Holyoke Saint Patrick's Day Parade

Holyoke Saint Patrick's Day Parade is hosted every year on the Sunday of the week of Saint Patrick's Day in Massachusetts, US. Each parade usually attracts around 400,000 spectators from all over the United States of America. Past participants have included John F. Kennedy, two Speakers of the House and other notable officials.Holyokestpatricksparade.com

History

Drawing on the Irish heritage of Holyoke, in its earliest days known as "Ireland Parish", the inaugural Saint Patrick's Day Parade was hosted on March 16, 1952, after a group of local businessmen met at the local Brian Boru Club and proposed the idea. Since that time the Holyoke Saint Patrick's Parade Committee which has since grown to more than 100 people and presents multiple awards to distinguished citizens every year.

As with the United States at-large, the parade has been widely participated in by people both of Irish and non-Irish heritage alike, and has come to be a reflection of Holyoke's syncretic culture, an example being local vendors selling such combinations as Café con leche with Irish soda bread, and wide variety of bands participating from all over the country, including but not limited to, the Aqua String Band, the Hawthorne Callaberos, and the Tian Guo Marching Band. Citing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, in 2020 the parade and several associated events were cancelled for the first time in its 68 year run. It went on hiatus the next year before it resumed in 2022.

Attendance Parade spectator estimates by year (1952–2017)

Year Spectators (est.) 1952 25,000 1960 100,000 1965 60,000 1970 100,000 1975 200,000 1980 250,000 1985 175,000 1991 250,000 2003 250,000 2009 350,000 2011 400,000 2017 400,000 2020-21 0

Since its inaugural event in 1952, the parade has grown substantially; while the first parade saw around an estimated 25,000 spectators, in recent years the estimated number of spectator's has exceeding 400,000, approximately ten times the population of Holyoke as of the most recent census. The event, considered as much a regional as local venue, attracts many spectators from surrounding states and even Ireland itself in recent years. In 2011 the UMass Donahue Institute estimated the parade brought in $20 million annually to the local economy, through its participants and spectators.

Honorees

Each year since its first iteration, the parade has had a parade president and grand marshal; in 1955 the first Colleen was chosen and given her own court and throne. Over the years a number of other awards have been created, including the Thomas Rohan Award (1957), named for the first grand marshall, for citizens contributing outstanding work to the parade; the John F. Kennedy Award (1958), named for its inaugural recipient, has been given to an "Outstanding American of Irish Descent" each year since that time and has included nationally known singers, actors, athletes, writers, an astronaut, mayors of Boston, several governors, senators, and Speakers of the House. Additional awards include the Citizenship Award (1966) honoring those of non-Irish descent who have made substantial contributions to the parade, the George E. O’Connell Award (1963) to members of the parade committee who have made longstanding efforts to fundraising, the Daniel J. Gallivan Award (1972) for others who have made significant contributions to the parade who do not reside in Holyoke, and the Ambassador Award (1992) to those who promote ties between the United States and Ireland.

