Honoring Franny Rafferty

Anyone who knows Philly politics knows former Democratic councilman-at-large Francis W. Rafferty. Suffice to say, he was no shrinking violet in the exercise of his official duties.

People who serve on the St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association know Franny Rafferty in an entirely different light. Rafferty has served on the association board, which oversees the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, for over 30 years. For two years, he was president. (Those are recalled by current president Mike Callaghan, somewhat ruefully, as the two years in which the parade enjoyed some of its best weather—sunny, with highs in the low 70s.)

So let others dwell on the colorful history. His colleagues on the board know him as one of their hardest-working, most forward-thinking members. Recently, they honored Rafferty for his long years of service.

Callaghan says the accolades are well-deserved. “Franny’s a sweetheart,” says Callaghan. “He’s very focused and very zealous about what he believes in. He was a tremendous board member.”

Rafferty himself is grateful for the kind words, but he’s characteristically reluctant to toot his own horn. Instead, he redirects the very public attention to those who have served before him. “the guys that created the Observance Association, they deserve all the credit,” he says. “They’re the ones who brought us recognition. They’re good guys, good people. I was just proud to serve with them.”

He singles out the late board member Marie Burns for particular praise. “Marie Burns was my mentor,” he says. “She just took me under her wing. When i came on the board, I would just lay back. I was a councilman and younger then. I just wanted to be part of what they were doing. Marie took me under her wing. She said, ‘Someday, we’re gonna make you president.’ She was just a nice person to be with. I really miss her.”

Rafferty’s appreciation of his Irish heritage didn’t come naturally. In some families, Irish cultural awareness is front and center. In others, it’s rarely discussed. Rafferty’s family fell into the latter category.

Still, his family history is every bit as colorful as the man himself. His grandfather Pete Rafferty came from County Tyrone and established a horse manure business and, with hard work, came to own many properties along Washington Avenue. “He was supposed to have had the first bottom-drop wagons,” Rafferty says. “He worked a lot of construction jobs with it. He was just a hard-working little guy. He would haul stuff, and people would ride his horses on Sunday.”

Rafferty’s own Irish awakening came with the onset of The Troubles in Northern Ireland. As a member of Philadelphia’s City Council, he felt it was time for him to become involved, and he pursued his interest in the cause of Irish unity with characteristic vigor–even visiting Irish political prisoners in the infamous Maze Prison in County Down. He also stayed in private homes with Northern Irish families. “I really started to learn what these people were going through,” he says.

To Rafferty, service to the St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association is all a logical outgrowth of that deep and abiding passion for history and tradition. He recalls his time in the center of things with great fondness. “”It was just a beautiful time,” he says. “Now it’s time for the younger guys to take over.”