A heated tent awaits the throng of full-time and part-time Irishmen for today's St. Patrick's Day celebration at the Dublin House. Below, a view of the recently completed first-floor bar. (Click to enlarge)

Patrons of today's St. Patrick's Day celebration at the Dublin House in Red Bank are in for an eyeful if they haven't popped in since last year.

A top-to-bottom renovation of the historic structure that houses the Monmouth Street establishment — a project that began four years ago and continued without shutting the business down — has just been completed, says co-owner Eugene Devlin.

A view from the entrance to the first-floor bar.

Finished in stages, the project included the installation of an open-air entertainment area called Temple Bar; a complete overhaul of the second floor, with the installation of a new bar and spacious dining area; a remade first-floor dining room; and a makeover of the pub's foremost asset, a railcar-length first-floor bar.

All that remains of the project are finishing touches says Devlin.

The cost? "A serious amount of money," he says.

But today's event should not be construed as a grand opening. Devlin says an event to mark the completion of the project will be held in June.

Instead, today is a day to celebrate one's Irish and have bartender Noel Ryan draw a Guinness for you, complete with shamrock drawn in the frothy head.

The festivities begin at, ahem, 10a.

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