Each year the town of Killarney celebrates St. Patrick's Day as faithfully as a leprechaun counts his gold!

Today the Shamrock Centre will be bustling with activities that speaks to every size, age or nationality - whether you're Irish or not!

Events begin at 10 am with the final act being a Magic Show by magician Alex Jay Hamm at 2 pm.

AND don't forget to wear GREEN!

But before you pull up your socks n' buckle up your leprechaun shoes, smoothen your beard 'n fluff up your eyebrows, fix the clover leaf into your buttonhole n' don on your bowler hat that glows a fancy shade of green, in order to head on down to the Shamrock Centre, here's a bit 'o history on the naming of the town of Killarney, Manitoba!

Land surveyor and homesteader John Sydney O’Brien named Killarney Lake, because the landscape reminded the Irishman of his home, Killarney, Ireland. "I think we should call this lake Killarney, after the beautiful hills of the homeland,” said O’Brien.

In more than 100 years Killarney has grown into a thriving and prosperous rural community. Rooted deeply in agriculture, the first permanent settlers to the region were homesteaders, coming from all corners of the world, looking for adventure, freedom and affordable farmland. But before the settlement of these pioneers, this area was well known by fur traders, explorers and indigenous communities who lived and trapped along the northern edge of the Turtle Mountains, which straddle the Canada-U.S. border to the south of Killarney.

"I would like to wish everybody a Happy St. Patrick's Day," shares Mayor Janice Smith. "It's our namesake here on the 17th, and today at the Shamrock Centre we have Shamrock Day for all the kids!  Please come down and enjoy all the festivities that they've organized down there!"