It was the luck of the Irish, they were saying around Washington as the capital emerged from days of snow and sleet into what the amazed forecasters called "brilliant sunshine" and temperatures up to 21 Celsius. The early morning TV programmes were telling the partygoers to call "Sober-ride" if they had celebrated the feast day too well and they would get a free taxi home.
There were plenty of parties. The Vice-President, Al Gore, wearing a green tie, started with breakfast paid for by the Irish-American Democrats who are backing him for president in 2000. The usually stiff Gore cracked jokes and clapped hands in tune with the Irish jigs played by a folk group.
Mr Gore had more fun than UUP leader David Trimble, who had to face the media early in the morning in the National Press Club and answer tough questions.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, was able over breakfast to enjoy his own article on the prestigious editorial comment page of the Washington Post entitled "Good Friday and Good Faith".
The Post also reported the Taoiseach as saying the day before: "Normally when you park something in Ireland, it gets vandalised and this applies to the peace process. People want to blow it off course but it is the only game in town."
For lunch yesterday, Mr Ahern had the company of President Clinton at the traditional Speaker's lunch on Capitol Hill. Just about every Irish-American politician was there too and the Northern Ireland political leaders. Spea ker Dennis Hastert compared the Taoiseach to Abraham Lincoln for his devotion to his country and statesmanship.
Mr Ahern joked later that the comparison could be dangerous and he had better be careful in theatres.
The Northern Ireland Bureau, not to be outdone, held its own lunch for almost 200 guests in the newly opened Doyle's Hotel on Dupont Circle. The Fulton Fleming band from Belfast entertained the guests as it had the day before at the British embassy lunch.
The Taoiseach got a lift down from Capitol Hill with the President as they were both heading for the White House and the bowl of shamrock ceremony.
Meanwhile, around Washington, the bars and restaurants were offering Guinness and corned beef and cabbage lunches. The Fado pub told local TV that it had ordered in 300 lb of corned beef and 100 kegs of Guinness. The "Sober-ride" phone number was helpfully provided by the TV reporter.
At the White House, the Northern Ireland leaders filed in and out for their meetings with President Clinton, but after that serious stuff, they headed for another gate to join the 1,000 guests invited for the President's reception.
President Clinton presented former senator George Mitchell with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his role in the peace process.
The citation said that Mr Mitchell was "instrumental in forging the historic Good Friday peace accord for Northern Ireland" and that for his "outstanding service both at home and abroad, George Mitchell deserves our lasting gratitude".
The entertainment at the White House reception was provided by three Irish groups - Both Sides Now, Irish Fire and Different Drums of Ireland.
In Both Sides Now, Phil Coulter, James Galway, actress Roma Downey, actor Aidan Quinn and Claire Gallagher, a student from Omagh blinded in the bombing there last August, sang and spoke the personal history of Mr Coulter and Mr Galway, who were raised in different traditions in Northern Ireland.
But St Patrick's Day was not yet over. Another party was starting at the residence of the Irish ambassador, Sean O hUiginn, and his wife Bernadette. A newspaper reported that here he spells his name "O'Huiginn" as the Irish version is too tricky for Americans.