SUNDAY, Flannagan’s, 465 Main St., Dunedin
July 1, 4pm-9pm International Tartan Day
The wife woke me from a sound sleep (I work 3rd shift) to tell me there was a kilt night at Flanagan's, and some mates were calling for me. I quickly kilted up, grabbed my pipes and we headed out. There were a couple of guys from the Shriners, but only one in a kilt, but there were four of us (New World Celts) kilted, and a friend of ours was singing there that evening. I piped quite a bit, and there was a tourist there; his Dad had died three weeks ago, and he held out a faded newsclipping; his Dad was a piper in the 5th Division band during the Korean War, so I piped "Flowers of the Forest" in his memory; with the first few notes everyone in the room (at least, all the good ones) stood to.
Peter sang many of my favorites, we ate and drank, and some lads from the City band stopped in (in kilts, on their way home from a band gig), and after a few pints went out and got their pipes & drums and showed us how a Grade II band does it. At the bar, Peter observed that everyone was having a great time, but what happened to the Shriners; they’d called a party, but only two showed up? I suggested that it was no matter; we’d always found it to be sound policy to bring our own craic with us; just in case. He thought that quite funny.