PHOTO BY PAULA MULLER
Raymond and Barbara Malloy of Lynn, who met at the Porthole Restaurant in 1978, return with their family and grandchildren every year on St. Patrick’s Day.
BY GAYLA CAWLEY
LYNN — Porthole Restaurant is the place to be on St. Patrick’s Day, with patrons packing the establishment each year.
On Thursday, more than 2,000 people were expected to dine, drink and enjoy live Irish music at the Lynnway restaurant, according to the owner, Bob Gaudet.
He said the restaurant has been celebrating the Irish holiday since it opened in the early 1970s.
“We do more business today than all Lynn businesses put together,” Gaudet said.
The restaurant was prepared for the large crowd. The eatery had 1,000 pounds of corned beef, hundreds of pounds of cabbage, turnips and potatoes, three different bands and two steps of Irish step dancers, Gaudet said.
Alcohol is a common theme of St. Patrick’s Day. He said there were Irish beers like Guinness and Murphy’s on tap, along with as many as seven kinds of Irish whiskeys available. The restaurant opened at 11 a.m., was packed by noon and planned to close at 1 a.m.
Gaudet said extra staff was brought on for the holiday, including 25 waitresses and eight bartenders. Two bars were open.
“I love the spirit of the day,” Gaudet said, adding that part of his family is Irish.
Dan Hallissey, a DJ and musician, was one of the entertainers at Porthole. He lives in Dedham, but is originally from Ireland. He has been performing at the restaurant on St. Patrick’s Day for 14 years.
“Bob asked me in 2002 to come along,” Hallissey said. “At the end of the gig every year, he says, ‘we’ll see you next year.’”
Enjoying the celebration was the Malloy family, with about 20 members of the clan present, of all ages. Raymond and Barbara Malloy, of Lynn, said they met at the restaurant for the first time in 1978.
“And here we are,” Barbara Malloy said.
Lauren Malloy, of Lynn, said her family loves the Irish step dancing, the music and the food.
“We come every year,” she said. “It’s an annual tradition.”
Dave Legere, a retired Lynn firefighter, and his wife, Dotty, were also celebrating with their friends.
“We do it every year,” he said.
Meg McLaughlin, of Point of Pines, said she was celebrating with her friends. She said she enjoys the music and food, especially corned beef.
“We came to see Tommy Smith and his family play, as we always do, with all our crazy friends,” she said.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.
