The sons and daughters of the Emerald Isle will take to the streets later this month as Brooklynites come out to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
As in past years, the borough will be the site of two parades: The Brooklyn Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, on Sunday, March 21st, stepping off at 1 p.m., and the Bay Ridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which will take place a week later, on Sunday, March 28th, beginning at 1 p.m.
The March 21st Brooklyn parade will begin at Prospect Park West and 14th Street, with marchers assembling at noon. Then, at 12:45 p.m., just before the parade’s official start, there will be a rededication ceremony to the heroes and victims of 9/11 at Prospect Park West and 15th Street.
Once it begins, the parade will take in a swath of Park Slope, heading down 15th Street to Seventh Avenue, then along Seventh Avenue to Union Street, then along Union Street to Prospect Park West, then back along Prospect Park West to 15th Street.
This year, the grand marshal is Vincent O’Connor, the football coach at St. Francis Preparatory School.
In addition, there will be eight aides to the grand marshal: Eileen Cush Byrnes, of St. Saviour’s High School, representing education; Michael Prunty of County Longford, representing the United Irish Counties of New York; Larry Vinson, of Brooklyn’s Clann Eireann Pipe Band, representing Irish culture; P.O. John McNamara, of the NYPD’s 78th Precinct, representing the uniformed services; Mary Hogan, representing the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Kings County Division 6, Greenpoint; Raymond Layden, representing the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Kings County Division 6, Greenpoint; Brendan Lally, of the Brooklyn Shamrocks Gaelic Football Club, representing Gaelic sports; and, Eddie Duffy, of County Mayo and Brooklyn, as the aide-at-large.
Line-up for the March 28th Bay Ridge parade will begin at noon at Marine Avenue and Fourth Avenue, with the parade kicking off from in front of St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church at 95th Street and Fourth Avenue.
From there, it will wend its way north, along Fourth Avenue to 94th Street, then along 94th Street to Fifth Avenue, where it will continue heading north as far as 58th Street, the location of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church. The grandstand will be located at Bay Ridge Parkway and Fifth Avenue.
The grand marshal of the Bay Ridge parade will be Michael Connors, of Connors & Sullivan.
The deputy grand marshals will be Jean O’Neill-Xuereb, of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 22; Eugene Manning of the NYPD; Joan Dalton, of Northfield Bank; Mary Lennon of the Commodore Barry Club; Phil Gilson of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 12; Tom Stramka, a Bay Ridge businessman and the owner of M&M Deli; and attorney Jack D’Emic.
In addition, the parade chaplain will be Monsignor Jaime Gigantiello, who has held the post for 15 years.
The parade will be dedicated to the memory of Bridget McCready, a Bay Ridge resident who recently died of cancer, and the parade theme, said Jerry Callahan, the parade president, will be cancer awareness.
Further information on both parades can be found on line at www.saintpatricksdayparade.com
In addition, for further information on the Bay Ridge parade, call 917-582-7171.