Year Grand Colleen Grand Marshal John F. Kennedy Award Recipient1952 Tom Rohan 1953 John S. Begley 1954 Daniel J. O'Connell 1955 Kathleen O'Sullivan Emmett C. Cauley 1956 Mary Monaghan Dr. Elmer J. Harrington 1957 Maureen Murphy William P. Sullivan 1958 Geraldine Lawler William R. Peck John F. Kennedy1959 Ann Burke William E. Nolen Jeremiah J. Minnehan1960 Sheila McCormick John J. Driscoll John F. Collins1961 Susan Hobert Michael H. Moran Christopher Joseph Weldon1962 Francine Dillon Maurice A. Donahue Bob Considine1963 Joan Riley Eugene P. O'Neill William Gargan1964 Kathleen Kennedy Jeremiah J. Lawler James B. Donovan1965 Mary Ellen McGinty Joseph F. Lynch James J. Shea1966Margaret ShevlinJoseph J. KellyEdward M Kennedy1967Janet Kelly DesrosiersThomas W. PaddenTommy Loughran1968Una PetcenWilliam J. DeanLarry O'Brien1969Deborah KennedyJames F. MillaneRichard Cushing1970Kathleen WelchFrank R. KingJohn N. Dempsey1971Ann Marie O'BrienWilliam G. RogersPat O'Brien1972Nancy RainvilleDavid M. BartleyTimothy J. Dacey Jr.1973Sherry Lee McFaddenTimothy J. SullivanJohn W. McCormack1974Mary Ann CrokeGeorge E. FrostJim Bishop1975Martha Marie DonohueWilliam W. MahoneyThomas P. Salmon1976Ann Marie AbelRichard J. MurphyEdward Bennett Williams1977Patricia Marie DeanFrancis J. BakerJimmy Breslin1978Katherine M. QuirkEdward F. SheehyTip O'Neill1979Corrine BakerJohn F. MoriartyDan Devine1980Patricia Ann LongJames J. SheaArt Rooney1981Ann DeanEdward "Sarge" NugentWilliam A. Nolen1982Patricia O'ConnorMaurice B. MartinMaureen O'Hara1983Karen BarrettJohn T. HickeyJoseph F. Maguire1984Alyssa FitzpatrickJames "Barry" FarrellEdward Boland1985Maureen SimondsJames E. O'LearyFrank McGuire1986Kerry Ann MoriartyLeo Edward O'NeilWilliam A. O'Neill1987Theresa ClarkAnne Hearn McHughDennis Day1988Ruth Ellen AllynBernard M. LavelleThomas Flatley1989Anne Marie O'ConnellThomas J. DonahueNeil Sheehan1990Mary DelevaJames K. KellyLeo Edward O'Neil1991Christine BrillPatrick B. BresnahanCarmel Quinn1992Candice McKenzieEdward B. "Pop" CoughlinTom Clancy1993Heather BresnahanMaurice J. FerriterMary Rose McGeady1994Kara Elizabeth ShanahanRobert J. RohanRaymond Flynn1995Marikate MoriartyCharles W. "Bill" DinnEoin McKiernan1996Shaena A. SmalleyFrancis M. BakerRobert Stack1997Mary Kate CartierJohn E. McHughJohn J. Sweeney1998Kimberly Lyn WillisDaniel E. TierneyRichard I. Neal1999Abby Gordon WoodsFrancis M. KanePatti Ann, Conor, & Steven McDonald2000Abbey Louise McLaughlinFrancis X. SullivanRichard E. Neal2001Elizabeth Ann CartierJoseph F. McGuireJohn Shea2002Kathleen C. JoyceJames A. CurranDaniel Coughlin2003Mary Kate MoynihanPeter F. BradyWilliam J. Flynn2004Sheila Maureen MurphyJoseph V. Gosselin Jr.Catherine Coleman2005Carolyn Patricia McLainRussell J. McNiff Sr.Tom O'Brien2006Katy Beth BrunelleFrederick L. SullivanTom Ridge2007Kim Erin ElliottAlan F. CathroDan Shaughnessy2008Ashley M. ReidyAnn M. GibbonsFran Healy2009Ashley R. TuckerChristine Padden ZajacJoseph Loughrey2010Rosalyn C. CheskyJoseph M. McGiverinDan Rooney2011Meaghan LeahyGerald D. HealyDavid McCullough2012Brianna M. FitzBarry J. FarrellKevin O’Hara2013Brieanna M. GreshBrian Q. CorridanDoris Kearns Goodwin2014Sheila S. FallonRoger P. DonoghueDick and Rick Hoyt2015Allyson CravenRaymond H. FeyreJohn M. Maguire2016Meghan N. RyanPatricia C. DevineMicky Ward2017Margaret WalshJane MorrisseyAnn Dowd2018Madelynne KelleherDavid “Archie” DonoghueArchie Roberts2019Lauren DuludeRoger Reidy Jr.T. J. Jagodowski 2020 Moira McDermott John “Jay” Driscoll David Glidden 2021 2022Moira McDermottJohn “Jay” DriscollDavid Glidden

Media coverage The parade also enjoys an audience beyond its participants, with more than 1.2 million viewers watching over the channel and online streams of local PBS affiliate WGBY, which broadcast it every year from 2001 through 2018. WWLP resumed as the broadcaster of the parade in 2019 through its CW channel, and also included a livestream. Other local media outlets including WGGB-TV and the Springfield Republican also cover the event.

Gallery

See also History of the Irish in Holyoke Holyoke Caledonian Pipe Band, regular feature in the parade since the first and oldest continuously operating pipe band in North America Saint Patrick's Day

References

Holyoke Saint Patrick's Day Parade

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