Muted St Patrick’s Day on Costa del Sol but still enjoyed by many

By Marcos Javier Poyastro • Published: 18 Mar 2021 • 10:52

Harbour Restaurant

AFTER last year’s will it, won’t it happen, everyone knew that there would be no St Patrick’s Day parades in 2021.

The Irish Embassy in Spain arranged for a number of seminars and special programmes on the internet, but it was very much left to bars and restaurants on the Costa del Sol to do their own thing.

Irish brands such as Guinness and Magners made sure that there were plenty of green hats and t-shirts to hand out to those who wanted a drink, a bite to eat and enjoy the craic.

Just over a week after re-opening, the Harbour Restaurant in Marbella owned by Marc and Penny Quinlan sold out completely as guests arrived in green outfits and enjoyed a very Irish lunch with a very good singer who knew all of the most popular songs. This is the 18th year that Marc, who hails from Dublin, has hosted a St Patrick’s Day lunch, for years in their iconic Becketts restaurant and now at the Harbour.

Also in Marbella is the Claddagh Bar which has in the past organised St Paddy’s celebrations, both in its premises and on the Paseo Maritimo with plenty of the ‘black stuff’ and a number of Irish musicians and dancers.

Another of the Costa del Sol’s great Irish hangouts is Harmons in Elviria and it too had a great musician on hand to entertain customers, many of whom were dressed in green, enjoying a selection of Irish specialities. Married couple, the Gogs, might hale from Scotland but with their Irish chef and a good supply of both Guinness and Magners as well as plenty of hats and no less than 60 great Irish pub songs, they were more than prepared to cope with an influx of customers ready to enjoy a drink, some hearty stew and much more.

Whilst their bar and restaurant The Blarney in La Cala de Mijas was busy, so was Biddy Mulligans just round the corner which also had a musician to entertain customers, although sadly, they were unable to organise their usual St Patrick’s Day Parade. No matter what the restrictions, everyone managed to enjoy the day whilst observing social distancing and hygiene rules.