Holyoke Saint Patrick's Day Parade Explained

Holyoke St. Patrick's Day Parade
Organized:Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade Committee
Current:March 17, 2024
Genre:Parade
First:March 16, 1952[1]
Status:Active
Frequency:Annually
Location:Holyoke, MA
Country:United States of America
Attendance:400,000
Website:http://holyokestpatricksparade.com

Holyoke Saint Patrick's Day Parade is hosted every year on the Sunday of the week of Saint Patrick's Day. Each parade usually attracts around 400,000 spectators from all over the United States of America. Past participants have included President John F. Kennedy, two Speakers of the House and other notable officials.[2]

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.[3]

As with the United States at-large, the parade has been widely participated in by people both of Irish and non-Irish heritage alike,[4] 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.[5] [6] [7] 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.[8] It went on hiatus the next year before it resumed in 2022.

Attendance

Parade Spectator Estimates By Year (1952–Present)

YearSpectators (est.)
1952 25,000[9]
1960 100,000[10]
1965 60,000[11]
1970 100,000
1975 200,000[12]
1980 250,000[13]
1985 175,000[14]
1991 250,000[15]
2003 250,000[16]
2009 350,000[17]
2011 400,000[18]
2017 400,000[19]
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.[9] [19] 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.[20]

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 international ties between the United States and Ireland.[21]

Year Grand Colleen Grand Marshal John F. Kennedy Award Recipient
1952Tom Rohan
1953John S. Begley
1954Daniel J. O'Connell
1955Kathleen O'SullivanEmmett C. Cauley
1956Mary MonaghanDr. Elmer J. Harrington
1957Maureen MurphyWilliam P. Sullivan
1958Geraldine LawlerWilliam R. PeckJohn F. Kennedy
1959Ann BurkeWilliam E. NolenJeremiah J. Minnehan
1960Sheila McCormickJohn J. DriscollJohn F. Collins
1961Susan HobertMichael H. MoranChristopher Joseph Weldon
1962Francine DillonMaurice A. DonahueBob Considine
1963Joan RileyEugene P. O'NeillWilliam Gargan
1964Kathleen KennedyJeremiah J. LawlerJames B. Donovan
1965Mary Ellen McGintyJoseph F. LynchJames J. Shea
1966Margaret ShevlinJoseph J. KellyEdward M Kennedy
1967Janet Kelly DesrosiersThomas W. PaddenTommy Loughran
1968Una PetcenWilliam J. DeanLarry O'Brien
1969Deborah KennedyJames F. MillaneRichard Cushing
1970Kathleen WelchFrank R. KingJohn N. Dempsey
1971Ann Marie O'BrienWilliam G. RogersPat O'Brien
1972Nancy RainvilleDavid M. BartleyTimothy J. Dacey, Jr.
