Perhaps there was something unusually spicy in the sausage links served at the annual St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast in Boston this year, which might explain why some of the barbs tossed by the politicians attending the traditional roast seemed especially stinging.

It’s not unusual for speakers at the irreverent yearly gathering to trade jabs in pursuit of good natured celebration before they ring in the city’s annual holiday parade, but some jokes this Sunday may have landed a little harder than the speakers intended.

Senate President Karen Spilka, for example, mounted the stage at the Ironworkers Local 7 Union Hall in South Boston and eventually took aim at State Auditor Diana DiZoglio, suggesting the former state senator should be sent to England to look into the controversy surrounding the Royal family.

“This sounds like a job for Diana DiZoglio. Instead of wasting taxpayer money in auditing the already audited state Legislature, all of us here chipped in to buy you a plane ticket to London to find out what’s happening,” Spilka said. “However, there wasn’t enough donations, so it’s a one way ticket.”

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was frequently targeted by jokes over the bike lanes in Boston, which event host state Sen. Nick Collins blamed for his (staged) late arrival to the breakfast, and over last year’s City Hall holiday party, from which she excluded non-minority politicians.

“So an Asian guy, a Hispanic guy — don’t moan — and a Black guy walk into a room. That’s not a joke, that’s Michelle Wu’s Christmas party,” Norfolk County Treasurer Michael Bellotti said.

77-year-old U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, who was absent from the breakfast, still must have felt his ears ringing from all of the jokes made at his expense. Collins even wrote and sang a song encouraging U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, a former iron worker, to run to replace Markey, despite the fact that Markey has indicated he will seek reelection in 2026.

“Oh election time is coming’ and the winds are briskly shiftin’ and the left wing is prayin’, for the next slice of Heaven, who will run, who will run?” Collins sang to the tune of “Go Lassie Go” with backing vocals by the members of the Irish band Curragh’s Fancy.

“If the Junior Senator were gone, at the ripe age of 80, Pressley runs to the left of Marxy, which would leave a lane for our Lynchie. Please run, Lynchie run! And we’ll all run together, out of this house of labor, that he built in Southie for the better,” he sang. “Please run, Lynchie run! And we’ll all run together, out of this house of labor, to Southie there’s no one better.”

Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll arrived at the event styled after Ben Affleck and Matt Damon from their recent mid-Super Bowl appearance as Dunkin Donuts “DunKings.”

After walking through the audience and throwing munchkins at the crowd, Healey took the microphone and declared the pair “DunQueens.”

“Sometimes it’s hard to be your friend,” Driscoll told the governor in the middle of their act.

“You said you were gonna support me,” Healey said. “How great is it to be a DunQueen? We get to run everything.”

“I mean, yeah, like the MBTA. People love you for that,” Driscoll said.

“I know, I was walking through Southie. One finger salutes. They know it’s a first class experience,” Healey said.

Former Gov. Charlie Baker, despite his departure from office more than a full year ago, was also the butt of several jokes.

“With the T and the Cape Cod bridges, (Healey’s) been cleaning up a lot after Charlie Baker,” U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said.

U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, State Sens. Will Brownsberger and Sal DiDomenico, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden, Boston City Councilors Ed Flynn and Erin Murphy, State Representative David Biele and US Naval Commander Chance Smith of the USS Truxton were also in attendance.

Mayor Michelle Wu leans into Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley as she laughs at a joke aimed at her during the St. Patrick’s Day breakfast. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren toasts with State Sen. Nick Collins during the St Patrick’s Day breakfast. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)