The streets of Park Slope came alive with the sounds of bagpipes and cheers on Sunday as the Brooklyn St. Patrick’s Parade celebrated its milestone 50th anniversary.
Marchers in kilts, uniformed services, and Irish dance troupes made their way from Bartel-Pritchard Square, honoring the borough’s deep-rooted Irish heritage and the parade’s half-century legacy.
“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 parade, which first stepped off in 1976, was originally conceived by a small group of Brooklyn Irish American citizens looking to celebrate both their heritage and America’s bicentennial. Since then, it has grown into Kings County’s longest-running St. Patrick’s Day parade, drawing thousands of participants and spectators each year.
Grand Marshal Martin J. Cottingham, a longtime supporter of Irish culture and the Great Irish Fair, led this year’s procession.
Fellow honorees included 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 Deirdre Brennan-Pritchett, a lifetime parade volunteer and “aide-at-large.”
For Brennan-Pritchett, the day was extra special. This year’s march was held in memory of her mother, Mary Brennan — 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.
“Parade day is like a Brooklyn family reunion,” Hogan told Brooklyn Paper ahead of this year’s march. “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.”
