Are you Drunk Yet?

Back in March, I turned 35 years young. Because my birthday falls in March, right around St. Patrick’s day I wasn’t sure I would be celebrating much. That all changed, however, when I heard about Jason’s idea – He wanted to try to set the Guinness World Record for the largest number of people in a Pub at one time dressed as Leprechauns.

Strangely enough, that world record attempt fell ON my birthday.

Leprechaun girls in the courtyard

Figuring that it would be a hoot (what did you do on your 35th birthday? I helped to set a Guinness World Record) and something that only comes along once in a lifetime (as well as a great way to usher in officially being middle age), I went out and bought a Leprechaun hat with a beard, a green sweater, and recruited some friends to go with me to the pub.

Tony, the Scottish Leprechaun

The event was held at a place called The Living Room, and we needed about 200 people dressed in costume to meet the World Record requirements. There was press coverage here in Ireland of our attempt, and let’s just say that it was a bit surreal – people walked in looking like regular individuals and walked out looking like…bizarro, drunken, leprechauns.

Jacqui the English Leprechaun

There were two amusing things about the evening. 1) In the beginning, we were having alot of trouble getting people to be Leprechauns. After much convincing, we got one of the Judges to dress up:

2) Without even trying, I went up and signed the book, commenting to Jacqui how neat it would be if I were the 35th Leprechaun on my 35th birthday. We were split up in the jumble of people – and she was number 31. When I went up to sign the book, I wound up being number 35, purely by co-incidence. When I told the folks handing out the numbers, they thought it was pretty awesome too!

Yes, I was really Leprechaun #35, as luck would have it! How cool is that?!?

In the end, this little Leprechaun did manage to participate and help Ireland to get the Guinness World Record which was temporarily held here in Ireland – for about 12 hours – with 210 leprechauns:

Pondering the state of Leprechaun Life

The problem, of course, is that as March 17 hit around the world, the record was broken – by Jay Leno on the Tonight Show in the USA – with only 224 people.

It was a good birthday anyhow -and, despite the record being now held by the USA (USA! USA!) instead of Ireland – I couldn’t have wished for a better time!