steadily growing in March of 2020, businesses began closing their doors until the province reached a near-complete shutdown.
The first major event to become a pandemic casualty? St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. (At least the ones that didn’t take place on the snow-covered shores of Alta Lake, if you’ll recall.)
The timing of that initial lockdown served a particular blow to Whistler’s beloved Irish pub, the Dubh Linn Gate, which typically plays host to one of the most raucous St. Paddy’s Day celebrations in the Sea to Sky corridor.
“It really stung to have to close, but at the same time we were collectively in a sense of shock about what was going down,” recalled Dubh Linn Gate pub’s general manager Diane Rothdram in a message to Pique. “There was really nothing to do but send off our seasonal staff and try to manage the logistics of a forced closure.”
That was when pandemic timelines were talked about in weeks, not months—let alone years.
With B.C.'s public health orders in March 2021 including a reduced capacity, bans on live music and dancing and a mandated 10 p.m. alcohol cut-off, last year was similarly disappointing for the Whistler pub, said Rothdram. Instead, Dubh Linn Gate operated solely as a restaurant and offered “at-home Paddy’s Day packs” that included canned Guinness, Jameson whiskey and a few party favours.
“We have been waiting for two years to throw the party that we and the town are accustomed to,” said Rothdram.
That highly-anticipated party will finally kick off this Thursday, March 17 at 10 a.m. The pub is also bringing back its eggs bennies as a special feature until noon. (Pre-pandemic, this dish would be considered a staple rather than a special, but the pub hasn’t re-opened for breakfast since COVID-19 closures.)
And yes, the festivities really will get rolling before noon. “We tend to see a first wave at opening when people meet before heading up on hill,” explained Rothdram. Local duo Ruckus Deluxe is scheduled to hit the stage at 2 p.m., where they’ll perform a series of afternoon sets until 6 p.m. The band—or “March 17th’s hardest working musicians,” as Rothdram described them—will return at 8 p.m. and play well into the evening.
One thing you won’t find at Dubh Linn Gate this week? Green-hued brews.
“Green beer is travesty,” declared Rothdram. “It’s not done in Ireland so it’s not done here. If you want to Irishify your pint, have a Guinness.”
More than a few patrons abide by that sage advice each March 17, according to Dubh Linn Gate’s records. On St. Patrick's Day in 2019, the pub drained 22 kegs full of Guinness. That’s more than double what Dubh Linn Gate will sell on a typical busy Saturday, when it will go through about nine kegs, noted Rothdram.
Though Guinness might be authentically Irish, many so-called Irish traditions intended to celebrate the Emerald Isle on March 17 originated on this side of the Atlantic: the parades, drinking and general debauchery associated with the holiday in North America, to name just a few. (Also, dyeing rivers fluorescent green. Looking at you, Chicago!)
The holiday honouring Ireland’s patron saint originated as a religious celebration. According to the History Channel, Irish laws even mandated that pubs be closed on March 17 up until the 1970s.
Even still, Canada’s link with Ireland is made up of more than an appreciation for Guinness and the liberal use of green dye. According to Statistics Canada’s 2016 Census, 13.43 per cent of the Canadian population (or about 4,627,000 people) claim full or partial Irish ancestry. And with restrictions on socializing lifted after two long, treacherous years, if there’s anything worth celebrating, it’s the fact that we can do so again.
In Whistler, “Paddy’s Day [at Dubh Linn Gate] is a vibe, very high energy and celebratory,” said Rothdram. “It’s our favourite day of the year and until 2020 was a tradition for many locals and tourists alike. We look forward to welcoming them back for a long overdue party."
