Recently Jude and his friends from his work department at the Irish International Immigrant Center (IIIC) headed out for an evening of fun at the Boston Red Sox v Houston Astros game at Fenway Park. Back row, L-R: Jude, Erika, Gary, Eleanor, Ann Marie. Front row: Kieran and Sean.
Jude lives a few good pucks of a hurling ball from Fenway Park so he just danders down Beacon Street, cuts across Brookline Avenue and bingo! ........ he's there! The old Citgo sign is your marker, just follow that you'll end up right at the park. 
And of course you can always take the 'T'.
So on his way to the game Jude called around to see Steve the Liqour Store man on Queensberry St in Fenway. The shop is just behind where Marguerite and Jude used to live from 2009 to 2011 and as Marguerite and Jude were regular (on the weekend) visitors Steve remembered Jude's face straight away. 'Hey man, how've ya been ..... how's that good lady of your's .... I havn't seen y'all in a while', was what Steve had to say. It was good to catch up again. If you're ever in Fenway pay Steve a visit, he's a very nice man indeed. 
10 minutes later and the squad met at the 'Teammates' Statue just outside Gate B on Ipswich Street. So just who were the 'Teammates'? The first correct answer earns a Boston Creme donut! 
When going into Fenway Park the lads usually sneak in some wee bottles of swally, a few small red wines, to get the party started if you like. Unfortunately tonight, while Kieran and Ann Marie were goofing around, poor Gary got two of his scooped. It was not too bad though as he still got two in, so the maths meant that he was still up anyway. Meanwhile Eleanor is thinking. 'what have I let myself in for coming to a game with these edjits'.
Kieran is from Downpatrick and he works for Clanrye (based in Newry) so he and Jude have a lot in common ........ for example, they both like Man Utd ..... they both know that Denvirs pub in Downpatrick is a cool wee spot for a weekend pint ..... they are both outstanding sports players (they think) ...... they both know that County Down is the most beautiful of Irish Counties ... and ehhh, they both like wearing red. 
Sister Eleanor Martin (or Eleanor to her friends) loves baseball, loves football, loves basketball, loves......... hold on a cotton pickin minute here folks ........ Eleanor loves all sports. You name it Eleanor can chat about it. She and Jude having been chatting all things sports for 4 1/2 years now. Eleanor subscribes to Sports Illistrated (bi-weekly publication in U.S) and after she reads it she passes it to Jude. Jude offered to swap his 'Rolling Stone' issues for the Sports Illistrated but Eleanor declined. Thanks Eleanor for all those Sports Illistrated magazines over the years. 
As just mentioned, Kieran fancies himself as a bit of a good sports player. Aparently he can play a bit of football, and yes he has proven himself to be a talented softball player ...... but pitching in baseball? Well judge for yourself.
Ann Marie 'foul ball' Byrne is more of a batter than a pitcher but she does look here like she can chuck a good pitch.
And what's Jude doing? 'Always keep yer eye on the ball, never take yer eye off the ball', is what he rambles. perhaps he was doing just that ........ keeping his eye on the ball. 
And unusually for Erika she was quite shy when it came to the auld pitching face game. Erika is from America so she should know what she's doing when it comes to baseball. But hold on ........ she's actually from Michigan so maybe not then. Wha? 
'How much is the picture there love? asked Gary.'Fifteen dollars', replied the girl.
'What ...... fifteen dollars? Are you serious? For a picture like? replied Gary.
'Just cough up the dough Gary and don't be so tight', chipped in Kieran.
Kieran loves being back at Fenway.
'Here Ann Marie I'm just after getting robbed there, totally robbed I was', said Gary. 'Ohhh that's awful Gary, what happened, did someone steal something from your backpack or run off with your Red Sox poster? replied Ann Marie.
'No, when I say robbed I mean robbed blind, like ripped off, taken for a ride like ..... 15 dollars for a photo, what's that all about?
Kieran forgot to stock on `sneaky-in swall` so he had to make do with the bar. Not that he was complaining or anything!
Ahhhh ... Fenway Park on a sunny evening .... sweeeeeet!Eventally after all that ............. the gang finally found their seats.
Just in time for Wally and the team of relief pitchers making their way onto the field.
First things first ......... gotta put the wine glass together. Jude put together his wine glass (yes actually constructed it). Gary brought these yokes in, they were kind of like flat pack stuff, if you can get such a thing for wine glasses ...... but they did the job perfectly, as you can see here. And besides beggers can`t be choosers. 
Sean is from Boston and he knows his sports ....... well kind of .....except when it comes to football. He supports Liverpool you see!
When the gang first sat in their seats (in a row of 7 together) one end of the row was parked behind this pole. 
'Wha? asked Kieran. 
You could say it was a pesky pole (anyone? ..... anyone? ....... ahh forget it).So after studying the nice green paint for a minute the gang just shuffled along two seats to the left and they were home in a boat as they say around County Down.
