April 2017 Boston’s hometown VOL. 28 #4 journal of Irish culture. $2.00 Worldwide at All contents copyright © 2017 bostonirish.com Boston Neighborhood News, Inc. St. Patrick’s Day breakfast fare: A bit of blarney, jabs at Trump By BIR Staff State Sen. Linda Dorce- na Forry’s annual St. Patrick’s Day breakfast drew some 750 friends of Ireland to the Boston Convention Center on March 19. Among the guests were US Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Massachu- setts Governor Charlie Baker, and Congressman Stephen Lynch. A special guest was Ire- land’s Minister for Chil- dren and Youth Affairs, Dr. Katherine Zappone, who was visiting the city to mark the St Patrick’s holiday on behalf of her country. Dr. Katherine Zappone, Ireland’s Minister for Children and Youth Affairs With roots extending carried St. Patrick’s Day greetings from the Irish people to state Sen. Linda RIP, Martin McGuinness back to the 1940s, this an- Dorcena Forry’s breakfast and to the city of Boston. Said the minister: “Imag- Martin McGuinness, the Irish Republican Army nual political gathering ine if the people of Ireland had turned their backs on St Patrick as a migrant chieftain who turned away from violence to forge is legendary in Boston’s – our history would be very different.” Don West photo peaceful political bonds with Northern Ireland’s history, and serves to Protestants, died last month at age 66. Tens of focus the celebration of throughout the proceed- featured plenty of good- challenger in this year’s thousands looked on from the streets of Bogside in Boston’s Irish heritage by ings, beginning with natured joshing of GOP election, City Councillor Londonderry on March 23 as political colleagues, the region’s political and Sen. Dorcena Forry’s Governor Baker by the Tito Jackson. IRA veterans, family, and friends bore his casket cultural constituencies. presentation of a tweet largely Democratic crowd into church where, remarkably, police command- As was to be expected, from the White House of politicians spread An album of photos ers, Protestant leaders, and the British secretary of given the re-made politi- – “Good Luck on Your across the dais and some from the breakfast on state for Northern Ireland joined Irish presidents cal landscape, President STUPID Breakfast – light byplay between Page 2. and prime ministers past and present in the pews. Trump’s name was heard SAD!” The event also Mayor Walsh and his No IRA trappings were present as two Protestant church ministers and former US President Bill Clinton took turns eulogizing a man who had long topped Britain’s list of terrorists. (AP) Father Dan Finn busily tends to Remembering his flock of anxious immigrants By Ryan DaLy in Norwood and Roslindale, he the Man SpecIaL to the RepoRteR settled in as assistant pastor at Father Dan Finn, a faith and com- St. Peter’s, the beginning of close By RoBeRt p. connoLLy By Joe LeaRy munity leader, especially among the to four decades of priestly service SpecIaL to the BIR SpecIaL to the BIR Irish, in Dorchester since 1980, left in Dorchester where he quickly In some respects, it was The first time I saw his longtime post as pastor of St. established himself as a relentless as if he were just another Martin McGuinness was Mark’s parish two years ago, but champion of the immigrant Irish government official show- at the old Ritz Carlton he didn’t go very far. in Boston. ing up for work on a chilly Hotel in Boston in 1996 After a bit of rest and travel, the Today, his responsibilities consist Belfast morning. But as as he was striding down native of Kanturk, Co. Cork, moved of helping out archdiocesan par- the man who had inspired the second-floor corridor into the rectory at nearby St. Bren- ishes with day-to-day needs while cheers and chills for three to join a luncheon the dan’s parish and took up a new role continuing his deep involvement in decades emerged from Irish American Partner- as chaplain and coordinator of the immigration issues on a large scale his car, it was surpris- ship was holding in in his Irish Pastoral Centre, which he had in Dorchester, across the city, and ing that television crews honor. co-founded some 30 years before at beyond. But increasingly, he said and throngs of reporters We had run a breakfast a time when hearty waves of young in an interview at his Rita Road weren’t there to capture for Northern Ireland Sec- Irish men and women were leaving office this week, his duties take the moment. retary of State Mo Mow- their home island and settling in him into cellblocks where anxious The date was Dec. 2, lam that