Thursday, March 7, 2013

South Side Irish Parade


This Sunday at noon. Remember to behave. No drinking in the public way.

19 comments:

  1. Anonymous3/07/2013

    It is interesting because I have not visited for the longest time because of the excessive fighting - fueled by amateur, irresponsible and of course excessive drinking.

    When it was banned, I supported it but then missed the parade. I was happy when it returned. Now I would like to go this year and bring a 4-pack of Guinness but do not want to find myself at 400 W. Superior for an open-container violation.

    There is a difference between fun and irresponsible, and I understand that sometimes the lines can be blurred. Some adults can have a shot of Irish Whiskey and a couple of beers without behaving like a thug. I never felt the urge to riot/fight when the Bulls won. I also do not feel the urge to fistfight at the South Side Irish parade.


    It can be difficult - but it is not impossible to make it a family event as well as a fun event for responsible adults.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous3/09/2013

      I hear the big bars are charging $25 to get in on parade day this year. Also if you like , you can leave the beer at home and beat the old lady on Western. This is another popular pastime in more recent parades.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous3/07/2013

    Its supposed to rain....I hope it pours all day and it keeps all the idiots away!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Pickle3/08/2013

    Rowdy drunks would pay through the nose if they try again to take over a South Side Irish Parade that made a family-oriented comeback last year, thanks to a crackdown approved Wednesday that could lead to a rash of arrests at the Pride Parade.

    At the behest of local Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th), the City Council agreed to throw the book at those caught drinking on the public way within 800 feet of any parade in progress in Chicago.

    O’Shea’s initial version called for cracking the whip within 200 feet of parades. The final version quadrupled that get-tough turf.

    The minimum fine for adults would increase five-fold — from $100 to $500. The maximum fine would double — from $500 to $1,000. The alternative to the higher fines would be up to six months in jail.

    Adults who relieve themselves in public within 200 feet of a parade in progress would face similar fines and from five to 10 days behind bars.

    Minors caught drinking in the shadows of a parade would be slapped with $500 fines or required to perform 25 hours of community service.

    The crackdown comes nearly one year after the South Side Irish parade made a triumphant return from a three-year hiatus caused by public drunkenness and arrests.

    The parade committee spent heavily to rid the parade of its seedier elements. Private security was hired to work with Chicago Police, set up checkpoints, confiscate liquor and enforce a “zero-tolerance policy” for open alcohol.

    Passengers were banned from bringing booze on Metra Rock Island trains. North Side bars were discouraged from chartering buses. Buses that did roll up were corralled into drop-off points. Leaflets were distributed to local residents outlining the new rules. A hotline number, with text-messaging support, was distributed to neighbors to report problems.

    The result was a family-oriented event that celebrated Irish heritage in a way that resulted in only a handful of arrests hours after and blocks away from the parade.

    Why the crackdown after all of that success?

    “To make sure that a bad element doesn’t come back to our neighborhood. To make sure this event stays a celebration of faith, family and heritage,” O’Shea said.

    “The South Side Irish Parade Committee was very aggressive last year in trying to prevent the parade from turning into what it was the last several years. . . . Along the parade route, all you saw were smiling faces and children and wagons and strollers,” he said. “We want to do everything we can to make sure that’s how it remains. I don’t want to sit on my hands and trust that an element that ruined this parade [won’t] come back. I’m a lot more comfortable now. Frankly, I’m looking forward to March 10.”

    Joe Connelly, co-chair of the 2013 South Side Irish Parade Committee, pushed for the safeguards.

    “We worked so hard last year to bring the parade back in a safe and family-friendly way,” Connelly said. “We want to make sure we take no steps backward. . . . We don’t want to take any chances seeing that happen. This ordinance further reinforces the type of parade we plan to have for the neighborhood.”

    Becauses the crackdown applies to all parades, it could trigger a flurry of arrests at the annual Pride Parade, where public drinking also has been a problem.

    But local Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) said he’s fine with that. He supported the get-tough policy.

    “Police have got to do their job and manage these parades. Raising the fines? I’m OK with that. I want to make sure it’s safe for everyone,” Tunney said.

    “The South Side parade is quite a bit different from ours. . . . The number of arrests are pretty low . . . The combination of Wrigley, Gay Pride, Halsted Street — our commanders are well-versed. They’re using common sense. They now have a tougher penalty for enforcement when they decide that it’s in the best interest of public safety to get these people arrested.”

