Story and Photos By Sal Giarratani
TOWNIES ALWAYS
SUPPORT ST. JOSEPH
The Saint Joseph Society held its July procession recently through the streets of the North End. Few folks outside the club know that there are many folks who call Charlestown their home either born there or living there now that there is actually a pseudo-Townie division.
Recently caught up with Peter White who married into the Sullivan family. Yes. those Sullivan’s who started the recently shuttered Old Sully’s.
My grandmother was a Sullivan but not one of them. She came from Bere Island in West Cork. Peter’s inlaws came to Charlestown by crossing over the old Prison Point Bridge.
I remember Old Sully’s because it was real closed to my Uncle Jim’s potato shed at the rail yards which is now pretty much paved over for the so-called New Rutherford Avenue. It’s pretty much not so new anymore.
My Uncle Jim always walked around the wall to the bar for lunch and to chat with Merry’s (Peter’s wife) grandfather. The only reminder of the old potato sheds is that piece of wall by Lynde Street. That goes, and the potato sheds never existed.
STEVE SWEENEY “TOWNIE” SOUTH SHORE FAVORITE
Sweeney born and raised in Charlestown is a big celeb in the Town. I can’t tell you how often this comic has made me laugh. He makes everyone laugh with his down-to earth act. Always sounding the part because he’s no phony.
Like me, he left Charlestown for Quincy for a while, but the Charlestown in his roots stayed put. I didn’t come from the Town but my mother did and Charlestown was always a second neighborhood for me. I am still there all their all the time, and have been writing in the Patriot for over 40 years. I am close to being a Townie as anyone can be. It is in my blood.
While getting back to Steve Sweeney, he recently did a comedy show at the River Club Music Hall in the Irish Riviera, better known as Scituate. Couldn’t make his show, but heard it was a great night of fun and music. Steve Sweeney is a piece of work, and if you don’t know him or who he is, you are missing plenty.