(Courtesy photo) This year's Wild Irish Breakfast will be the first without the late former Nashua mayor Bernie Streeter, its beloved co-founder and longtime blarney master who passed in November. A tribute to Streeter is included in the program.

NASHUA – Organizers of the annual “festival of blarney” known as the PLUS Company of Nashua’s Wild Irish Breakfast are taking another giant step to returning to society’s idyllic, pre-pandemic days, having come up with a creative “hybrid” format that allows attendees to choose between attending in-person or watching the festivities via live stream.

Among the highlights of this, the 31st WIB will be a heartfelt tribute to the late Bernie Streeter, the longtime District 5 Executive Councilor and two-term Nashua mayor who played a key role in the founding of the breakfast more than three decades ago.

Of all the professional positions, board memberships, volunteer gigs and elected offices Streeter held – many of them concurrently – over his 50 years living in Nashua, it’s a good bet that his favorite assignment of all was as the WIB’s “blarney master,” the breakfast’s version of a master of ceremonies.

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IF YOU GO

(Telegraph file photo) Chris Williams, "Blarney Master" for the 2017 Wild Irish Breakfast, laughs at a joke by U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, one of several "Irish Wits" who spoke at that year's event. This year's 31st WIB is Thursday, March 17.

WHAT

The PLUS Company is hosting its 31st Wild Irish Breakfast

WHEN

Thursday, March 17. Registration, 7:30 a.m.; breakfast, 7:45 a.m.; program begins at 8 a.m.

WHERE

DoubleTree by Hilton (former Crowne Plaza), 2 Somerset Parkway, Nashua

HOW MUCH

$85 per person. For tickets, and to purchase raffle tickets in advance, go to www.wildirishbreakfast.org

MORE

Ticket-holders and sponsors have the option of attending in-person or watching the event via live stream. Those choosing live stream will receive the link upon purchasing a ticket

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Since the original team of WIB founders, led by Streeter and the late Michael Monks – both of whom were on the PLUS Company board at the time – came up with the idea of a new fundraiser based on the celebrity “roasts” popular on TV at the time, the breakfast has grown by leaps and bounds, long ago becoming the PLUS Company’s signature fundraiser.

The panel of speakers would become known as “Irish wits,” and rather than targeting one politician or celebrity guest of honor, they would each use their alotted time to skewer as many of their fellow Irish wits as they pleased in the name of laughs.

Laughs, of course, mean fun, which leads to the oft-used promo slogan “putting the “fun” in “fundraising.”

Speaking of fun, former Nashua Mayor Donnalee Lozeau has probably been looking forward to having a lot of fun ever since she found out she would be making her debut as blarney master this year.

Why, what better place to be to avenge a few years worth of political jabs and barbed one-liners than the sanctity of the blarney master’s pulpit?

Longtime WIB guests will be pleased to know that a couple of blasts-from-the-past Irish wits are planning on taking part this year: Former Manchester Mayor Bob Baines and former U.S. Congressman Charlie Bass.

Baines, a longtime educator and music teacher who founded a Manchester version of the Wild Irish Breakfast, fulfilled the task each year of making sure the WIB audience was fully awake by belting out the classic musical tale of “MacNamara’s Band.”

For his part, Bass has been the recipient of at least one Dan Chan Humor Award, a sort of tongue-in-cheek honor named for the late restaurateur Dan Chan, a close friend of Streeter’s who for several years insisted on a spot on the speaking program – and when blarney master Streeter said “no, we’re out of time,” Chan went up and commandeered the podium anyway.

Meanwhile, PLUS Company executive director Kim Shottes said both of New Hampshire’s U.S. Senators, Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen, will take part via video – being a Thursday, the Senate is in session.

Shotts said former New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch will also make a video appearance, likely devoting some of his time to pay tribute to Streeter.

Scheduled to be live and in person are Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess and Gov. Chris Sununu, Shottes said.

In a longstanding tradition, a PLUS Company client will address the gathering, Shottes said, but who it will be remains pending.

As for the raffle, 10 prizes collectively worth nearly $10,000 will be given away to the luckiest of the raffle ticket-holders. The drawings for each of the prizes will take place during the breakfast, and winners do not need to be present.

Raffle tickets are 3 for $10 and can be purchased on the WIB website or by printing out the form and mailing it with a check to the PLUS Company, 19 Chestnut St., Nashua, 03060.

Mail-in orders must be received by Tuesday, March 15.

Dean Shalhoup’s column appears weekly in The Sunday Telegraph. He may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.