All-day party? Ah, luck of the Irish

Polly Mortimer adjusts the balloons at The Rose and Shamrock pub, Havelock North, in preparation for today's St Patrick's Day celebration. Photo/Warren Buckland

Hawke's Bay's Irish population, and those claiming to be Irish, will celebrate Saint Patrick's day at several establishments across the region today.

Napier's The Brazen Head Irish Ale and Coffee House will open its doors at 9am for an Irish-themed breakfast to be accompanied by an endless flow of Guinness and Kilkenny.

Pub manager and owner Kevin Alexander said live music will begin from 4pm, with traditional Irish music and band, The Shenanigans, playing until 11pm.

He said a number of prizes and a special menu will commemorate the day.

"We will have a barbecue to give away, a special Irish dip and a best-dressed competition will also be held."

He said bangers and mash with red cabbage will be served, while traditional Irish meals like a stew and a Saint Patrick's day Brazen Head special, a green lager, would also be available.

In Havelock North, the Rose and Shamrock Village Inn will also be open for an Irish breakfast.

A band will play later in the afternoon with spot prizes and games on offer.

A Rose and Shamrock employee assured Hawke's Bay Today the Irish stout and lagers would not run dry.

Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is celebrated annually on March 17, the date of the death of the most commonly-recognised patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick.