Generally Speaking: Heralding the 1916 Irish Easter Rising

The Bay Ridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee marked the centennial of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin, Ireland with commemorative ceremonies on the front lawn of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, on Fourth Avenue near 97th Street.

The memorial tribute included the reading of the 1916 Irish Proclamation declaring freedom from Great Britain and ownership of the Irish Republic, and the unveiling of a remembrance  stone. Monsignor Michael Hardiman, pastor of St. Patrick’s, conducted the Invocation and blessing of the stone. The program included remarks by parade officials Frankie Marra and Linda Gallagher-Lomanto, the Mayor of the County of Cork John Paul O’Shea, State Senator Marty Golden and New York City Council Deputy Leader Vincent Gentile.

BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by Ted General
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by Ted General

The next day, it was Bay Ridge’s turn to hail her Irish heritage, as nearly a dozen pipe bands along with four floats, Irish dance groups, students from the local Catholic academies and a contingent of JROTC cadets from Fort Hamilton High School took part in the 23rd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The 2016 Grand Marshal was James McHugh.  According to President Frankie Marra, his parade organization will be funding $10,000 in school scholarships.

BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by Ted General
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by Ted General

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Brooklyn College Professor Paul Moses was the guest speaker at the well-attended March monthly meeting of the Bay Ridge Historical Society where he discussed his somewhat controversial new book, An Unlikely Union The Love-Hate Story of New York’s Irish and Italians. Moses has spent nearly 20 years among us ink-stain wretches in a challenging career during which he was a reporter, the Brooklyn editor, City Hall bureau chief and finally the city editor of Newsday.

BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by Ted General
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by Ted General

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For all who celebrate, we wish you and your loved ones a blessed and very Happy Easter.

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