A toast to a Welland St. Patrick’s Day tradition

Tradition has it St. Paddy’s Day could not pass by for this scribbler without a fond remembrance of one T.N. Morrison.

He came to this city from Belfast, Ireland, worked at the Electro Metals plant then joined the staff of our hometown Welland newspaper in the 1930s and rose to become a much admired managing editor. As has been said by many: A legend in his own time.

He toiled as sports columnist, composing prose smooth as silk written under a pseudonym, Shamrock, and sports and city editor before moving into the second-floor office overlooking East Main and Burgar streets at the paper’s storied downtown outpost. His career spanned 43 years and some months, the ME behind his name for 20 years until he retired in September 1972.

As his second-last hire in 1969, I quickly joined the ranks of the newsroom’s denizens who revered and respected this nattily-attired gentle man and gentleman. We knew we could set our timepieces by his comings and goings: His arrivals and departures were famously punctual, for example he left the newsroom for lunch at home with wife Marg at 11:45 a.m. and set foot back in at precisely 1:15 p.m., day in, day out. Passenger trains that stopped at King Street station were not so punctual.

Mr. Morrison was hands-on as the newspaper’s editor. He enjoyed tapping out daily editorials, only rarely relinquishing the responsibility to the editorial page editor or some other staffer. He relished reviewing local news stories or sports stories with reporters, sometime suggesting a more effective lead paragraph, perhaps, or coming up with questions that might be asked to flesh out the piece. Caustic criticism was not part of his composition, but encouragement and reassurance were.

He was equally at home meeting one or another captain of Welland’s industrial community or the president of a ladies auxiliary or volunteer group. His door was open to all. He was gifted as an entertainment writer and his interviews with big-name performers of the day, Jack Benny, Liberace, Robert Goulet among others, were carried far and wide over The Canadian Press wire service.

As his retirement approached, Mr. Morrison spent days going through his desk and filing cabinets. Some of the contents were tossed (not many), much was carted home in boxes and others were given to staffers who wanted them.

One of my keepsakes is a piece Mr. Morrison crafted on his old Remington typewriter, raw copy complete with XXXXX through words and lines — yesteryear’s scribblers knew not the comfort of a delete key. It was a piece about the hometown newspaper’s history to 1952. It’s classic Morrison, rich in history, local characters, anecdotes and, of course, the managing editor’s humour. Another is a swansong piece written for his retirement, retracing highlights and memories from his career. What a list it was.

Tradition for Mr. Morrison had it that St. Paddy’s Day was to be celebrated at the Morrisons’ home, dubbed affectionately the Shamrock Inn. The gatherings were known far and wide for their toastings, storytelling, limericks and laughter, from what I’ve been told. Fred Turner, who was the city treasurer back then, attended more than a few. “There was nothing quite like them,” he recalled on Wednesday. “Everyone who went always had a grand time. I wish there could be more.”

I’ve Mike Tenszen to thank for a small collection of invitations to the parties at the Shamrock Inn. They came to his hands from his father, Peter, a Welland city councillor for a time, a wellknown photographer and of course, a regular attendee at the Shamrock Inn. Here are four:

“Come All Ye Gallant Gentlemen

To That Glorious Time of Year; St. Patrick’s Memory Sustain With Tributes and Good Cheer. One Date Only Take to Mind For March 17th Day;

It’s Regent Street at 66 So Confirm It Right Away.” And, “The drums go bang and the cymbals clang

To warn the old-time band — The Irish and their bosom pals,

Of St. Patrick’s clear command!

To join the spree with glasses high

In the traditional Welland lair; March fourteenth on Regent Street,

Sixty-six will guide you there!” And, “Ireland may be in turmoil with demonstrations in Ulster and strikes in the Republic. But there’s a bit of Ireland where bigotry is banned and harmony reigns. That would be Shamrock Inn at 66 Regent St. Come and join in this agreeable spirit Saturday, March 15, when the annual tribute to the dear saint will be observed.”

And one more, “Gather ye gentlemen while ye may,

It’s time to salute St. Patrick’s Day;

The same old fare, the same old lair,

And the same old codger in the chair.

Fun and frolic; chit and chat, Sauce enough to fill your hat; Friends of old; some quite new, Simply stated — an Irish stew!”