T’was a grand night for the Irish!
This past Saturday night I had the privilege to MC the 2005 Grand Marshal’s Ball at the Hilton Hotel in Toronto. NHL superstar, Brendan Shanahan, flew home from Boston to be honoured and participate in the St. Patrick’s Day parade. I never knew there were so many female hockey fans 
I’d like to introduce your head table. Some of these distinguished guests have had to clone themselves to be several places simultaneously this month. Theirs are the calendars that read January, February, March Madness!
His grandfather the greatest Prime Minister and President of Ireland, forming the first government of Ireland, Eamonn de Valera…we’re thrilled to have with us…
Minister Eamonn O’Kweev, minister for community, rural and gaeltacht affairs
And lovely wife Onia………..
His excellency Ambassador Martin Burke & lovely wife Mary……
Secretary General of the department of community, rural and gaeltacht affairs, Gerry Carney
Steve Whelan – Chairman of the Parade Society along with Sheri Danko
and last, but not least, Grand Marshal Brendan Shanahan!
View image
Also joining us this evening: Michael Hurley, Irish Person the Year for 2005…
a well deserved title…congratulations once again Michael…..
…and Tara McLearnon, Parade Queen…looking for another tremendous turnout lining the streets of Toronto tomorrow. Mother Nature is rumored to be in a cooperative spirit!
I’d like to welcome Brendan’s family and friends……..
It’s a pleasure to have Brendan Shanahan as Grand Marshal for the 2005 Toronto St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Time for Brendan Shanhan 101:
Nickname…..’Shanny’… favourite game: ’shinny’
Stands 6 feet 3″ tall…around 6’8 in skates.
He shoots right….and does it well at that.
His jersey number….the same number of siblings his father had…14!
In his NHL career to date, he has an impressive list of stats including: 558 goals and 571 assists totaling 1,129 points in 1,194 games played. He has acquired 2,160 penalty minutes… but was framed on most of them…innocent I say!!
He has led the ranks of the New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers and the Detroit Red Wings and has skated to victory not once, not twice, but THREE times to clinch the ultimate prize…The Stanley Cup. Pretty impressive. Of course Toronto fans recall the same thrill with the Maple Leafs just prior to the advent of colour television!
Brendan has also represented Team Canada at the World Junior Championships, the World Championships, World Cup of Hockey… and the Olympics.
He continues to be an NHL superstar who is proud of his Canadian and Irish roots…. showcased by his enthusiastic participation in this weekend’s festivities…besides, he and his colleagues have a little spare time right now.…..and hey, if you have to put off hoisting another Stanley Cup, might as well hoist a few Guinness with family and friends… and be in a parade.
As we celebrate Ireland’s patron saint this month, I’d like to give you a little background on the gentleman we’re celebrating this weekend…..
Brendan Shanahan’s parents moved from Ireland to Canada in the 1950’s. They met and married in Toronto. His lovely mother, Rosaleen Kerr, was born in Belfast.
Donal, from Dunmanus, west Cork, was born into a hockey family himself…sorry, I meant born into a family the size of a hockey team. Donal was one of 15 children!
He was also the first of many in the family to move from Ireland to Toronto. Don became a firefighter and eventually the Director of Fire Prevention in Etobicoke.
Brendan was born January 23, 1969 in Mimico, the youngest of four boys alongside brothers Danny, Brian and Shaun.
Rosaleen still lives in the first house they bought and where the boys were born and raised. Sadly, Donal Shanahan passed away at the young age of 59 in 1990 from complications due to Alzheimers.
Mum and dad were always proud of the boys. All four lads took up, and excelled at, lacrosse and hockey. Brendan, as the youngest, always had to keep up with his older brothers which helped shape the kind of player he would become and still is today - focused, tough as nails and a star on any team he’s with.
Brendan has proved to be a dominant athlete in all sports he played. After placing second in Ontario in the javelin throw, his high school track and field coach suggested he quit hockey & lacrosse to concentrate on the javelin.
Instead of throwing sticks…he decided to keep his on the ice….
Since 1987 Brendan has played for the New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers and the Detroit Red Wings with whom he continues to shine…. although there’s a pause in the action right now.
The NHL has a proud Irish history. Let’s face it…it’s pretty much hurling on ice … …with that in mind, Brendan, you might want to head over and play for Wicklow …they could use your help this spring and summer…again.
Not far off the mark…Brendan has actually been considering putting together a national hockey team for Ireland featuring North American players of Irish lineage.
The Irish influence was an early part of the fabric of the NHL…The Maple Leafs were even called the St. Pats in the 1920’s. Players of distinction include not only our guest of honour today, but also veterans like Red Kelly, Kevin & Danny O’Shea, Pat Quinn. Also Owen Nolan, Sean O’Donnell, Mike O’Connell, and of course….Mary O’Lemieux…. it’s there in the name!
Brendan is an active member of the National Hockey League Players Association. This past December he tried in earnest to get the season kick started by organizing a 2-day summit and declaring:
“…when we do come back from the lockout, we really need to get our focus back on the game of hockey.”
An advocate for the true spirit of the game and a sentiment shared by so many! Hope to see you back on the ice in the fall.
Brendan has traveled to Ireland several times as an adult and when he was young. Brendan’s brother Brian told me of the occasion when Brendan was only a toddler in Ireland… he walked up to a donkey and kicked it…no fear, proceeded to kick an old man in church… but then apparently ran for his life from a duck!
Brendan…that must have been one mighty duck!
Brendan has always been able to look after himself on the ice. I ran into an old friend, former NHL referee and Toronto Maple Leaf, Kevin Maguire, at the Ireland Fund luncheon yesterday. He said……
“Shanny is a quiet one on the ice… plays hard and doesn’t get upset… unless you really push him…” he’s had to push back a few times in 20 years! Kevin said congratulations and all the best Brendan
Off the ice, Brendan married Catherine Hooley on July 4, 1998, a Boston gal of Irish descent. They have 3 lovely children: the two year old twins Jack and Maggie and Catherine Rosaleen who’s almost 5 months old.
Brendan is active with many charities including the Alzheimer Society in tribute to his father. In a public drive with the Detroit Fire Department he helped ensure that all families would get smoke detectors for their homes…and he continues to be involved with community programs.
He does his Irish Canadian heritage proud.
Back on the ice…Brendan has won… not only three Stanley Cups, remarkable achievements in their own right, but he’s also been an integral part of helping his teammates realize their quest for the Canada Cup, The World Cup… and an Olympic Gold Medal at the incredibly exciting 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Brendan’s 558 goals also make him one of the top 20 goal scorers of all time in the NHL.
So Brendan, as you smile and wave to the crowds along the parade route tomorrow…beaming with Irish pride and feeling so good to be home….realize that Torontonians will be smiling and waving back…picturing you in a Leafs jersey and this is finally our Stanley Cup victory parade!!
Let’s all say a prayer to Saint Patrick!
Welcome home Brendan!
Slainte!