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous3/08/2013

    I am glad to see the parade back, but lets not pretend that Matt Oshea saved it. The south side parade brings a lot of notoriety to the Beverly neighborhood and is a big part of why many moved into the neighborhood. The parade also brings a lot of money to local businesses, which should always be supported by residents. Unfortunately the parade had gotten out of control and needed to be adjusted. Oshea fought to prevent the parade from returning. I have listened for the last three years how much of a problem the parade was for the neighborhood and the police. The local businesses were shaken down for thousands of dollars to pay for a private security firm to step in and help police the parade. What doesn't seem to be mentioned is that the Pride parade, the Bud Billikin parade, the Puerto Rican parade and others are far more crime ridden and much more of a problem for local police. But, that's not supposed to be talked about....forget that dozens of children are left behind at the Bud Billikin parade...forget that the Puerto Rican parade goes on for almost a week at times....forget about the homosexuals performing numerous sex acts in the streets and smashing storefronts. The south side parade is the problem. Unfortunately, it is the usual double standard in this fine city. Unfortunately, private security more than likely means private kickbacks for local politicians. Issuing fines that will just produce more revenue for Rahm to invest into north side charter schools is also not the answer. These so called solutions are not about saving the parade, they are about making money.
    Take off the blinders people and start asking why us and not them. I am a big supporter of a safe family friendly parade, but I'm not naive about what's going on here. Nobody can police the parade better than the Chicago police department. Maybe Oshea ought to start going outside of party lines nd start fighting to have more police hired and on the street than pushing for private security. Maybe if the residents of Beverly have to be the ones that deal with the problems that the parade creates, then the fines should stay within the 19th ward.
    I'm hoping for another great parade and a bustling neighborhood.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous3/09/2013

    left chicago some years back to live in ireland, have to say this new breed of young irish narrow backs coming over here are a embarasment to the usa and to ireland,they arrive in dirty torn blue jeans and shrunken t shirts that havent been washed in a few years shouting about their granmas who came from here and there and then get blind drunk before they leave the air port and complain that they can get a pint cheaper then this in chicago,our experience shows that they come here just to get drunk and bother the locals,one of them walked into a house near here and said to present owner:hey. my relatives lived in this area about 1900,did you know the family:my friend said yes i just saw them at mass last sunday,now get the fuck out of my house,this sort of thing goes on everyday,and the women with their fat behinds and the south side irish bullshit they wear are worse then the men,when they run out of money in the pubs as the drinks are about 7 usa dollars to a pint they actually attempt to bum money off the locals to drink. and dont get us started with their out of control kids, screaming,yelling knocking stuff over showing no respect for others and mocking other european tourists.please stay home your a disgrace,,,,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous3/09/2013

      Works both ways....basically the younger people in general have less respect for themselves and others, whether they are from Chicago and go to Ireland to be obnoxious. Or whether they come from Ireland to Chicago to be obnoxious. Believe me, some of the Irish that hang about in our area are not a shining example of the mother land. but make no mistake Mickey, there are not now or never have there been hordes of Americans clamoring to move to Ireland. Most immigrants from Europe these days are just gypsies who want to be squatters in our great country and suck some cash from it. P.S. - This is not the first time you have posted virtually the same stuff if not verbatim. Do you have anything else positive to say? My grandfather came to America from Ireland (of which he was proud). But when he came here - he became an American ! Can't say I am sad to see you go.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous3/09/2013

      I seem to remember a few Irish "turaluralurists" who came to our great parade and went looking for young people walking alone later in the day. They pulled their car over and asked them "who discovered America?". Apparently they had some drunken idea that it was some Irishman...When the individual answered their question "wrong" the nice drunken Irish tourists proceeded to beat the hell out of the pedestrians. Ahhhh what a fine group ye are! Yeah some Irish Americans suck up to you but most of us can tell a bum when we see one.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous3/10/2013

      This neighborhood was WASP City until the Irish moved here after WWII.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous3/10/2013

      Well, the last time I was in London, the British had the SAME EXACT---and I mean to the letter---thing to say about the Irish. Dirty, drunk, smelly, bumming money, etc.


      But you correct, my friend, on one very important point: children. Children from the United States are very undisciplined.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous3/09/2013

    Your story about moving to Ireland and all that you regularly witness there is so believable. Where did you go to school? Can you find a good tutor over there?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous3/09/2013

    I remember a certain IRA hangout on Western during the 90s.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous3/10/2013

      And narrowbacks were smart to avoid that place.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous3/09/2013

    Give it up Finbarr, nobody is paying attention to you or your shanty family members.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous3/10/2013

    I do not ever remember any government policy that kidnapped uneducated over served low strata Irish and brought them to America at the point of a gun. Nobody made you come here and believe me nobody will care if you leave.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous3/10/2013

    got to admit, was in ireland about two yrs back and saw two ppl from St,Barnabas who i think won a trip over there for having the biggest asses in the midwest area,but true that some of the young ppl do go there to go on a spree and get obnoxious but saw also Brits, Swedes,Russian, Poles Doing the same so i guess it all evens out, but scary part is that all the ppl i mentioned come from countries where their money is worth more then ours,,,,,

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous3/10/2013

    got to say the irish guy is right, saw this myself in ireland last year,ppl falling down drunk.trying to hang with the locals, rebuffed,told to fuck off.shameless.Sgt Rowan. chicago pd

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous3/11/2013

    saw the way the locals treated returning American GIS at Shannon airport as they were routed through Germany to Shannon from Iraq,thought it was awful that the Irish called them killers, baby killers , fuck off Yanks etc,saw one GI minding own business and got suckered punched by a Mick,btw the Gi was wounded, nice huh.the Emerald Isle cunts can get fucked, are you listening ALD BURKE as you love to suck up to these assholes.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Allot of hate for the Irish expressed here. I don't understand where it is coming from. POST CLOSED.

    ReplyDelete