In March, everyone is O’Happy to be Irish. St. Patrick’s Day may be one of St. Pete’s most beloved holidays, with tents popping up at O’Keefe’s and Mickey Quinn’s. Shamrock-sporting, green Harp drinking party animals celebrate like they just found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But sadly, St. Pete Beach’s legendary Harp and Thistle Pub no longer graces Gulf Blvd. Happily, owner Patricia Ann Harris Packer’s new book, “Home is Where the Harp Is,” will illuminate our memories like a leprechaun dancing in your dreams.
The vivacious Miss Pat is still the life of the party. For 18 years, the Pub was the Irish heart of the beach. When her hubby Bob passed, the best little Irish Pub in Tampa Bay closed in 2002. You can find her dancing the light fantastic with her beau, Frank, at the St. Petersburg Coliseum.
Her sense of humor, priceless. Everyone has a Miss Pat anecdote or bon mot. “When Irish eyes are smiling,” says the caption under her book’s photos, you wonder what they are up to now. From humble beginnings, as a child of the Great Depression and World War II, Pat Packer lived through the good times and the bad, as have many others. She was married at a young age, raised five children, and managed to live through the unexpected loss of one of those children to a tragedy. Packer, as a successful business owner, built two authentic Irish pubs from scratch: McCarthy’s Party Detroit, Michigan, and The Harp & Thistle in St. Pete Beach, Florida.
Through tears and laughter, ups and downs, and her unwavering faith in God, Miss Pat tells her story of fortitude, joy and family that is not just blood, but shared happy experiences and friendships made at The Pub. Celtic music and Irish performers played The Pub and international visitors donated currency for the decorative shadowboxes. (Remember Clan na Gael, Penny Whistle, Seven Nations and Mike Daly performing Danny Boy with Paul Duffy?)
Miss Pat ‘s patriotism is legendary. She attended the August 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa. On Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day, the Harp & Thistle thanked the military for their hard work, serving a free drink with snacks and encouraging them to bring pictures and memorabilia. Grandkids were welcome, and coloring books, balloons, checkers, chess and darts kept them occupied under their parent’s watchful eyes. The Harp and Thistle’s warm apple cider and cinnamon stick was always a big hit with the little ones.
Her secret motto? “Just for today, I will adjust myself to what is and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my luck as it comes and fit myself to it,” says Miss Pat.
For a copy of “Home Is Where the Harp Is” go to Amazon:: http://www.amazon.com/Home-Is-Where-Harp/dp/1504934075) . For another great St. Patrick’s Day read, check out retired engineer and Treasure island resident Tom Gallen’s “Donegal Generations” about life in Ireland.
By Nanette Wiser – Writer for Paradise News