As
we all well know, St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and supposedly
rid them of snakes. It’s unclear
exactly when he lived, sometime in the fifth century (the 400s). We believe he died of alcohol poisoning on
March 17.
Parades. I’ve never participated or been in any of
them. Nor, for that matter, do I recall
going out drinking on this date simply for the sake of doing so or celebrating the
occasion.
However, in August 2001, visiting my friend
Jean, then stationed in Columbus, Ohio (graduate studies at Ohio State U.) we
went to an Irish festival in nearby Dublin.
Everything was green, as you might imagine, and alcohol was served.
Ireland. Never been there, they tell me it’s
nice. I have been to London several
times – yes, I know, it’s not the same.
And I’ve been to Boston a few times, which is (more so than Dublin, OH),
the Dublin of the US.
Myles. Shout out to Myles and his brother Eoin, the
only Irish I know.
Irish. I don’t
begrudge the Irish for being proud, or Irish-Americans of being proud of being
Irish-Americans. I’m one quarter English
(Scots-Irish? No clue) and three
quarters Polish, and I don’t celebrate Poland, etc. I consider myself American. I was born in Maryland, both parents born in
the US (NY and MA), and both paternal grandparents born in the US (NY). I have a US passport and while I’ve lived
overseas as a kid and traveled abroad as an adult, my permanent resident as an
adult has always been the US.
The Boondock Saints (I
& II). As I promised, here it is. Back in 1999, two Irish boys from Boston,
Connor and Murphy MacManus (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus) suddenly
get the inspiration to form a rhythm & blues band in Chicago. Nope…to rid Boston of its organized crime
elements. First their buddy Rocco (David
Della Rocco), then their father Noah (Billy Connally), helps them out. They go on a spree, armed with Beretta 92FS,
and the body count adds up. The movie
screws around by cutting out immediately as a shootout is due to occur, at
which point FBI Special Agent Smecker (Willem Dafoe), who is supposed to be
tracking them down to arrest them, “reconstructs” the shootout himself. Later on, Smecker decides to help them out
instead. That was the original, 1999
version.
In 2009, the sequel ejaculated onto
our screens. The boys were at it again,
summoned back to the US from Ireland to take out the prior bad guy’s son Concezio Yakavetta (Judd Nelson), and Noah (Billy Connolly) also
helps out, plus a third wheel, a Mexican guy Romeo (Clifton Collins) taking
Rocco’s place. This time around the FBI
agent helping them along – instead of arresting them – is a hot woman, Bloom
(Julie Benz), as Smecker is dead by then.
They also give us the backstory on Noah, who
had an Italian comrade back at the start, though that duo broke up in the 70s –
his comrade ratted him out to the Feds, and then started his own organization
now that their competitors were six feet under.
This story comes to conclusion at the end, when we meet the Old Man
(Peter Fonda). Rob Wells, aka Ricky
from Trailer Park Boys, has a role as the Concezio’s consigliere. Hooking up with their guns & ammo arsenal
guy midway through the film, the boys upgrade from Berettas to Desert Eagles.
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