“Faith ‘n begorra!”

“If it t’aint me wile Irish rose!”

“Erin Go Bragh!” (“Ireland Forever” to ye Yankees.)

Mix the jolly cheers with Irish jigs, fiddle playing, laughter, folk singing, clowning, plenty of green bunting, shamrocks everywhere, and overflowing steins of beer. . . and the only thing lacking for the St. Patrick’s Day celebration on Ryan’s Hope was ole St. Paddy himself!

For the cast, taping this episode on an ABC-TV sound stage was as much fun as the real thing. In fact, for all intents and purposes, it was the real thing, from the brew to the young colleen who came over from the New York Irish Pavilion and danced along with the regular cast members to the Gaelic airs provided by a pretty fiddler named, appropriately enough, Kathleen Collins. And there was nary a threat of getting bonked with a shillelagh.

The celebration took place at Ryan’s Bar, of course, and the whole Ryan clan came out in force. Even Jack Fenelli, despite his “questionable” background, was welcomed with Celtic cheer. And there wasn’t a single snake in sight, unless one counts the devious Delia!

After the episode was “in the can,” everyone pranced home with visions of leprechauns dancing around in their heads and promised to take a shamrock to bed with them.

What the heck? St. Patrick’s Day only comes once a year!