Beannachtaí Na Nollag Christmas Blessings by Mary Mcsweeney
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December 2013 Boston’s hometown VOL. 24 #12 journal of Irish culture. $1.50 Worldwide at All contents copyright © 2013 Boston Neighborhood News, Inc. bostonirish.com Beannachtaí na Nollag Christmas Blessings by Mary McSweeney Stop paying big bank fees! Switch to Simply Free Checking at Mt. Washington Bank and start saving today! Switch to Mt. Washington Bank today and take advantage of these great conveniences: - Access to 50,000 Totally FREE Allpoint ATMs Worldwide. Sign up now and - 24-hour Driveup ATMs - FREE Online Banking and BillPay choose either an - Mobile Banking - 9 convenient locations throughout Boston Electric Wine Opener or With Mt. Washington Bank’s Simply Free Checking and Stainless Steel 1.5 Stainless Steel 1.5 Quart Slow Cooker Simply Free Business Checking, you’ve got choices! Quart Slow Cooker - FREE! Connecting All Oces 617.268.0379 www.MtWashingtonBank.com Member FDIC | Member DIF Partners Electric Wine Opener In Com munity Banking Customer purchases checks. 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Hours: Tues. - Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Sunday noon - 5:00 pm Property Managers email: [email protected] P.O. Box 52, Readville, MA 02137-0052 www.aisling-gallery.com Tel: 617-364-4000 Fax: 617-364-3157 Worldwide at www.bostonirish.com December 2013 BOSTON IRISH RePORTeR Page 3 Strong base and key alliances fueled Marty Walsh’s win over John Connolly By Bill Forry immigrant parents from historic center of civic, and Cummins Highway, ContriButing Editor Galway’s rocky region religious, and political where Walsh cashed in It was a long time who’ll be Boston’s first life in this town-turned- on a spike in the city’s coming. Many skeptics mayor of Irish extraction neighborhood – showing second-most competitive thought it would never since Raymond L. Flynn— Walsh, surrounded by district council race of happen. And, yes, it could did better in “white” Felix Arroyo, John Barros, the day. Walsh clearly prove fleeting. But for one neighborhoods than he and Charlotte Golar Rich- won the larger share of day in November 2013, did in “majority-minority” ie, in full stride, walking to the Haitian-American residents of the city’s precincts. His seaside meet the camera array set electorate that fueled largest neighborhood put State representative dis- up to capture Richie’s dra- Jean-Claude Sanon’s very aside long-standing differ- trict was always going to matic endorsement of her respectable 7,879 tally in ences to elect one of their be his Fort Knox. But who Dorchester neighbor. By his campaign against Tim own to the most powerful would have guessed that election day, this “Team McCarthy for the District job in Boston and, argu- Marty Walsh – who until of Rivals” image had been 5 City Council seat. While ably, the state. six weeks ago had never hung on fence posts from that total was only good Marty Walsh didn’t appeared on a ballot west Dudley to Cleary Square – for second place for Sanon, win white Dorchester. He of Washington Street – Exhibit A in the tough-sell it helped to propel Walsh didn’t win black Dorches- would score decisive wins argument that a 46-year- into a more comfortable ter. He won Dorchester. in Four Corners, Grove old Irishman labor boss three-point lead citywide. Mayor Tom Menino and Mayor-elect Marty Walsh Period. And he did it in Hall, Lower Mills, and from Savin Hill could pass Notching marginal wins spoke to reporters after the two met in Menino’s convincing fashion, carry- Mattapan Square. the sniff test and clear the in East Boston, Allston- City Hall office. Photo by Isabel Leon ing more than 60 percent Dorchester has always color line. It worked. Brighton, and Charles- of the vote in his home had this potential, but If you think that the town helped the Walsh cancelled out Connolly’s for Marty Walsh, the neighborhood. time and again, it has endorsements from Ar- cause, no doubt, but Hyde West Roxbury base vote Dorchester guy, 60-40. Walsh bested crosstown stumbled as consecutive royo, Richie, and Barros Park – which forms the tally. The Keystone pre- It was true in Codman rival John Connolly in waves traipsed through (and yes, other, elected