And so the scene was set for a jolly up at Fenway Park. 
And within moments the Red Sox were hammering the runs in and everyone were happy as pigs in muck. .
Maybe it was Sean's lucky shamrock Red Sox hat that was doing the trick tonight but the Red Sox were certainly playing very well.
Text message time -`Kids, this Fenway Park place is cool, it`s baseball with beer, fun, sunshine, songs, hotdogs, wine, the heap, someday I`ll take you to a game - night, night now, love you - Dad`. Gary was busy texting home as the runs were scored.
It`s the IIIC line up less Jude. That`s Erika (Michigan), Gary (Ballynoe), Kieran (Downpatrick), Sean (Boston), Ann Marie (Longford) and Eleanor (Boston). 
Jude always brings goodies to a game and tonight, in addition to his traditional bag of Skittles, he splashed out and brought peanut M&M`s. M&M`s are everybody`s favourite of course. `Now share them out fairly folks ........ don`t you be eating them all Gary, pass them round. Said Jude.
Moments later -`Did you eat all the M&M`s Gary? asked Erika.
`No it wasn`t me, no way Jose ...... unless there`s photographic evidence I'm denying all charges`, replied Gary
`And Kieran ate all the Skittles`, cried Erika.
`Who me? asked Kieran.
Sean filled his pockets with M&M`s and thought that no-one saw him! 
`M&M`s are class ...... we love them`, said Sean and Ann Marie as Kieran polished them off. 
Meanwhile on the pitch David `Big Papi` Ortiz was ripping a home run into the bleachers to keep the fans happy.
Tonight Jude bought Ben a cool wee Boston Red Sox hat (the one in front). Now that is one class hat, Ben will love that! Wha?
`Swally ................ I`m off to get some more swall`, shouted Kieran.
Singsong - `Take me out to the ballgame, take me out with the crowd ...... buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks, I don`t care if I never get back ...... let me root, root, root for the Red Sox, if they don`t win it`s a shame ...... cause it`s one, two, three strikes you`re out at the old ballgame`.
This song is sung in the middle of the 7th inning in every game at Fenway park. When not at a game sometimes Jude sings it to Ben. Wha?
`All right, seriously, who dropped one? asked Sean.
Kieran looks guilty!
The craic at tonight`s game was great. Here are Sean, Ann Marie (who is not pulling a face there folks, that`s the way she always looks), Eleanor and Jude being joined by some fella in the back who is quickly trying to shift out of the pic.
Sean had spotted some friends in the crowd and nipped down for a chat. He is pictured here just as he was around to point out the IIIC squad to his friends. His conversation went something like this - `Guys, I`m up here with these mad Irish edjits I work with, they`re mad craic`.
Sean certainly did enough to convince them because .........
....... moments later there they were hogging the back row of this very reserved and well behaved staff pic.
Seconds later and they were wishing they`d stayed where they were as the funny face staff pic was in play. Hehehe ...... who is the funniest here? Eleanor`s face is great, Ann Marie is doing her Lady Gaga move, but what about Kieran in the middle, Jude or Erika up front or Gary to the left ...... or Sean back there? Yep ...... Sean`s two mates are thinking, `why on earth did we come over here to these mad edjits?
Gary and Kieran are frequent visitors to Boston supervising and monitoring the Clanrye Wider Horizons programs. They always enjoy an evening or two at the Red Sox each trip. Moments later and it`s the middle of the 8th inning, and in Fenway Park that can only mean one thing .........
`Was in the Spring, and Spring became the summer.. Who`d have believed you`d come along ....... hands, touchin hands reachin` out, touchin` me touchin` you ........... 
........ Sweeeeeet Caroline, good times never seemed so good ...... so good ....... so good .... so good!These my friends are the good old days.
Ann Marie and Eleanor have just about had enough partying for one night and they head off smiling in the ninth inning st in time to beat the crowd to the `T`.
Tonight`s game ended with a final score of - Boston Red Sox 7 Houston Astros 2.
While the remaining five hung around for a few pics. Like this nice one here with the Fenway Park stands in the background.Or the following three cool pics.
Abbey Road - Fenway Park style - Take 1.
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Abbey Road - Fenway Park style - Take 2.
Abbey Road - Fenway Park style take 3.
The night ended with a quick visit to `Who`s on First` a pub on Yawkey Way. Here is Jude at the Fenway Park picture. 
In `Who`s on First` the great craic just carried on.
Erika at the Fenway Park picture.
The final line up, sitting on Yawkey Way just outside `Who`s on First` are: Erika, Kieran, Gary and Jude. Folks ....... it`s all in a night`s fun ........
....... at the Boston Red Sox. Oh yeah....... I nearly forgot ........
........ here is Ben wearing his class new hat! Nice!
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