It’s the first big party occasion of the year, and for a number of Island businesses St Patrick’s Day provides not only fun and festivities, but also a revenue boost.As if by leprechaun magic, green shamrock has begun to appear in some shop windows and bars in Hamilton in anticipation of Sunday’s celebration of Ireland’s patron saint.For Flanagan’s, Bermuda’s only Irish bar, the annual celebration dwarfs all other days in terms of business.“It is busy. We do double what we would normally do,” said Chris Garland, Flanagan’s general manager.Preparations are well underway at the Front Street bar and restaurant for the upcoming festivities, which will stretch from Thursday through Sunday. St Patrick’s Day decorations went up more than a week in advance.For Mr Garland and his staff the build-up involves ordering in extra supplies of drinks, particularly Ireland’s famed Guinness, booking live music and, if they wish, wearing some Irish-themed clothing.“We’ll have something like 20 or 25 kegs of Guinness and 40 or 45 other kegs, that’s up from our usual levels,” said Mr Garland. “We take reservations for lunch. Some people come in and sit off all day.”And the place gets busy, very busy according to Mr Garland. On St Patrick’s Day itself the pub opens its doors at 9am and will have five bartenders on duty in its main bar, and a further five manning the pumps in the adjacent sports bar.While Flanagan’s places the largest order for Guinness kegs, Gosling’s Limited, the main Island distributor of Guinness and other Irish brand drinks, is also kept busy supplying a number of other bars and restaurants.“We do see a rise in sales,” Gosling’s marketing manager Quin-Sae Smith confirmed. The firm distributes Guinness in kegs and cans, along with St Patrick’s Day party hats, balloons, T-shirts, key chains and other items to a number of outlets.“Seven of our accounts are having big events,” said Ms Smith. Among that number are the Robin Hood Pub and restaurant, Docksiders, and the two Swizzle Inns.But if it’s a leprechaun’s pot of gold you’re looking for, rather than Guinness, then look no further that Otto Wurz’s shop window on Front Street. Among the shop’s eclectic selection of sale items this month is a display inspired by St Patrick’s Day.The eye-catching pots of gold, tantalisingly spilling out their treasures, are positioned next to a selection of Irish-styled attire ready to add sparkle to a St Patrick’s Day costume.Chris Edwards, creative designer at Otto Wurz, said the shop has a few regular customers for its Irish items.“We have some fun hats and wigs and funky glasses, which I call leprechaun glasses. There are also stockings with shamrocks on them and a ‘Wild Irish Rover’ tiara,” he said.“St Patrick’s is the first real party since New Year’s. We tend to get customers walking in during ‘the week of’ [St Patrick’s Day]. It tends to be people who are getting into the spirit of it and come in to get something quickly to put on.”Summing up the enduring, worldwide attraction of St Patrick’s Day, Flanagan’s general manager Mr Garland said: “One reason is to do with the fact that the Irish are some of the friendliest people in the world. And if you are a drinker it is another reason for a party.”