By Julia Beauregard
Hometown Weekly Editor
Seniors braved the blustery conditions last Wednesday, March 15th to enjoy the long awaited St. Patrick's Day luncheon at the Patricia Carty-Larkin Center. The event had sold out in only five minutes and the function room was packed on both sides.
All of the attendees toted green outfits, representative of their holiday cheer. Their outfits paired well with the festive decor and the pub tunes that echoed throughout the room.
Roger Tincknell, a local musician, performed for the seniors during their lunch, playing a variety of pub music, sea shanties, and folk songs to set the mood; he brought a bit of Ireland with him to the senior center.
“Before you get up and eat, you need to sing for your supper!” Tincknell joked, before encouraging their crowd to sing along to “No, Nay, Never” by the Irish Rovers, while the volunteers set up their buffet-style lunch. The group clapped along and shouted the words embedded in the chorus.
Another fan favorite was “My Wild Irish Rose,” by Chauncey Olcott, which caused all of the attendees to sing to their heart's content. Along with “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” by Bing Crosby, which was sung by Karen Gallagher, a local librarian. Everyone sang along with Gallagher, their voices echoing throughout the room, with an even louder applause following the conclusion of the tune.
After the seniors “earned” their meal, they indulged in a traditional Irish boiled dinner; corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and soda bread, which was served by various volunteers, including Michael Walsh from the Board Select.
The meal was followed up by a decadent carrot cake, which was lovingly made by Chef Ti from Powisset Farm, who regularly teaches cooking classes to the seniors.
Perhaps the best treat of all was when local senior, Annemarie, provided a “guest performance,” and sang what she called “a make believe Irish song,” to her friends. She serenaded her friends with “I’m Looking Over A Four Leafed Clover,” which everyone sang along with her.
Everyone in attendance felt lucky on this day; between the delicious food, incredible dessert, and even better entertainment, the luck of the Irish was with us all.
