The life of Martin J. Tubridy was the inspiration for Harry Chapin’s hit song “Mr. Tanner." Story by Pat Fenton “Mr. Tanner was a cleaner from a town in the Midwest. And of all the cleaning shops around he'd made his the best. But he also was a baritone who sang while hanging clothes. He practiced scales while pressing tails and sang at local shows.” It’s been a … [Read more...] about The Real Mr. Tanner
Pat Fenton
Lost Footage of the Deadline Artists: Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill
By Pat Fenton
It was January 22 of 2019 and I was standing in this large room at the Time Warner Center in Manhattan. The room overlooked Columbus Circle. There was a cocktail party going on and as I looked around at the guests coming in I could see all these faces that I usually only see on television, or in their words as by-lines on the pages of New York’s newspapers. Some of them … [Read more...] about Lost Footage of the Deadline Artists: Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill
A 17th Street St. Patrick’s Day
Pat Fenton takes us back to an earlier time of celebrating St. Patrick's Day on 17th Street in Prospect Park, Brooklyn when the Irish bars overflowed with families, friends, food, and music. It is a time Pat remembers fondly as he not only celebrated St. Patrick's Day but also his birthday. Happy St. Patrick's Day and birthday Pat! When the long, cold winter ended, and the … [Read more...] about A 17th Street St. Patrick’s Day
Irish American
Heritage Month 2021
A Proclamation on Irish-American Heritage Month, 2021
On Monday March 1, 2021 President Joe Biden proclaimed March as Irish American Heritage Month to honor the achievements and contributions of Irish immigrants and their descendants living in the United States. Irish American Heritage Month was first celebrated by a proclamation in 1991 by President George H.W. … [Read more...] about Irish American
Heritage Month 2021
Silent Night
By Pat Fenton A Christmas Eve memory comes back to me, almost hauntingly in this crazy long night of the Pandemic, the Corona Virus we’re all living through. And it makes me think again of the importance of memory and how it brings us back so faithfully to the way we were. I’m 20 years old, a young soldier from 17th Street in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn. And I’m down … [Read more...] about Silent Night