The sound of bagpipes will once again echo through Park Slope on Sunday, March 16, as the Brooklyn St. Patrick’s Parade marks its milestone 50th anniversary — a celebration of Irish pride, Gaelic history, and the timeless spirit of the famous Irish blessing: “May the road rise up to meet you.”
For half a century, that blessing has embodied Brooklyn’s largest St. Patrick’s Day observance, with the streets of Park Slope rising to meet marchers as they step off from Bartel-Pritchard Square.
What began in 1975 as a way to honor both Irish heritage and America’s bicentennial has cemented itself as Kings County’s longest-running St. Patrick’s Day parade. This year, its committee and marchers will reflect on five decades, honoring “Faith, Heritage, History, Tribute and Remembrance” — a motto organizers say has guided the march since its inception.
“Fifty years on the streets of Brooklyn,” said Mary Hogan, parade co-chairperson and historian. “It is our Catholic faith and our rich Irish heritage that keeps people coming back each year.”
The first Brooklyn St. Patrick’s Parade was held in 1976, with Thomas J. Cuite, then majority leader of the New York City Council, serving as its inaugural grand marshal.
One year earlier, a group of Brooklyn Irish American citizens — Kaye Brideson, Joan McLaughlin, John Carroll, Richard Henry, Ann McAvey, Peter Heaney and Kathleen McDonagh — came up with the idea for a parade to recognize the vast contributions of the Irish in America.
Since then, Hogan said, the parade has paid tribute to Irish immigrants’ influence on the borough and beyond — from their roles in the church and uniformed services to labor, law, education, and healthcare. Each year’s parade carries a theme highlighting key moments in Irish and American history, from the Great Hunger to the role of the Irish in building the New York City subway system.
One of the parade’s longstanding traditions is commemorating the Battle of Brooklyn, fought in August 1776. The Maryland 400, a small but valiant regiment of Irish soldiers, held off a much larger British force near the Old Stone House in Park Slope, allowing George Washington’s army to escape and fight another day.
Hogan credits the parade’s ties to history with some of its earliest honorees — including late parade historian Joe Ferris, who was the parade’s Grand Marshal in 1978 and the original keeper of the march’s extensive oral history. “We are proud to continue in Joe’s footsteps by each year adding to this document as the tradition continues,” reads the most recent iteration, which Hogan shared with Brooklyn Paper.
But parade day is more than just a march — it’s a “Brooklyn family reunion.”
Generations of marchers, volunteers and spectators return year after year to celebrate their heritage. The parade’s honorees hail from all corners of Brooklyn — and some from out of state.
One of this year’s honorees, Deirdre Brennan-Pritchett, makes the journey from Texas back to her Brooklyn roots. Her connection to the parade runs deep — her mother, Mary Brennan, was a dedicated volunteer from the parade’s earliest days. The only reason she missed the first parade, family members say, was that she was pregnant with Deirdre.
Brennan, who died in January, was a cherished member of the committee. This year’s parade will be held in her honor.
“Parade day is like a Brooklyn family reunion,” Hogan said. “Many who have moved to other areas come back for the day. There is a festive atmosphere in Brooklyn on parade day. It’s a great day for the Irish and for Brooklyn.”
As the Brooklyn St. Patrick’s Parade celebrates its 50th year, organizers are looking not only back but also ahead — and they’re calling on the next generation to help carry the torch.
“Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this great Brooklyn tradition,” Hogan said. “We call on the young people from all over Brooklyn to keep this tradition going for another 50 years.”
The 50th Annual Brooklyn St. Patrick’s Day Parade will step off at 1 p.m. at Prospect Park West and 15th Street before making its way through the heart of Park Slope.
Grand Marshal Martin J. Cottingham, a longtime supporter of Irish culture and the Great Irish Fair, will lead this year’s procession.
Fellow honorees include Mary O’Brien of the U.I.C. Association of NY in County Cavan; Grace-Marie O’Donnell, a retired NYPD sergeant with the Uniformed Services; Timothy N. Cowen of the NY Corrections Dept Emerald Society; Kieran McGirl of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 19 in Gerritsen Beach; Geoffrey Cobb, an Irish culture historian and author; Matt Hogan, owner of the Irish Haven in Sunset Park; Edwina Russell of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 6 in Greenpoint; Maureen O’Dea, an educator at PS 284 in Brownsville and a social worker; and Brennan-Pritchett, a lifetime parade volunteer and “aide-at-large.”
