Songs of Wild Colonial Boys
By Scott Smith in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 17, 2005 3:42PM
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you know that today is St. Patrick’s Day. Yes, Chicago has a large Irish population and its history is dominated by the contributions of one particular Irish family. But like all other cities in the U.S., today is the day when anyone who’s worn a green shirt while eating a potato and watching a Colin Farrell movie will lay claim to a little “Irish” heritage.
Chicagoist has always believed that you can immerse yourself in a 
culture by absorbing its arts. With that in mind, we present an abbreviated listing of free Irish musical acts in and around the city today.
The Abbey Pub’s “Best St. Pat’s Fest” starts at 1 PM today (despite what the website says) with a seven-act lineup featuring two shows from the Spriorad Damasa Irish Dancers and a host of bag pipers. Tickets are $10 at the door. For the suburban lunchtime crowds, Aidan O’Toole plays the Ballydoyle Irish Pub in Downers Grove and Glen Ayre entertains the folks at Molly Malone’s in Forest Park.
At Chief O’Neill’s on Elston, the breakfast buffet is hopping until noon. A heated beer tent will have variius bands throughout the day. Keep the barstool warm until 6 PM for O’Neill’s Ceili Band and Morgan Fingleton at 8 PM. Dave Dunne and Blackwater play Gunther Murphy’s with the Spriorad Damhsa Irish Dancers (who are going to have one busy night) at 7 PM for the one-Guinness price of $5. And if you’re looking for authenticity you can’t go wrong with tonight’s show at Martyr’s featuring actually-from-Ireland acts like Gan Bua with Tim O'Shea and Mike O'Connell.
Finally, the Sheela Na Gig Irish Band is in residence on Thursday nights at Davenport’s until March 31st. Tickets are $8 and there’s a two-drink minimum. Like that’s going to be a problem.
Once all the dust settles and your hangover drifts away into the loman, consider sitting down for Omagh at the Gene, part of the European Union Film Festival. Winner of the Toronto Film Festival’s Discovery Award, Omagh is based on the true story of a father’s fight for justice after a Real IRA bombing claims the life of his only son. Show starts at 6 PM.
Do try and put off the start of your drinking until at least 11 AM. Then if you catch any hell for it you can tell ol’ Frances Willard that it’s 5 o’clock in Dublin.
Image: ganbua.com