NORTHAMPTON — At Northampton’s annual St. Patrick’s Day breakfast, Erin Cahillane made it clear that this vacation stood head and shoulders above the remaining in her thoughts.
“Neglect Christmas, neglect Halloween,” stated Cahillane, the president of the Northampton St. Patrick’s Affiliation. “As a result of the place else are you able to put on a sequin costume at seven o’clock within the morning?”
The breakfast was held on Friday morning on the Lodge Northampton and featured tons of of attendees, many sporting some type of inexperienced whereas having fun with a meal of house fries, scrambled eggs, bacon and French toast. The occasion helped kick off the St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Northampton, which may also ship a contingent to participate within the deliberate parade in Holyoke on Sunday.
Outstanding public officers on the occasion included Northampton Metropolis Council President Jim Nash, Northwestern District Lawyer David Sullivan, and Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra, who additionally celebrated her birthday on Friday.
“I noticed all of the inexperienced and everybody all excited and possibly a bit of nerdy about one thing, so I believed I used to be invited to a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles conference,” joked Sciarra, poking enjoyable on the current information of town giving $20,000 of COVID-relief funds to construct manhole covers that includes characters from the franchise. “However I’m quick on my ft, like a ninja, and see what’s occurring, and I’m pivoting to say Pleased St. Patrick’s Day.”
Tom O’Connor, a former FBI particular agent and Northampton police officer, served as a visitor speaker for the occasion, including some extra Irish humor and wit to the event.
“I discovered an image of my brother Jack and I marching within the parade with my father again when he was the marshal. And wow, we appeared terrible,” he stated. “We had been sporting all of my older brother’s and sister’s clothes … I used to be sporting I feel a lady’s coat, which in some locations is perhaps outlawed as drag sooner or later.”
O’Connor additionally parodied the current phenomenon of scholars ingesting “borgs,” or blackout rage gallon jugs of alcohol and electrolytes that resulted in 28 UMass Amherst college students being hospitalized on the current Blarney Blowout, by holding up his personal “borg” consisting of a inexperienced liquid.
“It’s a bit of recognized truth I’ve given up ingesting beer,” he stated. “I went to my favourite mixologist and I stated ‘I can’t drink beer anymore. Are you able to provide you with one thing?’ He stated ‘do I’ve one thing for you.’”
The affiliation additionally handed out its James Brennan award on the breakfast, a method to honor a member of the group who “has actively dedicated their time and efforts in serving to the affiliation perform its targets.” This 12 months’s winner was Harry Jekanowski, the Hampshire County Superior Courtroom clerk.
“I nonetheless don’t know what I’m doing up right here,” Jekanowski quipped, a reference to his Polish heritage.
The affiliation additionally honored Tony Ryan, this 12 months’s marshal for the Northampton contingent within the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day parade. Ryan has labored with the affiliation for many years, along with being a photographer, particular schooling trainer, youth soccer coach and a trainer of transcendental meditation.
“I’ve gone from that child that was operating up and down the sidelines as an eight 12 months outdated to being the man truly within the parade,” he stated. “It’s very, very humbling.”
Following the breakfast, many attendees moved to Hospital Hill for the affiliation’s Daly and Halligan Memorial Ceremony, earlier than heading to Fitzwilly’s Restaurant and Bar for a conventional Irish celebration of drinks and music.
Alexander MacDougall might be reached at [email protected]
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