Irish Hockey once again publically thanks and appreciates all the state and locals Police, Fire, DEA, ATF, EMT's and others who protect our freedom 24/7 ... 365.

With the recent tragedy in NYC, Oregon, VA and the continued disrespectful protests in Missouri and other cities, following please find a piece written and posted the morning after the Boston Marathon Bombings when all officers were recognized and respected as the hero's they truly are!

They killed an 8 year old boy from Dorchester as well as two others and injured/maimed over 200 more. He was there at the finish line with his mother and sister waiting, watching and cheering for his father as he approached the finish line of the Boston Marathon. He ran out and hugged his father, then headed back to the crowd to be with his mother and 6 year old sister. An 8 year old boy. Think of how happy and proud he was less than 24 hours ago. It's gut-wrenching.

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day in Boston, sunny and a brilliant blue sky. We're all left wondering why. What goes through the tiny, fragmented, twisted minds of these people? The people who did this are not human; they did this to young college kids out with friends, small children and family members cheering the accomplishments of loved ones. Innocent kids.

Patriots Day in Boston is a Holiday; nowhere else but Boston is it really celebrated to such a degree. It marks the victory of revolutionary forces in the battles of Lexington and Concord and Paul Revere's ride from Boston's North End to warn the troops that he British were coming. It's a celebration of the ultimate victory and the birth of our nation's independence which started right here in Boston.

The kids in Boston have no school on Patriots Day; mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters, neighbors, teachers and friends run in the race. Everybody in Boston knows somebody who is running. Many people run only once in their lives and it's usually to raise money for a cause or to celebrate / honor someone special in their lives. It's a day you're always happy for someone that you know because they did it; they finished the race and you're proud of them. It's a day that you're always patting someone on the back; it's always been a great day, until yesterday.

Hockey has a special place in the hearts of most men/boys who grew up in Boston. We live it 12 months a year and hockey is intertwined in the majority of our friendships, family life and social circles that intersect the connecting neighborhoods in Boston and towns on the outskirts of the city.

If you're a Police Officer or Jake in Boston, Chicago, NY, Philly, Detroit or anywhere else across these great United States, chances are you grew up playing hockey and if you're under the age of 60, chances are you still lace em up once a week and get together with the boys for a skate, a few beers and a few laughs.

The Boston PD hockey vs the Boston Fire Hockey games are legendary here in the city. The boys square off on ice a few times each year and people come from all around to watch what inevitable is bound to happen.

Not many teams are willing to play against Boston PD Hockey Team during some of our Irish Hockey events because BPD takes they game of hockey way too seriously.

Every year, there is always one team always steps up and answers the bell: Boston Fire.

Each year, it doesn't take long before the gloves are dropped and a few of the boys are squaring off. Brendan Walsh (BPD) and Paul Harvey's (BFD) 2 tilts at this year's Irish American Classic is still on everyone top list of chirping a month later.

These boys play hard, real hard. The chirping on ice and between the BPD and BFD benches is priceless and non-stop. The stunned onlookers at the tournament each year shake their heads, including PD's and FD's from other US and Canadian cities, and can't comprehend the level of intensity these two teams bring.

Yesterday, as the tragic events in Boston unfolded, it was BPD, BFD, MSP, ATF, EMT's, Boston Hospital Nurses and Doctors who stepped up and stood larger than life in helping those who needed it. No panic among them; cool, calm and collected.

Footage of Boston PD and FD ripping down steel barriers with their bare hands seconds after the blast so that they could get to the injured. No thoughts for their own safety as the second blast went off; they were all in to get to the wounded and save lives. You boys are hero's..........REAL HERO's..........plain and simple.

From a hockey standpoint, you boys dance to your own drummers. Yesterday, we saw why and we're proud to look up to you and recognize you for the hero's that you truly are.

We Thank You, Love You and most of all we Respect You.