How the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh Began

In 1991, a group of Irishmen with roots in Newark, Essex County and other North Jersey communities formed the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh at the Jersey Shore. The group had no clubhouse and very little money at the start.

George McCormack organized people and built the relationships that carried the idea forward. Stacy McCormack, his niece, hosts Politics, Pubs, Parades, + the Parish, a series of recorded conversations with founding members, past presidents and current leadership at the Belmar clubhouse. She lost her uncle when she was 15 years old.

The first episode covers meetings held in local taverns and firehouses, the support the group received from the Old Bridge and West Orange clubs, the purchase of a first clubhouse, and the volunteers who built it. The participants share stories about Irish history, old friendships and the early days of the club. Stacy McCormack said the conversation is a chance to learn more about her uncle.

Politics, Pubs, Parades, + the Parish records interviews with people in New Jersey politics. The series features other New Jersey political figures in coming weeks.