Last year, if some of you will recall, I was in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, promoting my friend Mike Burke, who was running against Sly James in the mayor’s race.
We all know how that turned out, and Sly seems to be doing a fine job. So, this year, instead of being in the street, I was off to the side.
Oh, well…it was a good time, and I thought you might enjoy a few of the sights, even if you were there…
You've got to look the part, as well as feel it
Looking north on Broadway from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The queen on her throne -- the back of attorney John Gordon's Irish Mustang
One of several politicians in the line-up, the county prosecutor
Retired architect Kite Singleton and bored grandson
Sometimes it takes connections to get in the blog...Daughter Brooks and wife Patty, both cutting a fine figure
Top Hat
Attention, please!
A skinny Miami Dolphin sneaked into the parade
Green is nice, but there's a lot to be said for auburn
Everybody needs a break...
My pin
As Bill the Butcher said to young Amsterdam Vallon in The Gangs of New York; “On the seventh day the Lord rested, but before he did, he squatted over the side of England and what came out of him…..was Ireland. No offense son.”
Only in our uber secular society would we give pause one day a year to honor a Saint by wearing, eating, drinking, puking and pooping all sorts of green matter and particulate as some sort of homage to our ignorance and stupidity of all things religious.
At least Mardi Gras and Carnival give the impression of some sort of ritualistic celebration of the human soul and spirit. St. Paddy’s day, just an excuse to get pissed and make a bloody arse of ye.
Ya wanna be Irish for a day? Forget the Elder’s “hoolie” at the Uptown. Fly Aer Lingus to Belfast, pick a side, Protestant or Catholic; apparently there are two gods there. Three if you count Bono. Find an innocent target and fire away paddy.
Great post Jim, I went to the breakfast at Browne’s but didn’t make it the parade. Did have lots of folks parking in our neighborhood though. Your photos and wry captions made me feel as if I’d been there with you. It’s ok to have a goofy irreverent celebration and not weigh it down with pretentious political and religious significance as everyone seems to want to do today.
looks like fun was had by all. our parades were pretty much washed out. that’s right, parades — the downtown parade, the dogtown parade and the cottelville parade. the ancient order of hibernians got mad at the downtown parade because they were letting the parade get too “untraditional” and dropped out to start the dogtown parade in the irish part of town. cottelville is in west county (almost to jeff city) which started the parade about three years ago to keep the suburban folks out in the boonies (god bless ‘em). downtown parking was a bit of a challenge, the parade started at 11:30 and the NCAA wrestling championship finals at scottrade were going on at the same time. 19,000 fans at the scott and about 75,000-100,000 at the parade, good thing i had an in…
Great tutu on Birthday Girl Brooks !!
Thanks to the Gottsch-Koppen family (Jim and Julie) for the comments and also to our St. Louis correspondent, Gus, who keeps us current on goings-on on the east side of the state.
Gus — Do you remember when Patty and I were there years ago and a Mardi Gras parade in the distinctive, wonderful Soulard area? That would be a great place for a St. Patrick’s Day Parade, it seems to me…Can you start one there next year?
Our parade got its start in 1973 with a few drunk guys, led by radio talk show host Mike Murphy, bar owner Dan Hoggerty and p.r. guru Pat O’Neill, pulling themselves off their bar stools and parading around a downtown block banging pots and pans and otherwise making fools of themselves. If they can do it, you and a few of your courthouse pals could do it too!
soulard has the mardi gras parade and i’m sure that they want no part of the st. pat’s parade..
Jim – top of the mornin’ to you since it’s now a little past midnight. Neat pictures. I had my green on in Joplin on Saturday.
Great Picture of Karl Roscoe, the coolest guy in the parade.