An Irish Blessing: Jack Duggans 'feels like you're at home' on Paddy's Day

And it's the busiest day each year for Jack Duggans Irish Pub.

This year, to celebrate, the pub started the morning with a traditional Irish breakfast as a family-friendly way to kick off the day.

With more than 200 bookings, and an expected 500 to 1000 people expected from walk-ins, Jack Duggans manager Patrick Houston was ready for a very busy Paddy's Day.

And with his own Irish heritage, he was more than ready to embrace it.

"It's like our Christmas Day for the Irish," he said.

And, like Christmas, Jack Duggans was set for a day of giving, with games, prizes and giveaways on the agenda for the afternoon hours.

This even included tickets to a performance by Irish musical royalty.

"Actually, next week we have Eleanor McEvoy, she has the highest selling Irish album in history and she is coming here to play live on a world tour, so she will be coming here for that and we're giving away prizes for that," Mr Houston said.

Another prize of sorts that Mr Houston was looking forward to, was being able to see the smiles on peoples faces as he poured and passed out pints of Guinness to the dedicated Irish customers.

But these pints came with a special surprise.

"I'm training all the staff to put the shamrocks in the Guinness'. And people aren't expecting it when they get a Guinness to have a shamrock in the head, so we do that as a signature thing here," he said.

"So, I'll just have them lined up, as they do in Ireland, so that when people come in we can just hand them off."

But the thing Mr Houston said he was most looking forward to, was hearing all of the Irish folk music radiating throughout the pub halls on the day.

This included local Irish bands, as well as a bagpiper doing the rounds.

And just thinking about the music is something that made Mr Houston emotional.

"I might even start crying now, but the music, it just gets into your soul," he said.

"I grew up with these songs and hearing them now, it's just one of those things ... they're not fairy tales, they're actually Irish folk songs, talking about the traditions of the Irish and that sort of thing."

And the music is just one of the reasons that Irish born Jill Eldridge was celebrating her St Patrick's Day at Jack Duggans, but mostly, it was to have a taste of home.

After moving to Australia from Dublin in 2007, she made her way to Bathurst approximately two years ago with her husband, who hails from 2795.

Now, after having two children, the pair are passionate about ensuring the kids know all about their Irish heritage.

And according to Ms Eldridge, Duggans on Paddy's Day is the perfect place to do just that, especially considering she was able to start off her day in the proper way - with a pint of Guinness in hand.

"It just makes you feel like you're at home and that you're able to get involved, even when you're so far away," she said.

"They have it done up really well and that just adds to that homely feeling, and the Irish music, that's a big part of it too."