Security Plan Agreed Upon For South Side Irish Parade

By Chuck Sudo in News on Feb 18, 2012 3:30PM

The return of the South Side Irish Parade after a three-year absence took another step to realization yesterday as parade organizers, city and transportation officials agreed on a security plan to enforce a zero tolerance policy along the parade route and keep people engaging in binge drinking on their way to the parade from boarding trains and buses to get there.

Under the terms of the agreement, police will enforce the zero-tolerance alcohol policy along the parade route, and Metra will neither allow carrying nor consuming alcohol on trains that day. 19th Ward Ald. Matt O'Shea, who has been the most vocal opponent of the parade's return, sounded optimistic after the meeting.

“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.”

James "Skinny" Sheahan, who's been at the point of the parade's return, agreed and said,"we're all set to go." For Sheahan and O'Shea, the debate over the parade's resurrection has taken a slightly personal tone. The two are related by marriage: O'Shea is married to Sheahan's niece, and Sheahan—a veteran political strategist and confidant of former Mayor Richard M. Daley— supported O'Shea's successful election bid last year.

Both O'Shea and Sheahan told the Sun-Times' Mark Konkol they were confident they could put the debate between them.

“Look, I grew up with six brothers. We fought every day and sat down for dinner together at night,” Sheahan said. “We can take it.”