Local pols and special guests gathered in the festively decorated Ironworkers Union hall on Sunday morning for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast. This event had it all. Pots of shamrocks, a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs and sausage, live Irish music, lots of singing, and plenty of jokes.  Caught in Southie was lucky enough to be a part of it all – by providing behind-the-scenes footage and interviews (which you can check out on our Instagram St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast Highlights).  NECN and BNN were broadcasting the event live.

Senator Nick Collins (a lifelong Southie resident) hosted the event and did an amazing job from the beginning to the end. Collins navigated the head table through introductions, jokes, singing, jabs, and self-deprecation. He kept the programming moving quickly and smoothly.  His standout performance was his rendition of “Take me Home, Country Roads” – into a parody song “Fix the Roads, Mayor Wu.”

“Fix the roads, Mayor Wu.

It ain’t the state, it’s on you.

Ditch the bike lanes and the blame games.

Fix the roads, Mayor Wu.”

Seated at the head table included Governor Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Auditor Diana DiZoglio, Massachusetts, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden, Senate President Karen Spilka, Irish Cabinet Minister Peter Burke, US Navy Commander Cameron Ingram of the USS Hudner, Irish Tenor Paul Byrom of Dublin, and Chief Marshall of the 2025 St. Patrick’s Day & Evacuation Day Parade and South Boston native, Lieutenant Commander Alanna Ball. Plus State Rep. David Biele, State Rep John Moran, Norfolk County Treasurer Michael Bellotti, plus members of the Boston City Council including Ed Flynn, Erin Murphy, Ruthzee Louijeune, Julia Mejia and John FitzGerald.

Here are some takeaways

The crowd was in the St. Patrick’s spirit

Green was the color of the day! Green ties, hats, dresses, suits, socks and more! There were plenty of Irish knits, tweed, and scally caps too.  The audience laughed, sang along, clapped, cheered, and enjoyed their breakfast.

Mayor Wu + her prop baby Mira

Mayor Wu carried on stage what appeared to her new daughter Mira but it was in fact a prop baby which she threw into the arms of Collins.  “I brought the prop baby! It’s bad enough that grown-ups have to sit through two and a half hours of bad jokes. I’m not going to make a baby do that.”

Governor Maura Healey

Governor Maura Healey made fun of herself for all the national high profile appearances she’s made and rumored ambitions of something larger for her political career.

“I mean, one little appearance on Seth Meyers, a New York Times interview, a photo-shoot, a couple of more podcasts like Fast Politics with Molly Jong-Fast — now available on Apple, Spotify and iHeart,” said Healey.

State Auditor Dianna DiZoglio can sing

DiZoglio showed off her musical chops with her rendition of  “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift and “Roar” by Katy Perry.

Josh Kraft

Mayoral candidate Josh Kraft was in the crowd but was invited up on stage to say hello and tell a few jokes- most of which were directly at Mayor Wu.

Live Music and Irish Dancing

The Breakfast had the wildly popular Irish band Curragh’s Fancy, keeping the hands clapping and the toes tapping.  Superintendent Pauline Wells of the Cambridge Police Department sang the Irish National Anthem beautifully, and the Boston Fire Department Acapella Quartet sang the National Anthem. There was also a special appearance by the Woods School of Irish Step which got the crowd fired up!

Brunt of the Jokes

Mayor Wu received some good old-fashioned ribbing for bike lanes, bus lanes, and the about the reported $650,000 of city funds she spent getting ready for her congressional testimony earlier this month.

The Breakfast was dedicated to Shelia Lynch

This year’s Breakfast is dedicated to Shelia Lynch.  Shelia celebrated her Irish American heritage with vigor.  She would revel in the history that made her beloved community of South Boston so unique and special this time of year.  Sunday morning, we honor Shelia for her loyal participation in the St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast and parade, the South Boston Citizens Association Historical Exercises, and her decades-long civic commitment to her neighbors through her service on South Boston’s Ward 7 Democratic Committee.  Shelia’s spirit is alive and well today and the Committee is proud to dedicate the 2025 ST. Patrick’s Day Breakfast in her honor.

Small Businesses were a central part of the celebration.

This year’s breakfast featured a wide range of small businesses, from florists to restaurants!  The program for the event was printed by ProPrint, owned by Southie resident Jay Arthur.  The centerpieces on the tables were created by Yanni at Stapleton Floral on East Broadway. Even the tables and chairs are from a South End small business, Party Rental Ltd, and the St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast banner was created by Carroll Advertising in Dorchester. Guests sampled some neighborhood specialties from sips via Castle Island Brewery, Grand Ten Distillery, to pizza from Bardo’s and even hot dogs from the legendary Sullivan’s Castle Island.

Did you miss the breakfast? Well, you can still watch it!

You can watch on demand via NECN or here via BNN

You can check out our behind-the-scenes interviews via our Instagram highlights here! 

Thank You Very Much!

The organization of the breakfast was impressive, as I watched it first-hand. The pro team of Dusty Rhodes and Conventures, Jimmy Callahan and Olivia Callahan from JCALPRO, the crew from Thistle Communications, Haley Dillon Walsh, Denise Higgins, Tommy Butler, Sean Pierce, Jennifer Jackson – plus all the amazing volunteers made the event run seamlessly!

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Special thank you to my partner in crime and cameraman – Peter Gailunas