January 2014 Boston’s hometown VOL. 25 #1 journal of Irish culture. $1.50 Worldwide at All contents copyright © 2014 Boston Neighborhood News, Inc. bostonirish.com THE PAST IS PROLOGUE From O’Brien to Walsh: ‘A Long Green Line’ By peTeR F. STevenS his hard-fought victory was, it He displayed a considerable RepoRTeR STaFF was not as daunting as that of intelligence early on, but was As Boston’s mayor-elect the city’s first Irish mayor, Hugh yanked from the city’s public to succeed Thomas Menino, O’Brien, who was not only of school system as a twelve year Dorchester’s Marty Walsh fol- Boston, but also of Ireland itself. old to work as an apprentice to lows in the “green” footsteps O’Brien was sworn in as the a printer at the Boston Courier. of the likes of Patrick Collins, city’s first Irish-born mayor A tradesman’s future beckoned John “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald, on Jan. 5, 1885. To many of the young O’Brien, who felt James Michael Curley, Mau- Boston’s Brahmins and Yan- lucky in escaping the low-paying rice Tobin, John Hynes, John kees, his ascent to City Hall and insecure street sweeping or Collins, Kevin White, and Ray represented a once-unthinkable dockside work so many of his Flynn. Walsh captured the of- development in a region no- fellow Irish immigrants were fice at a time when the city’s table for its antipathy toward forced to take. But he had set his changing demographics will in Irish Catholics. His odyssey to eyes on a far loftier future – one the not-so-distant future make the top of the heap in Boston placed in the rarefied circles of the Boston Irish mayoral choke- politics began in 1832 when Yankee commerce. Hugh O’Brien as a five year old he emigrated Following his stint at the Marty Walsh hold of the past increasingly Takes the mayor’s seat on Jan. 6 Served from 1885 to 1889 unlikely. But as challenging as from Ireland with his parents. (Continued on page 3) Kenny thanks Irish for patience BiR STaFF Ireland Prime Minister Enda Kenny took to the RTE One airwaves on Sun., Dec. 15, to thank the Irish people for staying the course while the country coped with the three- year austerity program laid on them by the bailout program organized by the International Monetary Fund and the Euro- pean Union. Although Ireland was for- mally freed from the bailout’s financial mandates that week- end, Kenny, while acknowledg- The Tony Award-winning musical love story, “Once,” plays Boston’s Opera House from January 7 - 19. Photo by Joan Marcus ing that “many families have also had to face the devastating consequences of unemploy- ment and emigration,” warned Playwright Walsh hails the magic of ‘Once’ that the country had no choice but to “continue to pursue By R. J. Donovan struments on stage. The show prudent budgetary policies.” Special To The BiR Tony Award-Winning musical picked up eight Tony Awards, The bailout funding from the “Once” first sparked to life as including Best Musical and one IMF and the REU amounted to a tiny, 2007 independent Irish at the Opera House Jan. 7-19 for Best Book, which went to some 67 billion euro; in return, film about the power of music Dublin-born playwright Enda Ireland promised to organize to draw people together. The course of one fateful week, they ences alike around the world. Walsh. The prolific Mr. Walsh an austerity process that over two main characters are simply diligently collaborate on music Included in its score is “Falling has authored 17 plays (“Pe- three years saw cuts of many called Guy and Girl. Guy is a and an unlikely love emerges. Slowly,” which won an Oscar for nelope,“ “Hunger,“ “The New billions of euros to the budgets struggling Dublin street musi- However, complications follow. Best Original Song. Electric Ballroom“), most of of essential programs like cian who has lost faith in his With music and lyrics from Lightning stuck yet again which have been translated for construction projects, pensions talent and his life. He crosses Glen Hansard and Markéta when “Once” made a stunning productions around the world. and wages for governmental paths with Girl, a Czech im- Irglová (who starred in the transition to Broadway, cast He’s currently working on workers, and those entities ad- migrant who shows him his film), “Once” went on to capture with an ensemble of actor/mu- multiple projects including an dressing social welfare needs. work is not yet done. Over the the hearts of critics and audi- sicians who play their own in- (Continued on