In Boston, Politicians Break Out Jokes Over Breakfast In St. Patrick's Day Tradition

The who's who of Massachusetts politics shared St. Patrick's Day breakfast Sunday, razzing each other on everything from the behavior of state Sen. Brian Joyce to the "bromance" between Mayor Marty Walsh and Gov. Charlie Baker.

Amid a sea of Democrats in deep blue South Boston, the Republican governor roasted himself — specifically his endorsements of ill-fated candidates to Congress and this year's presidential pick.

“As you all know just last month I endorsed Chris Christie for president, and that worked out really well,” Baker said to a chuckling crowd at the annual St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast. "So I’m here today to take a moment to publicly endorse Elizabeth Warren, Marty Walsh and Maura Healey for governor in 2018."

The breakfast drew more than 600 people to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Guests at long tables took in traditional Irish music between comedic appearances from personalities ranging from Walsh to U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, of Boston.

Host and State Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry lampooned the sky-high high approval rating of Gov. Baker, who’s taken fire for attending an out-of-state conference earlier this month without notifying the public.

“I want the governor to take his 84 percent on the road, to go back to Utah, to hang out with Mitt Romney and all the other governors,” Dorcena Forry said with a grin.

“By the way, he may, may want to head down to New Jersey to check on his buddy Chris Christie," she added.

The breakfast has a long tradition in Massachusetts politics. Last year the winter was the butt of the jokes — Dorcena Forry and Baker appeared in a video waiting for a late bus, driven by former MBTA chief Beverly Scott.

Among the politicos at this year's breakfast was Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who managed to make fun of the GOP, Democrats and those eating breakfast in one fell swoop. “It’s a great crowd,” Warren said. “You have as many college students as at a Clinton rally, the diversity of a Sanders rally, and the combined blood alcohol of a Trump rally.

“People here have been drinking since the crack of dawn, and yet you’re still more coherent than Donald Trump," she joked.

In the afternoon the politicians and thousands of revelers made their way to Broadway Station, where the St. Patrick’s Day parade began.

Maria O’Leary came to Boston with a group of 15 people from different parts of Ireland.

“St. Patrick, basically, he’s the one that brought the Christian faith to Ireland in the fifth century, and we’ve been celebrating since then,” she said.

Also from Ireland is Michael Tubridy, one of the founders of the traditional Celtic group the Chieftains. He said St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated differently in Ireland, in a multitude of traditions.

“Even some small villages would start off probably with a Mass, then they’d have their parade, and then they’d all go back to the community hall and have an afternoon of music and dancing and maybe some eating — and maybe drinking as well,” Tubridy said with a laugh.

Tubridy's own St. Patrick's Day? That involved Mass, a parade, then song and dance with friends at a local Boston church.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled Michael Tubridy's last name. We regret the error.