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Irish family tradition passed down from father to son featuring Tucson's Saint Patrick's Day Parade

Posted at 10:18 PM, Mar 16, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-17 01:18:46-04

Saint Patrick's Day is Saturday and Irish pubs are getting ready for the festivities. 

Murphys Public Housenear Kolb and Broadway spent Friday preparing for a busy day. 

"Saint Patrick's day to us is definitely the heart of this place," said Stephanie Radspinner, the owner of Murphys. 

Stephanie and her Irish husband Adam opened the pub in 2016 and it has been a second home to them ever since. 

"There is a beautiful Irish town two hours southeast of Sacramento and that is a town named Murphys  actually no apostrophe and well in our name and it is a town so close to our heart," she said. 

One of their bartenders is no other than Saint Patrick himself. 

John Hennessy comes from an Irish family and has been Saint Patrick in the Tucson Saint Patrick's Day parade for the past five years.

His parents were born in Ireland and were married on St. Patrick's day.

"My father was the original Saint Patrick in the first parade for the first 10 years until he passed away," he said. 

When he put on the outfit for the first time he said it was an emotional time for his family. 

"I am most like my father so my mother broke down crying so it was really kind of cool, it was bittersweet because he wasn't here and in his memory," he said. 

He says every Saint Patrick's day he remembers his father. 

"He has a thick accent and was a little leprechaun and just a lot of fun to be around and brings back the great memories of being around my family," he said. 

The festivities already began at Murphys and will pick back up Saturday at 9 a.m. There will be Irish food, music, and drinks.

The Tucson Saint Patrick's Day festival kicks off at 10 a.m. and the parade begins at 11 a.m. at Armory Park.