Updated Saturday 8.40pm with operators' statement

They came in their thousands and then they left... and the St Julian's council, residents and driver are certainly not amused!

Revellers thirsty for a St Patrick's Day pint last night descended on St Julian's in droves, unperturbed by a court decision to block plans to set up drink stalls for the event. 

Dressed in green and with many sporting alcohol-themed hats and merchandise, the festive crowd have been welcomed by bar owners in the entertainment hotspot, along with several vendors selling alcohol along the St Julian's front.Pictures shot this morning showed the aftermath - thousands of plastic cups and cans littering the streets of a town reeking of alcohol. 

But pictures shot this morning showed the aftermath - thousands of plastic cups and cans littering the streets of a town reeking of alcohol. 

While they are now surely happy counting their euros gained, we the residents have to face all this

A clearly irate St Julian's deputy mayor Albert Buttigieg said on Facebook: "Now the bar owners expect the local council to clean up their mess at our financial expense of over €3,000. While they are now surely happy counting their euros gained, we the residents have to face all this. Thank you."

"All this would have been avoided without any expense if the proposal of the local council, as approved by all councillors, was not blocked! Shame on your greed!"

By the afternoon, the Infrastructure Ministry said it had been forced to operate an emergency service after the rubbish was not collected by the council, "as had been the norm in the past". 

The ministry said it was therefore forced to reassign 25 workers from the Cleansing Directorate to clear up the mess at St Julian's as well as hose down the streets.

In total, three tons of rubbish were collected in just two hours, at a total cost of €3,400, the ministry said.

In a statement, the Nationalist Party's PN councillors said the council had unanimously agreed that the cleaning would take place during the night. However, this fizzled into nothing after a court order. 

The councillors said that all the authorities should come together next year so that the feast of St Patrick's is organised in a holistic manner to ensure that the event also provides minimum inconvenience to residents.

Photo: Steve Zammit Lupi

Philip Fenech, GRTU hospitality division president, defended the licenced bars, saying that they did their utmost to clean up the area around their establishments.

He said it was the mainly the hawkers who had been given a council permit to set up stalls around the Spinola roundabout who had not bothered with cleaning up. 

In another statement, through their legal representative, Ryan's Pub, Tigullio Complex and Saddles Bar said a number of hawkers were given an "abusive" permit by the local council early on Friday. 

Contrary to the three main operators in the area, these hawkers did not provide cleaning services, the operators held, as they urged the authorities to investigate the council. 

And while thousands celebrated, motorists who had to wait to make their way through the area were less enthused.

Photo: Steve Zammit Lupi

"Chaos," one Times of Malta reader wrote in, complaining that revellers had made it impossible for cars to drive through the town. 

With plenty of cars and even more drinkers, police directing traffic had their work cut out. Photo: Steve Zammit Lupi

Another woman took to Facebook to voice her frustration. 

"Many are stuck in the Hilton car park inhaling exhaust," she wrote. "In one hour we've moved half a level. Get us out of here please."

St Patrick's Day is the annual celebration of Ireland's patron saint. While celebrations were originally limited to Ireland and areas with large Irish diaspora, in recent decades March 17 celebrations have spread to countries with a dubious connection to the Emerald Isle. 

Spinola Bay is heaving with St Patrick's Day revellers.