Saturday, January 14, 2012

South Side St. Patrick's Parade Committee Deserves a Huge 'Well Done!'


The South Side Irish Parade will be on the road again March 11.
Organizers of the St. Patrick's Day event are focused on making it alcohol-free.
Chicago Tribune

This is the story of how the South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Parade began. As with many stories told by the Irish, exaggeration is inevitable, however, this story is completely true. The parade was the vision of two best friends, George Hendry and Pat Coakley. Both were raised on the South Side of Chicago, George in the St. Sabina Parish and Pat in the Little Flower parish in the Auburn neighborhood. The two did not meet until their early thirties, when both moved to the Morgan Park community with their young wives. There they became neighbors, best friends and in 1979, co-founders of the South Side Irish Parade.
History of South Side St. Patrick's Day Parade (click my post title)

The South Side Parade was a great event, even though politicians and drunks marred the spirit of day.

How and why the Parade was killed really does not matter. Our Chicago Media which helped to bring more politicians and drunks to the route and the side-streets sniffed at the boorish goings-on they helped perpetuate.

The Parade should and will return and that is the story.

A group of dedicated neighbors from the parishes which comprise our neighborhood worked for the husky side of two years to has out the logistical strategies that just might keep politicians and drunks where they belong on Sunday.

For three or four hours, politicians and drunks can abstain from BSing and Boozing.

I know that the South Side St. Patrick's Day Committee has great political ( within the 19th Ward and Beyond) and pathological inebriate ( CHIRISH from fern bars and suburbs) opposition to their hard work and we can expect great waves of 'cautionary tales' about the post osmosing scatological necessities of the diposmaniac demographic.

It will be tough, but the kids, the elderly and the responsible will have a great time.

Well Done, Folks!

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