South Boston’s annual parade, a dual celebration of St. Patrick’s Day and Evacuation Day that will kick off on Sun., March 16, will begin an hour-and-a-half earlier than past years as elected officials and parade organizers attempt to curb the unruly behavior that has marred the event in recent years.
The parade will commence from its customary starting point by Broadway MBTA station at 11:30 a.m., according to state Sen. Nick Collins and City Councillor Ed Flynn, who both called for reforms to the parade after a string of assaults, overcrowding, and other incidents along and near the parade route last year.
In a statement to the Dorchester Reporter, Collins said, “The parade will be starting earlier this year in an attempt to get a better handle on the tomfoolery. Last year, there were regrettable moments at the parade that we don’t want to see repeated this time around.”
Flynn will serve as the parade’s general chairman and the chief marshal is Allana Devlin Ball, a South Boston native who is a retired U.S. Navy Lt. commander.
“Following last year’s unacceptable violence and public drinking at the Evacuation Day Parade,” said Flynn, “I convened a monthly meeting and task force with the South Boston elected officials, South Boston Allied War Veterans Council and city and state agencies, including the Boston Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, MBTA Transit Police, and the Boston Parks Department, among others.
“This task force and partners in the community have met multiple times since then to prepare and discuss public safety for all and restore a family-friendly environment at this year’s parade.”
The parade will follow its traditional route, up West Broadway from near the T station and onto East Broadway to City Point. Marchers will then turn at P street to East 4th and head back west, ending on Dorchester Street at Andrew Station.
Flynn added this note about the proceedings on March 16: “I have made it a priority to ensure that the focus of the parade returns to Evacuation Day and honoring our veterans, military families, first responders, as well as our proud immigrant history and families that came to our city in search of a better life.
“As the City of Boston is down approximately 130 officers this year, law enforcement will collaborate with neighboring jurisdictions to ensure that all visitors respect the rule of law and the people of South Boston. I expect all visitors to respect the rule of law and act accordingly. It is critical that we ensure a family-friendly event to honor our veterans and military families.”
The parade will be preceded by the traditional St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast, which once again will be hosted by Sen. Collins, who says the breakfast will begin at 9 a.m. and be televised on NECN, NESN and BNN-TV and on the radio at 950 AM.
Featured guests will include federal, state and local elected officials, military officials and a special guest speaker from the Irish government, Peter Burke, the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism, and Employment. The 42-year-old Doyle is a native of Mullingar who has served as an elected member of the Dáil since 2016.
Collins said he expects Boston’s still-developing mayoral election will be the center of much attention and jabs at the breakfast. “The mayoral race is on everyone’s mind,” said Collins, who noted that “the enthusiasm from volunteers, participants, and sponsors has shone through” as he prepares for this year’s breakfast.
WBUR and the Dorchester Reporter have a partnership in which the news organizations share resources to collaborate on stories. This story was originally published by the Dorchester Reporter.
