Begorra, South Side Irish Parade a go

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Dennis Dooley and his son Ryan lead off the 2004 South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade. | File photo

Updated: March 20, 2012 8:21AM

The infighting that might’ve killed efforts to restart the South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade appears to be over, after parade organizers and city officials agreed Friday on a security plan to deter rowdy, drunken behavior.

“Everything was positive,” said James “Skinny” Sheahan, a leader of the parade organizers. “It was a great meeting. We’re all set to go.”

Agreeing was Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th), who had opposed resuming the parade, insisting that organizers could not ensure that drunken ruffians would not ruin it.

“I think it’s going to happen, yeah,” said O’Shea, who voted to kill the parade after the 2009 event. “I want the South Side Irish Parade that I grew up with back. I don’t want what we’ve had the last few years.”

O’Shea, Sheahan and others involved in the planning met with various city officials downtown Friday, agreeing to a plan that includes police enforcing a zero-tolerance policy toward booze along the parade route. On the day of the parade, March 11, Metra will prohibit commuters from carrying or consuming alcohol on its trains.

Last month, the city approved a parade permit application, but officials, including O’Shea, kept raising additional security concerns during the past couple of weeks.

O’Shea said Friday that he’s confident the city will issue a parade permit, allowing resumption of the Southwest Side tradition that occurred for 31 consecutive years through 2009.

The South Side Irish Parade Committee and the Bourbon Street nightclub will hold a parade fundraiser from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday at the club in Merrionette Park.