St Patrick’s Day may be all about the Guinness for some, but for one of the oldest Catholic schools in the country, it is a day of celebration for fathers and sons.

The annual St Patrick’s College Big Boys’ Breakfast is dedicated to the Wellington school’s namesake and for Phil Love and his sons Sean (year 13) and Adam (year 11), it’s an opportunity to get together and chat.

“It really is a time for dads and sons to get together, have a natter and to see your sons in their working environment and interacting with their friends,” says Mr Love.

The breakfast starts off a day of activities for the students, who eat green ice blocks and bus from the college grounds in Kilbirnie to St Mary’s of the Angels on Boulcott Street, where they celebrate a mass.

The event has grown in the past five years and is now one of the parents’ association’s main fundraisers, contributing to the college’s property development fund.

This year’s guest speakers were local actor Tim Gordon and Martin Snedden, chief executive of Rugby New Zealand, who spoke mostly about the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Taking on the traditional role of cooking in the kitchens mothers spent the early hours of St Patrick’s Day morning cooking 700 sausages, 360 hash browns and making 60 litres of coffee.

Mr Love – a St Patrick’s Silverstream Old Boy – has been to the breakfast with his sons every year for five years and says he has another five years to look forward to as his youngest son Alexander will be in year 9 next year. 

The Love family has shared the breakfast with grandfathers and uncles. 

“It’s one of the premium events on the school calendar,” says Mr Love. Meeting other dads is an important part of the day.

PICTURE:  Phil Love and sons Adam (left) and Sean kicked of St Patrick’s Day with a big boys’ breakfast.