1973Sherry Lee McFaddenTimothy J. SullivanJohn W. McCormack
1974Mary Ann CrokeGeorge E. FrostJim Bishop
1975Martha Marie DonohueWilliam W. MahoneyThomas P. Salmon
1976Ann Marie AbelRichard J. MurphyEdward Bennett Williams
1977Patricia Marie DeanFrancis J. BakerJimmy Breslin
1978Katherine M. QuirkEdward F. SheehyTip O'Neill
1979Corrine BakerJohn F. MoriartyDan Devine
1980Patricia Ann LongJames J. SheaArt Rooney
1981Ann DeanEdward "Sarge" NugentWilliam A. Nolen
1982Patricia O'ConnorMaurice B. MartinMaureen O'Hara
1983Karen BarrettJohn T. HickeyJoseph F. Maguire
1984Alyssa FitzpatrickJames "Barry" FarrellEdward Boland
1985Maureen SimondsJames E. O'LearyFrank McGuire
1986Kerry Ann MoriartyLeo Edward O'NeilWilliam A. O'Neill
1987Theresa ClarkAnne Hearn McHughDennis Day
1988Ruth Ellen AllynBernard M. LavelleThomas Flatley
1989Anne Marie O'ConnellThomas J. DonahueNeil Sheehan
1990Mary DelevaJames K. KellyLeo Edward O'Neil
1991Christine BrillPatrick B. BresnahanCarmel Quinn
1992Candice McKenzieEdward B. "Pop" CoughlinTom Clancy
1993Heather BresnahanMaurice J. FerriterMary Rose McGeady
1994Kara Elizabeth ShanahanRobert J. RohanRaymond Flynn
1995Marikate MoriartyCharles W. "Bill" DinnEoin McKiernan
1996Shaena A. SmalleyFrancis M. BakerRobert Stack
1997Mary Kate CartierJohn E. McHughJohn J. Sweeney
1998Kimberly Lyn WillisDaniel E. TierneyRichard I. Neal
1999Abby Gordon WoodsFrancis M. KanePatti Ann, Conor, & Steven McDonald
2000Abbey Louise McLaughlinFrancis X. SullivanRichard E. Neal
2001Elizabeth Ann CartierJoseph F. McGuireJohn Shea
2002Kathleen C. JoyceJames A. CurranDaniel Coughlin
2003Mary Kate MoynihanPeter F. BradyWilliam J. Flynn
2004Sheila Maureen MurphyJoseph V. Gosselin, Jr.Catherine Coleman
2005Carolyn Patricia McLainRussell J. McNiff Sr.Tom O'Brien
2006Katy Beth BrunelleFrederick L. SullivanTom Ridge
2007Kim Erin ElliottAlan F. CathroDan Shaughnessy
2008Ashley M. ReidyAnn M. GibbonsFran Healy
2009Ashley R. TuckerChristine Padden ZajacJoseph Loughrey
2010Rosalyn C. CheskyJoseph M. McGiverinDan Rooney
2011Meaghan LeahyGerald D. HealyDavid McCullough
2012Brianna M. FitzBarry J. FarrellKevin O’Hara
2013Brieanna M. GreshBrian Q. CorridanDoris Kearns Goodwin
2014Sheila S. FallonRoger P. DonoghueDick and Rick Hoyt
2015Allyson CravenRaymond H. FeyreJohn M. Maguire
2016Meghan N. RyanPatricia C. DevineMicky Ward
2017Margaret WalshJane MorrisseyAnn Dowd
2018Madelynne KelleherDavid “Archie” DonoghueArchie Roberts
2019Lauren DuludeRoger Reidy, Jr.T. J. Jagodowski
2020Moira McDermottJohn “Jay” DriscollDavid 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.[22] [23] 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.

