The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Queer Eye for the Irish Guy

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In today's NRO, Helen Rittelmeyer stumbles onto my turf with an investigation of Republicans' failures to attract the Boston Irish. It's a good read, but apparently Helen isn't from Boston, because this mistake in the lede is fairly damning:

For most Americans, St. Patrick's Day is a chance to pretend to be from the South End of Boston.

Hmm. Surely she means South Boston, which is distinctively Irish. If the South End -- a different neighborhood entirely -- is distinctively anything, it's bohemian and, especially, gay.

Hey, it's a free country, but as someone who's Boston Irish the other 364 days as well, I'd just as soon put a stop to this.

View all comments (8) | Leave a comment

R. Trotter| 3.17.09 @ 2:09PM

They certainly did get it wrong! South Boston is NASCAR country.

http://www.southboston.com/

http://www.southbostonspeedway.com/

Gay leprechauns indeed!

Mrs. Jackson| 3.17.09 @ 2:51PM

Ronald Reagan always hit South Boston for a beer if he found himself in Massachusetts on St. Patrick's Day.

The difference between Reagan and these young (critical) Republicans is that Reagan had a more nuanced mind.

W. James Antle III| 3.17.09 @ 3:08PM

I was at a wedding this weekend where the church was in the South End but the priest was from South Boston.

Cats and dogs together.

Crusader| 3.17.09 @ 3:49PM

Was it a gay wedding? We are talking Massachusetts after all.

W. James Antle III| 3.17.09 @ 4:43PM

"Was it a gay wedding?"

N0.

Aaron| 3.17.09 @ 4:56PM

Something I don't think I've ever heard and don't think I want to... a thick Boston accent with lots of ssssss at the end of everthing.

ruth| 3.17.09 @ 6:11PM

Antle was quick to knock Crusader's assumption down. Funny.

breatnac| 3.18.09 @ 10:32AM

Ronaldus Maximus did not visit South Boston for a beer. In fact he visited the Eire Pub in Dorchester's Adams Village neighborhood. I was listening to the radio that afternoon and heard that President Reagan was heading to the pub on his way back to Logan Airport. I darted out of my house and walked three blocks and got a friendly thumbs up from President Reagan as he arrived in his limo--next to me were a group of cretinous unionized construction workers giving a thumbs down to the President. Unfortunately, the Boston Irish are nearly dead and gone much like the martyrs in Yeat' poem.