page 10) Page 2 January 2014 BOSTON IRISH REPORTER Worldwide at www.bostonirish.com An Appreciation This is the Jack Shaughnessy I knew By aRThuR MuRphy environments, and fam- over the city of Boston,” Once Jack Shaughnessy would make it through the Special To The BiR ily situations. He was one major philanthropist was committed to you darkness. Jack Shaughnessy grew always direct and deter- said. “He looked for groups and what you were doing As one beneficiary of up in Quincy, graduated mined, never one for idle that helped the poor and he led the charge. The Jack’s wisdom said re- from BC High in wartime discussion. He was a doer the needy as long as they number is legion of those cently, “Jack was thought- 1944, served in the Navy, who thought that those could show results.” Jack he assisted in getting jobs ful, respectful, and direct and afterwards worked who had the opportunity also gave financial assis- or in raising their self- [a rarity these days]. He with his brother Al in should use it construc- tance to a large variety esteem, not to leave out never got distracted by building a very success- tively of educational, social ser- those he called out of the the ‘noise’; he always ful crane and rigging On his death, one for- vice, and health-related blue to see if he could help. stayed on point . And he business in South Boston. mer employee of his who agencies and projects. I can’t count the number knew what was really That is a spare bio- is now a Teamster labor And let’s not forget the of times he called me and important in life: family, graphical sketch, and only leader said, “Jack always Catholic Church, a major said, “Please take care of friends, church and com- Jack Shaughnessy a small part of the Jack wanted the best for his beneficiary of his generous this person, and if there munity.” Another said, “Generous, and direct” Shaughnessy the city of employees and was as heart and soul. All of this is any charge, I will take “Jack always made you hard a worker as anybody, came from a clear vision care of it.” feel as if you were tops and Boston came to know. waiting to be learned at always there the earliest. that only by helping others But Jack’s major driv- if he saw any hesitation in He was clearly a man his alma mater, BC High, He provided me personal could people do their jobs ing force was perhaps direction he subtly got you for all seasons, driven to which he helped finan- and business guidance on earth. his relentless pursuit of back on track “ help people, and it was cially over and over again. from the very beginning. A business acquain- helping the young and the In the everyday world, easy from the outside to Yes, he had a bias for the He wanted his employees tance called Jack “a cheer- old and those in between. Jack stood up to trends see that that drive was Jesuits on Morrissey Bou- to be paid with the best leader of all that is right White or black or male or that he felt hurt society, fueled by a wondrously levard, but that was offset but he also demanded the in the world, a fierce female or straight or gay, but he was always careful abiding faith in God. Jack some by his wife Mary, best. Jack was like a sec- warrior against injustice, it didn’t matter to him. to separate the idea from deeply believed that hard- who made it possible for ond father to me through greed, prejudice, and bor- He wanted all of them to the person, many times working people and those deserving students to my career as a rigger and ing behavior. Everything have the opportunity to calling community leaders in need deserved a chance study elsewhere than at through the rough and he did was expressed with show their worth, and he and directly challenging to make a good life for one of her husband’s “fa- tumble of my growth in a passion.” Said another: did all he could to advance them on their positions themselves. vorites.” It was about her the labor field.” “Have you ever see any- their causes, recommend- while supporting them as Over years I watched that Jack often said: “Any If you didn’t know that body show more disdain ing them for schools and individuals. And he didn’t and worked with Jack as success and enthusiasm Jack Shaughnessy, you for arrogance than Jack? job promotion and, when limit his outreach. In his he operated in a variety I have had is the direct missed out on knowing a He took it as a challenge appropriate, financial as- last years, Jack often ex- of settings – as a CEO, result of my magnificent special man.