Talk about the luck of the Irish.
The 23rd Annual Bay Ridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade weathered an impending snowstorm on Sunday, March 20 and was, instead, greeted by cloudy – but dry – skies as it marched along Third Avenue.
“Another glorious, nice, Irish Bay Ridge day we have,” said Parade Vice President Linda Gallagher at the pre-parade brunch, held at Hunter’s Steak House following an early morning mass at Saint Patrick’s. “The snow shifted, thank the Lord.”
The procession kicked off at 1 p.m., at Marine and Third Avenues, and headed towards 67th Street.
This year’s parade was dedicated to the 1916 Easter Rising as well as to Larry Morrish, one of the founders of the Bay Ridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade, who died in February.
This year’s Irish family of the year, the Sullivan-O’Connor family, marched in the parade, which was led by Grand Marshal James McHugh, accompanied by Deputy Marshals Clorita Galvin, Brian Kelly, Kathleen Burke, Patrick Harkin, Maura Coughlin, Rhea McCone, Peter Whalen and the Canny Brothers Band.
“People ask me how it feels to have such a great parade and it’s an honor, first of all, to be president of any St. Patrick’s parade,” said parade President Frankie Marra prior to kickoff. “But, it is truly an honor when it’s in your own neighborhood; your own hometown.”
State Senator Marty Golden, Councilmember Vincent Gentile and Assemblymember Pamela Harris were on hand prior to the parade to present this year’s honorees with certificates.
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