Best St. Patrick’s Day came in 1988. No drinking, because that was the time when we would abstain for Lent.
We were taking Modern Irish Literature as taught by Dean Jm. F. Kilroy (!), and for St. Patrick’s Day, we were instructed to meet at his home, where we ended up sitting in the living room and reading the poetry of Wm. Butler Yeats to each other. There was an Irish girl in there, a student, with the typical green eyes and Irish nose, and she was soulful when she recited ‘An Irish Airman Foresees His Death’. No, you can’t make this stuff up.
Earlier that day, the legendary Echo & The Bunnymen arrived on campus to do a rescheduled show they were playing at the big concrete-domed auditorium. Unable to afford tickets for the evening show, we snuck into the front row for the sound check, after which we went backstage to see if we could meet the principals. Ian and Pete were off doing something illicit in Greater New Orleans, and Will was left behind; the band was from Liverpool, and that was in the days before the Premiership, when the Reds were in their pomp with Kenny Dalglish and Bill Shankly and all that. So Will, having been left behind, was pouting and petulant as he bounced a football (that is, a soccer ball) in the wings.
Back at Kilroy’s home, it was time to disband. He was a good host. He served us some Irish soda bread his wife had baked earlier in the afternoon. We were dispersing and walked past the auditorium, where the excitement was building and the opening act already was at full volume. No luck tonight, no ticket, no Bunnymen.
The crowd was rushing inside. Outside the front entrance, few were left. Earlier we had been approached by a scalper who was offering top seats and a backstage pass. No money, so no soap, no sale. Yet just as we were about to make the sad walk back to the apartment, the scalper, having been unable to unload his extra ticket for cash, put the ticket and the backstage pass in our hands, no explanation, no questions asked, and himself sped into the auditorium. Luck of the Irish!
The concert was good, with Ian McCulloch breaking out into a jig while Will riffed on ‘Irish Washerwoman’ during a solo.
Afterwards, we went backstage, met Ian, who was holding forth over the adoring line of nice-looking girls, mostly, while he sat and autographed various bits of memorabilia. He signed our concert programme and shook our hand, squinting at us like he had seen us before. ‘You look familiar,’ he said as he squinted at our face. ‘Didn’t we meet in Washington, D.C.?’
Then it was over, but thirty-two years later, that Godshot still reverberates. Thank you, St. Patrick. Pray for us always!
Sunday:
Golden Gate 7
#6 Lea’s Reward ($31.60, BestLine Fair Odds 3.67-1)
Gulf 1
#2 Boerne ($29.20, BestLine Fair Odds 2.28-1)
Gulf 4
#4 War Giant ($20.60, BestLine Fair Odds 3.85-1)
Gulf 7
#7 Stated ($20.80, BestLine Fair Odds 3.22-1)
There was one selected Tampa race on Sunday. There were two win-overlay wagers, the better finish being a third at 20-1.
Yesterday:
The WRD 1
#6 Sorryabutnothing ($29.60, BestLine Fair Odds 3.39-1)
There was one selected race from The WRD yesterday. There were two win-overlay wagers, with the better outcome being a runner-up finish by a dirty length at 19-1.
WMF Report / Track-Trend Notes:
WMF Report / Track-Trend Notes for Tuesday, March 17, 2020 – @FairmountParkIL 5f, @HollywoodMVRC 5 1/2f, 6f are early-speed-favoring — as long as there’s racing at these tracks, that is. Nonetheless, St. Patrick, pray for us! #SaintPatricksDay
— Cynthia Publishing Company (AIO V6 / BestLine) (@cpcbestline) March 17, 2020
Follow directly: here.
Today:
The Zongo Race Club suggests Sam Houston 5, Mahoning 7. Hoping for Godshots always.
