Allen Tatman is the Irish, family-focused, lover of words and their meanings who organized this year's St. Patrick's Day parade, starting and ending at Paddy Malone's Bar, a place where he calls home -- literally.
Tig Padraiy Madileoin translates to "Home Paddy Malone," which is named so after Tatman's great-great grandfather and cousin who "was like a brother" and died too early in life. They were both named Paddy Malone.
A man who knows quite a few Irish words, recalled "bóthar" in a story, which translates to "cow path" or "roads," as we call them in the states.
Stuck on a bóthar were two vehicles with obstacles preventing them from opening any door unless one backed out.
Tatman was in one of them with a priest.
"Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" yelled Tatman in frustration.
"It's OK, sometimes the Lord appreciates us getting his attention," was the priest's response.
"Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" could've been yelled at this year's parade as participants enjoyed themselves despite the lackluster weather.
"It's like every year the weather is terrible ... if it's not raining the wind is howling like a banshee," Tatman said.
St. Patrick even was in attendance -- a man dressed up in green priest garb from Springfield, Illinois. People attending the parade came from as far as Minnesota.
"People ask me, why not make (the parade) bigger? I reply, 'Well, the fire code only lets me have 99 people in the bar at a time,'" Tatman said.
When asked about the chef, Tatman responded, "We don't have a chef, we have a cook, because a chef implies an ego."
Perhaps people come because of the Guinness.
"Most places pour 60 percent nitrogen and 40 percent CO2, we pour 80 percent nitrogen and 20 percent CO2 on our Guinness -- it makes it authentic," Tatman said.
One attendee said he'd been coming to the bar for decades, back when it was known as Pat's Place. It only became Paddy Malone's in 2000 when Tatman bought it.
The parade went 1.56 miles. The trek started at Paddy Malone's then went east down Main Street and Capital Avenue, south down Madison Street, west on East High Street, and north on Bolivar Street. Start to finish, Paddy Malone's is the home of the parade.
The annual St. Patrick's Day parade celebrates Irish heritage, leaving Paddy Malone's Irish Pub and heading down West Main Saturday. (Ken Barnes/News Tribune)
Irish pride was on display at the annual St. Patrick's Day parade Saturday starting at Paddy Malone's on West Main. (Ken Barnes/News Tribune)