A sea of green descended on Gavan’s Hotel Sunday afternoon in Quyon for the first of this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the Pontiac. Music, beer and Irish cheer were on full display in the packed dining room for the full-day event.

The building shook in time with the music as guests took to the dance floor and stomped to the beat.
Quyon native Lorne Daley was first on stage, accompanied by Kenny Daley on guitar, Lindsay Daley Glover on fiddle, Jean Côté on bass and Dean Howard on drums. Lorne performed a set of Irish tunes, including upbeat call-and-response songs and slow songs that brought couples and friends to the floor.

Event host Gail Gavan, dressed in a glittery green blazer, introduced Lorne and the group. She highlighted that the Daley family had been performing at Gavan’s since 1946.

“They’re one of the first families that ever played at Gavan’s Hotel,” she said. “My dad bought this hotel in 1946 right after the Second World War and he found out that there were a lot of fine fiddlers around here.”

One of those fiddlers was Lorne’s father.

“I’m proud to be here and glad to continue the tradition,” Lorne said to the crowd. “I want to start off with the song I learned when I was seven years old, walking down to my grandfather’s place back in South Onslow.”

Gavan also performed after Lorne, kicking off her first of many sets to come with a series of toasts to the rambunctious crowd.

Gavan shared a part of her set with the Pauline Brown Dancers. Siblings Joseph and Marigold Helferty performed first, followed by Gaia Adjermian, Nairi Adjermian and Owen Lavender who joined Joseph.

“It’s not Saint Patrick’s Day yet but we want to get a good jump on it,” Gavan said. “Because we’re good Irish people.”