Descendants of Daniel O Callaghan celebrate 100 years since his arrival in Australia from Ireland. Back row: Gary Cream, of WA, Shannon and Lisa Mansell, of Newnham, Kevin and Susan Cream, of Norwood, and Gary Tingly, of WA. Front row: Tanya Cream and Wayne Otway, both of WA.
Orange beards, green hats and dark ruby Guinness were the theme at the Launceston hotel Irish Murphy's yesterday as it filled with hundreds of customers celebrating St Patrick's Day.
While many took the day as an opportunity to dress up, one family had special reason to celebrate.
Kevin Cream, of Norwood, said the day had been a good chance to celebrate the passage of his ancestor Daniel O'Callaghan 100 years ago.
Irish-born O'Callaghan arrived in Western Australia from London in 1913 on Ajana.
Two months later he was joined by his bride-to-be, Elizabeth, and the pair wed in 1915.
The pair went on to have seven children, resulting in what Gary Cream estimated to be 500 descendants.
''We're having a reunion with everyone in Western Australia later in the year,'' Mr Cream said.
The pub was filled with the sound of live music and offered free face-painting and spray-on tattoos for children during the day.
The Irish cultural holiday is the pub's biggest day of the year, according to manager Matt Turale.
''It's our chance to celebrate what we're about and every day of the year leads up to it,'' he said.