On a brisk but sunny day, enthusiastic crowds lined the streets of Mineola to cheer the bands, dancers and other marchers at the annual St. Patrick’s Parade last Sunday
“It’s a good day for it,” said grand marshal Patrick Sexton, leading a contingent of the Irish American Society of Nassau, Suffolk and Queens, which organized the event.
It was the second year the parade has been held in Mineola, coursing its way west on Old Country Road from the courthouse district and turning right on Mineola Boulevard to promenade through the heart of the village, and then east on Jericho Turnpike past the local dignitaries on the reviewing stand near the Mineola Fire Department headquarters.
It’s a continuation of a 63-year-old tradition for the parade, which had previously been held in Garden City for nearly 40 years. Parade organizers had considered moving the parade for the past several years, but Garden City officials forced their hand by imposing fees for their village police department to cover the event.
“I think there was a bigger crowd this year. The day was beautiful. It was a little cool, but once you started marching, it was fine. It was great,” said Betty McLoughlin, a member of the board of the Irish American Society who played an instrumental role as the organization’s president in relocating the parade to Mineola last year.
The Inis Fada Pipe Band led the parade with rousing tunes.
The award-winning Mineola High School Marching Band also delivered its usual professional performance. Bands from Chaminade High School and Hofstra University, the Archbishop Malloy High School Pipe Band from Briarwood, Queens, Long Island Brass and Percussion of Levittown and the Marine Corps League Band from Massapequa were also in the line of march.
Members of the Donnie Golden School of Irish Dance in Mineola and the Ryan Irish Dance School seemed pleased at the chance to break parade stride and perform traditional Irish steps in front of the reviewing stand.
Dancers and musicians of the Portuguese American Society of Mineola also provided entertainment in the line of march.
Mineola, Williston Park and Stewart Manor Fire Departments also marched along with Irish Americans in Government, the Nassau Chapter of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Rough Riders of the Nassau-Suffolk Horseman’s Association and the Knights of Columbus of Mineola, Garden City and Farmingdale. The St. Aidan School of Williston Park was represented along with St. Joseph School and St. Anne’s School in Garden City and the Irish Cultural Society of Greater Garden City.
Tony Jackson, the emcee for the event, provided an entertaining introduction to the crowd on the sunny side of Jericho Turnpike awaiting the marchers, as he recalled the story of St. Patrick and offered some lines of verse for the occasion:
“There’s and Irish song that’s in our hearts to stay
So even though we cannot be there
Our thoughts are never far away”
Village of Mineola Mayor Scott Strauss, who marched with village trustees George Durham, Paul Pereira and Lawrence Werther declared the event an unqualified success.
“It was a great for Mineola. I’m glad the parade’s in Mineola. It was nice to see the turnout from the residents,”Strauss said. “It’s a very festive occasion and it was fun.”
