March2004

NOLAN'S NOTIONS An occasional Column from former IBO President!
Since it is still Irish Month, (I am writing this on March 29th) I had better update you all on my meanderings for the cause, walking for Ireland and making sure the Smithwicks was flowing ‘just right’ from the shiny new taps all over the city.
Well there’s good news and there’s bad news. The bad news is that the author, Pete McCarthy, who was to read from his best-seller The Road to McCarthy (he also wrote McCarthy’s Bar) on Friday, March 5, never showed. Him that walked all over Ireland and Australia seeking out Pubs named ‘McCarthy’s Bar’, left us high and dry (well not quite dry, since the Smithwicks arrived), failed to show up in The Irish Arts Center. Pauline Turley apologized profusely, (just as well it was a free reading, how can one look for a refund to a free reading, I ask”) and it seems the good Mr. McCarthy was unwell and unable to travel. There I was fresh from a bar, braced by a March breeze up 12th Ave, standing alone at the door, with the names of 23 McCarthy’s Bars in America in my pocket for my hero, and where was he? A no-show! A third book, ‘McCarthy Takes America’, already penned in my mind, book signings, film rights…all kaput! Gone with the Hudson wind! Ah well, there’s always Malachy McCourt, maybe he will like my idea, ..or maybe not, whoever heard of a bar called McCourt??
The Dubliners founder, Ronnie Drew, accompanied by musician-extraordinaire Mike Hanrahan, however did not let us down with his extraordinary review of the Dubliners success in the 60’s and 70’s. (Where does a guy get a voice that can be heard across 5 city blocks in a whisper?). At the Irish Echo’s 75th anniversary party, Ronnie regaled us after-hours with many of his favourites, including a haphazard rendition of “The Queen she came to call on us” even managing to get Sean Finlay and Barry Lynch to stop talking for a minute!
Then on to the Parade on the 17th. Well whatever about the tradition of strolling leisurely up Fifth Avenue, this year, the IBO positively cantered up, in a vain effort to stay warm. I was proud to be Grand Marshall for a day, but it’s like the saying, “If a tree falls in the forest, does anyone hear it?” In our case, with the fog of snow, the rapidly darkening day, the frigid avenue wind and the late hour (4.30pm), I’m not sure who saw us, which is a real pity.
Then it was back to the Stanhope, where Eugene Flanagan had booked his usual suite for his folks, to watch the parade in comfort, only to find that the hotel had changed ownership and policy. (The room was only available after 3pm, kinda defeating the purpose. Eugene, ever the optimist, booked it for March 16th and 17th for 2005, so mark your calendars). Anyway, here’s the rub, Eugene calls me up on the 19th, asking me if I found the parking at the Stanhope to my liking on the 17th. Parking I asked? What parking? Sure, I parked my butt in the Stanhope Bar and bought a round or two, but no, I’d never bring a car to New York on St. Patrick’s day, what am I? Looking for trouble? Turns out someone put their car on Eugene’s tab, using my name! Go figure! Entrepreneurial yes, my car, no! Happily it worked out ok and Eugene was looked after by the hotel, but whoever you are, we know what you’r driving!
I did find parking in Pearl River though, and my son David and I joined Julia Connolly and her intrepid Rockland posse in the Apres St. Patrick’s Day parade there. It’s a great day if you’ve not done it before. Pearl River is probably the most relaxed and friendly parade of them all, and I have to say, the IBO were welcomed there like a good pipe band. Well done Julia.
Finally, to end the silly season, Ireland today brought in a blanket smoking ban all over the country, using the same unproven statistics on second-hand smoke that Mayor Bloomberg did! (honestly if 1,000 bar staff had died each year of second-hand smoke and Mayor Mike had said, then darn it, I must living under a rock, ‘cause I missed every one of them, every year!)
Ireland of late has become a country that is so bureaucratic (and petty-bureaucrat at that), that it would put America to shame. It must be the Eurocrat influence, laws and hordes of inspectors for everything. What Ireland needed was a simple rule that banned smoking in Restaurants and allowed pubs to have smoking, only if they did it in an air-controlled manner, with decent tax incentives for bars that went ‘smoke-free’, basically letting the market decide.
Instead we have gone from having the smokiest, smelliest and happiest bars, overnight, to having the cleanest, safest and probably, emptiest bars in the world. Typical of our wont, we go for extremes. All or nothing! I can just hear the talk outside Mass on Sunday. “No, grand-dad doesn’t come into town anymore, nor do any of his friends. They used to go the McCarthy’s for a pint and a fag, now they can’t” Personally, I wouldn’t like to own a bar there, (or here) now. The fun is gone out of being Master of the House!
Brian Celtic Solutions