“St. Patrick's Month” Kicks Off

Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh join hundreds at Charlestown roast

With ice dams, potholes, snowbanks that refuse to melt and endless, bitter cold, Boston needs an excuse for a party.

Friday night, the patron saint of Ireland provided it, as Governor Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and a sea of local politicians joined hundreds celebrating an early St. Patrick's Day at state Senator Sal DiDomenico's annual event at the Knights of Columbus hall in Charlestown.

Baker observed that the March 17 holiday has morphed into a St. Patrick's Month.

"My last St. Patrick's event is on the 29th. My first is tonight," Baker said. "I think you guys are taking a little liberty with this holiday."

DiDomenico presented Walsh and Everett Mayor Carlo DiMaria with what's likely to be a common St. Patrick's roast gift: cleared-out parking space savers, in this case, orange cones with a campaign sign for the other city's mayor.

Baker got into that act, too, quipping that he needed help from Walsh because "I can't get Governor (Deval) Patrick's folding chair out of my parking space at the State House. I thought they said that there were no more space savers allowed, but then I hear that that doesn't apply to state property."

Walsh, for his part, got a chance to turn his new Mayor DeMaria campaign sign into a gentle zinger at his neighboring city.

"I just want to tell you that the city of Everett is named for a great American leader, Edward Everett, who happens to be a native of," Walsh said and paused, "Dorchester."

"That story is true," Walsh said - of course, probably not like every last story a politician will be telling at a St. Patrick's roast.


With videographer Daniel A. Valente Jr.

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