morning and had the city, often without proper im- Irish-born prisoners – sometimes 1999, and there wasn’t invited McGuinness and migration documents. undocumented – seek out, and count a camera in sight when Sinn Fein to address the Many of them soon came to know Fr. Dan Finn runs the Irish Pas- on, his counsel. Martin McGuinness be- Partnership at lunch. As Dan Finn as a priest who was ener- toral Centre from an office on “In the last year I’ve visited seven gan to climb the stairs I remember, the ballroom getically engaged with their ranks Rita Road. Ryan Daly photo or eight people,” said Fr. Finn. “They at Stormont Castle in was full of hotel security even as he was busily attending really appreciate my visit, and I Belfast. watching nervously from to parish affairs at St. Peter’s in Cork at an aunt’s home in Billerica, have had to work to understand The date has taken its the balcony as he began Dorchester throughout the ‘80s. MA, in 1962, the young Finn worked each of the different prison’s rules, place in the annals of to speak after we finished He brought to his pastoral du- and studied his way to archdiocesan and what is acceptable.” He added Irish history, as it marked our lunch. ties a resume that reflected an seminary studies in Brighton and that he has learned the hard way the first gathering of the The British Consul (we immigrant’s pluck and a drive to his ordination in 1972, the year be- that some prisons won’t let you mail ministers who would run invited all sides) and sev- succeed as a churchman. A teen- fore he was sworn in as a US citizen. cash to inmates. Connolly, Page 6 Leary, Page 6 aged carpenter on his arrival from After seven years as a curate (Continued on page 3) I work in Hollywood but I keep my money in my hometown-Kevin Chapman Check out City of Boston Credit Union - visit CityofBostonCU.com Page 2 April 2017 BOSTON IRISH RePORTeR bostonirish.com Gathering time at Sen. Dorcena Forry’s breakfast They came from near and far to join in the festivities at the an- nual South Boston St. Patrick’s Day breakfast hosted by state Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry. Among the guests pictured below, clockwise from top left: Sen. Forry; a musi- cal rendition of “Southie is My Hometown”; Irish band Curragh’s Fancy; comedian Jimmy Tingle; Irish dancer Kieran Jordan; art- ist Vincent Crotty; US Senator ed Markey, 15-year-old singer Anthony Dooley, Cambridge Po- The 2017 St Patrick’s Day breakfast received an “Upgrade to Business Class” this year, thanks to lice Lt. Pauline Wells; and Sister presenting sponsor Delta Airlines, one of a number of contributors who helped defray the cost of the Brenda Forry, CSJ, who gave the event. Delta will begin daily flights from Boston to Dublin on May 25, and to kick things off, Delta donated two pairs of round trip business class tickets to two lucky breakfast guests, Gerri Munroe benediction. and Michael Duffy. Pictured, from left: Kim elkins and first officer Bob Clifford, Delta; Gerri Munroe; Delta regional manager Charlie Schewe; Michael Duffy; and state Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry. All photos by Don West bostonirish.com April 2017 BOSTON IRISH RePORTeR Page 3 Dot runners fuel passion of Team MR8 By eLana auRISe Kathleen Mullen, Cailin fundraising support from began. “For the past 3 RepoRteR Staff Pagel, Patrick Ryan, team manager Susan years I have run many A team of 100 runners Talia Siravo, Jack Wu, Hurley, founder of Char- races,” Siravo wrote. “I affiliated with the Martin Laura and Peter Oggeri, ity Teams, Inc., a North feel blessed to run my Richard Foundation are Sheryl Patel, Pat Brophy, Andover, Massachusetts most important race for training hard for this Derek Mourad and Steve based company that helps Team MR8.” month’s BAA Boston Wilkins. small non-profits grow Siravo has already sur- Marathon, set for April As in years past, a through athletic fund- passed her goal of $7,500 17. The foundation’s larger group of runners raising,” according to the for Team MR8—raising team— affectionately will gather at the Eire Team MR8 website. $11,271 to date. known as Team MR8— Pub in Adams Village to Talia Siravo, a first Cailin Pagel’s is run- includes 18 Dorches- run a mile loop on Sat- grade teacher at Saint ning her first-ever mara- ter residents who are urday, April 15 at 5 p.m. John Paul II Catholic thon and she’s already all raising funds to aid All are welcome to join Academy in Lower Mills, beat her goal of raising the Fields Corner-based in the run in a solidarity was a spectator on Bo- $7,500 for Team MR8.