Comment du Jour

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!



Bagpipes swirled, drums boomed, and dancers skipped as thousands of marchers and millions of onlookers celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in New York with a Wearin’ of the Green in this celebration of Irish culture and tradition.

Under beautiful skies and with warm temperatures, the 250th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade made its way down the Queen of Avenues under the patronage of Grand Marshall Mary Higgins Clark, a prolific mystery author, and graduate of Fordham University.

Politicians and celebrities abounded as this is the day when Everybody is Irish.

Starting at the City’s majestic St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the parade route followed the customary Green Line down Fifth Avenue outlined the parade route which was by tradition led by the Fighting 69th Regiment of the New York National Guard. Pipe bands of the Emerald Society of the New York City Police Department, the New York City Fire Department, and scores of schools, Universities, and Irish County associations were among the marchers. Besides Irish groups, some marchers and bands came from Spain for the event.

The parade honors St. Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland. The first such St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in New York before the American Revolution.