South Side Irish Parade appears to get green light
BY STEFANO ESPOSITO February 17, 2012 9:18PM
Ryan Dooley age 11 and his dad Dennis Dooley of Tinley Park leading off the parade.in 2004. | File photo
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Updated: March 19, 2012 10:11AM
The infighting that might have killed efforts to re-start the South Side Irish Parade appears to be over, after parade organizers Friday hammered out a safety plan acceptable to both sides.
“Everything was positive,” said James “Skinny” Sheahan, the man leading the pro-parade push. “It was a great meeting. We’re all set to go.”
Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th), who refused to support the parade until he was sure it wouldn’t be overrun with drunken ruffians, agreed.
“I think it’s going to happen, yeah,” said O’Shea, who voted to kill the parade in 2009. “I want the South Side Irish Parade that I grew up with back. I don’t want what we’ve had the last few years.”
O’Shea, Sheahan and others involved in the planning met with various city officials downtown Friday, agreeing to a plan that includes police enforcing a zero-tolerance policy toward booze along the parade route. On the day of the parade, tentatively set for March 11, Metra will prohibit commuters from carrying or consuming alcohol.
Last month, City Hall approved a parade permit application, and now O’Shea said he’s confident the city will take the final step in granting the permit for the event, which ran for 31 consecutive years through 2009.
The South Side Irish Parade Committee and Bourbon Street are planning a parade fund-raiser for Saturday, from 6 to 10 p.m., in Merrionette Park.
— Stefano Esposito
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