A Look Back on How The Paddy’s Day Luncheon Started
- Posted: March 10, 2021
- better communities, Union Electrician
It was the early 1950s when a group of seven electrical industry salesmen got together to celebrate their friend Frank Cummins’ birthday. Frank’s birthday was on March 16th and the group viewed the celebration as an early kickoff to the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day holiday on the 17th. It was a time for the seven salesmen, Cummins, Paul O’Reilly, Bob Harman, Wallie O’Brien, Bill Crossey, Connie Butler, and Jim Glenn to have a few afternoon drinks and celebrate one of their friends.
As is typically the case when friends get together, the party started going longer and longer into the evening, and by 1954 the celebration spilled over into St. Patrick’s Day. The group then decided that if there was going to be a celebration on St. Patrick’s Day, they better open up the party to their coworkers and colleagues within the industry. It did not take long for the party to stretch from the original seven members to well over 700 today.
As the luncheon grew over the years, it went from a gathering of professionals within the electrical industry to a celebration of those loosely tied to the industry and the official kickoff to St. Patrick’s Day. The luncheon – now formally known as the Paddy’s Day Luncheon Society – uses the occasion to highlight and recognize those who have made a lasting impression within the industry.
“There are two honors at the lunch,” says Kevin O’Shea, CEO of Shamrock Electric. “The first honor is for ‘The Big Shillelagh.’ This person acts as the host of the luncheon for the day, and they do introductions and are the master of the ceremony.”
O’Shea, a recipient of The Big Shillelagh in 2001, says the honor is given to those who have given back to the industry and are well regarded by their peers. The award has been given out since 1954 when Paul O’Reilly was given the award. Since then, it has honored individuals throughout the electrical industry.
“I don’t think I had quite paid my dues when I won the award in 2001,” explains O’Shea. “From that point on, I was more involved with the luncheon and the industry. The award meant so much to me, and it was such a total shock, that I try and give back more to this industry because of it. It’s the biggest honor of my professional career.”
The other award given out at the annual luncheon is the Francis P. Cummins Award. The award is given to those within the industry for their “dedication to the society’s ideas and principles to bring together each year on the fest day of St. Patrick, March 17, those of Irish heritage and their friends who are part of the electrical industries of the City of Chicago.”
“The award recipients are all worthy individuals who are well known and respected within our industry,” explains Mark Nemshick, former manager of the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Chicago. “These individuals have been part of the luncheon or have volunteered on different committees over the years. They’re people who have been around for a long time.”
Nemshick, like O’Shea, is a former recipient of The Big Shillelagh and each has also been recognized with the Cummins award. Nemshick can still recall his first time attending the luncheon in 1977 when it was hosted at the Bismarck Hotel. To Nemshick, the luncheon has always provided an enjoyable experience and a time to catch up with old friends.
“It’s a lot of entertainment for the dollar,” Nemshick explained. “It was always on the 17th and was the starting point for anyone who wanted to celebrate the St. Patrick’s Day holiday. A lot of times, you may only see someone once a year and that’s at the luncheon.”
In the early 2000’s the date of the luncheon changed from the 17th to the Friday prior to the 17th, because when it fell earlier in the week bosses and managers were not happy that “their employees were useless for the rest of the week.”
For O’Shea, the commodore of the day is on full display each year and a large part of that, he says, is because of the family ties that run throughout the industry.
“The industry has family roots and it’s on display at the Paddy’s Luncheon every year,” O’Shea says. “It’s on display at other times throughout the year, but not quite like it is in March.”
Unfortunately, for just the second time in its history, the luncheon in 2021 will be canceled, but those involved or who have attended the luncheon previously, say they can’t wait for its return in 2022.