Things You Need to Know About Ireland's Four Fields

A stand outside Ireland's Four Fields offers last minute touches for your St. Patrick's Day getup. (Fritz Hahn/washingtonpost.com)

10:50 p.m.: 1. There are TV trucks outside, transmission masts reaching to the heavens, as local broadcasters "capture the scene" in Cleveland Park.

2. There's a pretty long line.

3. At the end of said line, on the edge of the sidewalk, is a temporary stand selling strings of green beads and shiny shamrocks, St. Patrick's Day T-shirts, "Kiss Me I'm Irish" buttons, green Nationals hats and other holiday paraphernalia. Great idea -- it should be like printing money. I tried to talk to the proprietor, but she asked me how much I would pay her for an interview.

4. The pipe and drum group onstage is really, really good, but there's a huge crush around the bar. At least the lack of furniture makes it a little bit easier to move around.

-- Fritz