bulk of Super-Ward 18 – cinct – Florian Hall’s Square, where Marty is the first open mayor’s the underbrush of a by- officials of color, includ- was the biggest prize of the 16-12 – turned the nozzle a known quantity, but it race in 20 years on Nov. gone Boston. A knotted ing the state senator from day. Stunningly, Walsh to full blast, hammering also carried through into 5. The four point mar- root-system of racial, Dorchester) didn’t swing ran the table there, a clean home Walsh’s best per- the heart of Mattapan, the gin (52-48 percent) was ethnic, and geographic this election, ask Marty sweep of all 23 precincts. centage win of the day: an Blue Hill Corridor, and hardly a runaway win, roadblocks has trumped Walsh or John Connolly. Walsh won the mayor’s Obama-esque 87 percent deep into Dudley. but Walsh’s Dorchester- neighborhood time and They mattered: Walsh chair on the margins, but that deposited a cool 790 Marty Walsh will be South Boston base — com- time again. won every precinct in his victory was anchored ballots into his kitty. Con- the next mayor of Boston bined with decisive wins This time it was differ- the city’s communities in his House district, nolly’s best percentage because he managed to across the city’s interior, ent. The iconic image of of color. which churned out lop- precinct of the day was convince enough voters, predominantly minority this election will be the The knock-out blow sided totals for Galway’s in Beacon Hill’s Ward many of whom probably precincts— proved to be one shot taken outside of came in the single-family favorite grandson. Port 5, precinct 5 where he had never heard of him the difference. First Parish Church on side streets sandwiched Norfolk (16-10) and Wards posted an 89 percent win until last spring, that he Yes, Walsh— the son of Meetinghouse Hill — the between River Street 13, 15, and 16 effectively by capturing 289 ovals. was a better choice than Clearly, Connolly would a man they had seen on have been pleased to swap their ballots a half-dozen those superlatives. times already. He mined With his Dot base out- the support of their trust- pacing Connolly’s West ed leaders and parlayed Roxbury base, Walsh that vouchsafe into elec- continued to dominate tion day gold. South Boston, cancelling Marty Walsh – the out Connolly’s advan- individual, the politician tages in the Back Bay and – gets full credit. It’s his South End. East Boston win because people like was nearly a draw, with him, trust him, want him Walsh edging Connolly in to succeed. Ultimately, the end. He won Jamaica he was able to build this Plain and even picked remarkable coalition be- off a couple of Roslindale cause he treated people precincts. He performed well over many years better in Connolly’s base and, even when he had to than expected as well, disappoint, he did so with winning more than 40 respect. percent in West Roxbury, But make no mistake: a remarkable feat. This is a victory for his And so it all came back home neighborhood, too. to the communities of Much maligned, often dis- color, the ultimate arbi- missed, Dorchester finally ters of the city’s mayoral figured it out. It’s a force future since Sept. 24 at to be reckoned with and 9 p.m. With some varia- it’s now beyond dispute. Members of the Walsh Clan from Ireland celebrate their relative’s win on election night. tion, voters of color broke Now, what to do with it? Sean Folan photo BPL event to salute Heaney Irish Film Festival in ‘Call for Entries’ The Consulate General Local academics, poets, The Irish Film Festival, irishfilmfestival.com. Inspiring Short/Anima- of Ireland in association and musicians will gather Boston, has announced The IFF awards, inaugu- tion, and Global Vision with Irish Network Bos- at the BPL on Wed., Dec. its “Call for Entries” for rated in 2003, honor those Documentary. ton will remember the 11, at 6 p.m. Participants the 14th annual festival, filmmakers whose work Winners in each cat- poetry and life of Seamus include Seamus Connolly, which will take place next constitutes celebrating egory will receive flight Heaney at an event this National Heritage Fel- March. Entries are accept- the very best of Ireland and accommodation to month at the Boston Pub- low, the Boston Globe’s ed through withoutabox.