Pipes and Pride in South Boston Irish Parade

Outside Molly Darcy's Traditional Irish Pub last Sunday, Thomas Clifford, producer of the cable program "Ireland on the Move," struggled with a video camera as he shot footage of the South Boston Saint Patrick's Day parade.

Clifford, a middle-aged carpenter, says he has been covering the parade for 15 years. For the past three years--as long as Molly Darcy's has been in business--he has filmed the festivities from that location.

An immigrant from County Kerry, Ireland, Clifford remarked that his temporarily broken video truck almost cost him the ability to cover the parade, but he added with a smile, "Everything always works out for the best."

The crowd of 2,000 seemed to agree.

Wind whipped at the ruddy-faced parade watchers during the two-and-a-half-hour ritual, but because of cultural heritage, neighborhood pride or perhaps simple curiosity, crowds seemed oblivious to the cold. They kept warm by dancing impromptu jigs to the incessant sounds of the pipe and drum bands that were part of the festivities, and by marveling at the diversity of the procession's participants.

Nancy Murphy of Beacon Hill said the ubiquitious bagpipers were closely tied to Ireland.

"The bagpipes are an embodiment of the spirit of Ireland," she said. "They are meant to carry you home. If you have left [Ireland], they tell you, good luck and God bless you--but don't forget who you are or where you are from.

"Short of the Catholic Church and maybe whiskey," Murphy added with a chuckle, "nothing can approximate the glory of Ireland like the mesmerizing sound of the bagpipe."

The parade began at 1 p.m. from the Broadway T station at Broadway and Dorchester Streets.

Joseph R. Mendino of Hyde Park was in charge of crowd control in front of the silent Man Pub, the first South Boston establishment outside the T stop. He wore a big smile, and in spite of the hordes of parade-goers surrounding his pub, Mendino was unflappable.

"Saint Patrick's Day is a wonderful celebration," Mendino said above the bagpipers rendition of "When The Saints Go Marching In."

"Obviously I'm happy because I'm going to see many people today, but if you're even the slightest bit Irish, you can't help getting sentimental over these people. It's beautiful really," Mendino said.

The parade is a storied part of the city's past, and for the last 25 years, it has been organized by the south Boston Alliance of War Veterans. In conjunction with the veterans, several neighborhood organizations also contribute to its success and popularity, including the South Boston Information Center and the South Boston Community Center. Volunteer workers make up the entire staff of these three organizations.

Aside from filmmaker, Clifford fills another unofficial role in the parade--as an institution. Nearly every politician that passed jumped at the chance to get on Clifford's camera.

From a stunning 1960s-era Ford Thunderbird, Albert L. "Dapper" O'Neill waved hello and gave a thumbs-up sign. Raymond Flynn, former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican and former Democratic candidate for the Eighth Congressional District, also stopped to speak with Clifford.

"It's great to see Tom doing so well," said Michael Geoghegan of Cork City, Clifford's co-producer and an Irish immigrant himself. "Just like there is no way of communicating the word no in Gaelic, there's no way of saying no to Tom."

Pipes and drum corps, the bagpipers from area police and fire departments as well as area schools, provided the bulk of the afternoon's entertainment.

The largest pipe and drum unit was the Boston Gaelic Fire Brigade.

Over 40 men formed this organization, and they marched with impeccable precision. Looking down their ranks, and noticing the powerful uniformity and elegance in their dress, audience members said they were stunned by their precision and power.

Sally O'Sulivan, June Marshall, and Kathy Beasley, three young women from Medford, had been dancing line-dances for the duration of the parade.

But when the Boston Gaelic Fire Brigade passed, even they temporarily paused to watch the pipers.

Several social organizations also took part in the procession.

Direct from Ireland, Lorraine Shine and Patricia O'Connor cheered as eight members of their organization, Special Olympics Ireland, walked in the parade next to their Cantabrigian counterparts.

Special Olympics Ireland is an extension of the American organization of the same name, but what is special about Shine and O'Connor's group is that it is the first of its kind to sponsor a global partnership in activities for persons with disabilities.

Following a few weeks in the States, learning about the U.S. and basketball, Shine and O'Connor will return to Ireland with members of the Cambridge Special Olympics basketball team to teach them about the Emerald Isle and about soccer.

"Everything about our stay has been wonderful," said Shine. "The parade, the children, the community."

After the parade, a stream of people descended on the Andrew and Broadway T stations, many commenting that this year's parade was yet another great reminder of the presence and influence of the Irish people in Boston.