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Savannah celebrates St. Patrick’s Day in springtime sunshine

Chizzy Odimgbe keeps warm before the start of the St. Patrick's Day parade, Tuesday, March 17, 2015, in Savannah, Ga. The St. Patrick’s Day tradition in Savannah dates back to the first parade held on March 17, 1824. While Savannah has been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day for 191 years, there have been at least six years without a parade. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton) Chizzy Odimgbe keeps warm before the start of the St. Patrick's Day parade, Tuesday, March 17, 2015, in Savannah, Ga. The St. Patrick’s Day tradition in Savannah dates back to the first parade held on March 17, 1824. While Savannah has been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day for 191 years, there have been at least six years without a parade. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)

By Associated Press March 17, 2015 1 min read

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) – Spring arrived a little early to boost Savannah’s celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.

Sunny temperatures hovering near 80 degrees greeted thousands of tourists and locals who turned out Tuesday for the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Georgia’s oldest city, where the celebration of Irish heritage is a 191-year-old tradition.

Many gathering in Savannah’s oak-shaded squares wore shorts and T-shirts. Matt Gray, who recently moved to Georgia from Maryland, was sporting a kilt and declared the weather “amazing.”

Bars that have seen thirsty crowds since the weekend reopened Tuesday morning for a final day of party profits. At O’Connell’s Irish Pub, bartender Dirk Hardison said business had been booming since Friday night.

Allergy sufferers paid for the nice weather. In Savannah, yellow tree pollen clung to everything from cars to sunglasses.