See also

Further reading

External links

Parade Committees

Surrounding municipality committees organized to send delegations of honored persons, floats, and community groups as contingents to the parade-

Notes and References

  1. Extensions of Remarks by Rep. Silvio O. Conte. Mr. Speaker, today, as the Irish- and as is popularly said, those who wish they were Irish-- celebrate the feast of the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick, I salute the 25th anniversary of the Holyoke, Mass. St. Patrick's Day parade. I would also like to take this opportunity to commend the Irish-American community in that city and around the country in this Bicentennial Year on the great contributions the Irish have made to the building of America. The Holyoke St. Patrick's Day parade is an event that annually draws throngs of hundreds of thousands of spectators to the city of Holyoke. Twenty-five years ago, on March 16, 1952, the first Holyoke St. Patrick's Day parade stepped off on High Street under the direction of parade committee officials, William Lunney, president; William P. Sullivan, vice president; Thomas Mulvihill, secretary; and Emmett J. Cauley, treasurer.
  2. http://newsite.holyokestpatricksparade.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=27 Holyokestpatricksparade.com
  3. News: Big Day in Holyoke. Springfield Union. Springfield, Mass.. 1. March 22, 1970.
  4. Book: Lives of the Saints: From Mary and St. Francis of Assisi to John XXIII and Mother Teresa. HarperOne. The most famous church in the United States is dedicated to him, Saint Patrick's in New York City. Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all ethnic backgrounds by the wearing of green and parades. His feast, which is on the General Roman Calendar, has been given as March 17 in liturgical calendars and martyrologies. The Church of England, the Episcopal Church in the USA, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America observe his feast on this day, and Saint Patrick is also commemorated on the Russian Orthodox calendar.. Richard P. Mcbrien. 13 October 2009. 9780061763656. 13 November 2010.
    • Book: Rodriguez, Ivelisse. Love War Stories. 2019. Feminist Press at CUNY. New York. 30. 9781936932283. To this day, everyone in Holyoke still attends the Saint Patrick's Day parade. Can you imagine anything more absurd than a bunch of Puerto Ricans at a Saint Patty's Day parade?.
  5. Web site: Pioneer Valley Planner. https://web.archive.org/web/20190915172048/https://pvplanner.wordpress.com/2019/04/04/how-irish-is-holyoke-actually/. How Irish is Holyoke Actually?. September 15, 2019. April 4, 2019. Armstrong. Price.
  6. News: The Republican. Springfield, Mass.. March 18, 2019. Holyoke St. Patrick's Day Parade attracts more bands, more floats, more crowds. https://web.archive.org/web/20190915172533/https://www.masslive.com/news/2019/03/st-patricks-day-parade-in-holyoke-attracts-more-bands-more-floats-more-crowds.html. September 15, 2019. DeForge. Jeanette.
  7. Holyoke's Irish Heart. Irish America. Irish America, LLC. September 10, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180910085504/https://irishamerica.com/2009/06/holyokes-irish-heart/. Harty. Patricia.
  8. News: Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade, Road Race canceled due to coronavirus concerns. March 10, 2020. WWLP 22 News. Chicopee, Mass..
    • News: Daily Hampshire Gazette. Northampton, Mass.. Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade canceled over coronavirus. March 10, 2020. Connors. Michael. This year’s St. Patrick’s Parade and Road Race were canceled by the city Tuesday amid growing concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus — the first time in history the parade has been called off, according to a top parade official..
  9. News: On Parade in Holyoke. Springfield Union. Springfield, Mass.. 2. March 17, 1952.
  10. News: Mr. Weatherman Smiles On Big, Colorful Holyoke St. Patrick's Day Parade. Springfield Union. Springfield, Mass.. 1. March 21, 1960.
  11. News: St. Patrick's Cheeks Nipped By Weatherman in Holyoke. Springfield Union. Springfield, Mass.. 1. March 22, 1965.
  12. News: 200,000 View Holyoke Parade. Springfield Union. Springfield, Mass.. Perkins. Robert. Siteman. Linda. 1. March 24, 1975.
  13. News: Irish strut their stuff; 'Sun of Erin' graces St. Patrick's parade. Springfield Union. Springfield, Mass.. Lightstone. Helayne. 1. March 24, 1980.
  14. News: St. Pat's parade crowds expected to brave wet, chill. Springfield Union. Springfield, Mass.. Lauer. Martin J.. 10H. March 16, 1985.
  15. News: Hopefuls join the show in Holyoke. Boston Herald. Woodlief. Wayne. 9. March 18, 1991.
  16. Web site: History - Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade. St. Patrick's Committee of Holyoke, Inc.. 2004. 20 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20040430030559/http://www.holyokestpatricksparade.com/stpats_subpages/history2_subpage.ads. 2004-04-30. dead.
  17. News: Western Mass. city holds St. Patrick's parade. The Berkshire Eagle. March 22, 2009. Pittsfield, Mass..
  18. Economic Contribution Analysis of the 2011 Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade . Vaisanen. Raija. Wong. Raija. UMass Donahue Institute. February 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20180220060014/http://www.donahue.umassp.edu/documents/Holyoke_StPats_report.pdf. 20 February 2018.
  19. News: 2017 Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade guide: Where to watch, what to know. Kelly. Ray. MassLive. March 17, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170317124651/http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2017/03/2017_holyoke_st_patricks_parad.html. 17 March 2017.
  20. Economic Contribution Analysis of the 2011 Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade. February 2012. Wong. Vaisanen. Hinlan. Raija. UMass Donahue Institute. https://web.archive.org/web/20180220060014/http://www.donahue.umassp.edu/documents/Holyoke_StPats_report.pdf. 2018-02-20.
  21. Past Parades (1952–2001). August 24, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190824030501/http://holyokestpatricksparade.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/past-parade.pdf. Holyoke St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee. 2001.
  22. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20180220062605/http://holyokestpatricksparade.com/about/. 20 February 2018. History of the St. Patrick's Parade in Holyoke, MA. St. Patrick's Committee of Holyoke, Inc..
  23. Web site: Holyoke Saint Patrick's Parade. WGBY Public Television. WGBY TV. 3 March 2018.