St. Patrick’s Day is March 17, but let’s be clear on a few things. St. Patrick wasn’t Irish; he was British/Roman. The three leaf clover — the shamrock — is the symbol of the Irish people, not the four-leafed one, and the Irish speak Irish. And let’s remember that Ireland’s adopted saint is most celebrated here in the United States and not in Ireland.

In fact, the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City typically attracts about 2 million people, just under half the entire population of Ireland itself. Then there’s the parades in Chicago — about 1 million people — and Boston — about 800,000. The parades in Philadelphia, Cleveland and Kansas City clock in at about half a million each, and that’s just the top 6! America certainly loves St. Patrick’s Day.

And while Marin County doesn’t have a St. Patrick’s Day parade, it does have two Irish bars: Finnegan’s in Novato and the new Burren House in San Rafael. If two different-crowded, fully booked midweek happy hours are any indication, both appear to be doing quite well. And both are open for lunch, brunch and dinner.

Finnegan’s Marin Restaurant and Bar

Finnegan’s is on the former site of Bit-A-Honey. Opened by Realtor Henry Hautau in 2006, and named after his mother, Colleen Patricia Finnegan — the oldest of eight children — Finnegan’s vibe is “family-friendly Irish meets an American bar and grill.”

Sure, there’s Irish whiskey and corned beef, but the whiskey often comes in an Emerald Isle Manhattan with Carpano sweet vermouth and orange bitters, and the corned beef comes in a “Reuben” roll with cabbage and Thousand Island dressing.

“An Irish pub sort of belies what we really are,” said Hautau, of Novato. “Our menu is far more creative, more consistent and higher quality than most Irish pubs.”

Named and modeled after his uncle’s Irish pub, PJ Finnegan’s in New Jersey, our local Finnegan’s was consciously made to be “family friendly,” a difference from most American bar and grills.

“Novato is first and foremost a family town. I have been very cognizant of people bringing their whole families in,” Hautau said. “There’s a big bar, but cozy booths surround the space and the menu features many kid-friendly items. We also have the benefit of being right next to a candy store.”

In this regard, pubs are not places just to drink at, but rather places for people to gather, which is a slightly different concept than an American bar and grill

“We have become sort of the heart and soul of downtown Novato,” Hautau said.

Hautau put in the kitchen, removed the pool tables and has a more American-leaning menu. Outdoor dining is available, and Hautau credits a lot of their success to that. And sure, there’s a pot roast and a bevy of potato dishes on the menu, but there’s also an arugula and beet salad, and pizza.

“This is the oldest dining or drinking establishment in Novato,” said Hautau of the space. “It goes back to 1930 at least.”But Finnegan’s certainly feels new. Final fun fact: Hautau met his wife, Gabby, at Bit-A-Honey on Thanksgiving Eve in 1997 — luck of the Irish indeed.

It’s at 877 Grant Ave. in Novato. More information at finnegansmarin.com.

The Burren House Irish Pub and Kitchen

The Burren House is a welcome newcomer to Marin, having its soft opening in December.

“I felt like San Rafael and Marin County needed a good authentic Irish pub,” said Alan Hynes, a native of Ireland but a San Rafael resident for the last 30 years. “I have lived more of my life in San Rafael than in Ireland — substantially more. But, of course, wherever you’re born and grow up that stays with you quite a bit.”

Named after an area on the west coast of Ireland, known for its rocky majesty, limestone and diverse speciation, Burren reminds Hynes of where he came from, both literally and figuratively.

“My day-to-day occupation is a concrete and excavation contractor,” he said. “When I think of home, I think of rocks. There’s a beauty to (the Burren) that you don’t get with a green field.”

True to form, the limestone in the building’s entryway came from a quarry in the Burren in Ireland — and so did almost everything else.

“What I consider an Irish pub is when an Irish person owns it, and Irish people run it,” Hynes said. “To take it to the next level, the pub and all the furnishings, all the glass and lighting fixtures, and all the bric-a-brac were built or made in Ireland and then shipped over here and then installed. I feel that is about as authentic as you can get.”

Hynes originally bought the property primarily as an investment.

“We bought the building first and then decided to go ahead with the Irish pub,” he said.

He hired a company called the Irish Pub Co. to coordinate the look and feel and then brought on Bar Manager Des Whelan, formerly of the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, which also imported its pub from Ireland, to oversee the hiring of the staff, getting the kitchen organized and putting the menus together.

“I knew if I built the right pub I’d find the right people,” Hynes said.

A varied but not ridiculously large selection of Irish whiskey is on hand, as is the requisite Guinness on tap. The menu features familiar favorites like fish and chips, and shepherd’s pie. But there’s also Guinness-sauced barbecue chicken wings, fish tacos and fried cauliflower. Portions are substantial, and the bar certainly looks and feels like an Irish pub in Ireland.

“Last month, we found out that we were the biggest seller of Guinness in the Bay Area,” Hynes said.

And if that isn’t an Irish indicator of success, I don’t know what is.

Hynes has also just finalized a deal this week to take over the now-closed Fenix nightclub next door. The plan is to present live entertainment as Burren Live.

It’s at 925 Fourth St. in San Rafael. More information at theburrenhouse.com.

Jeff Burkhart is the author of “Twenty Years Behind Bars: The Spirited Adventures of a Real Bartender, Vol. I and II,” the host of the Barfly Podcast on iTunes (as seen in the NY Times) and an award-winning bartender at a local restaurant. Follow him at jeffburkhart.net and contact him at jeffbarflyIJ@outlook.com