East Durham rings in St. Patrick’s Day

EAST DURHAM―It may have been a wee bit chilly, but that didn’t stop droves of people from descending upon East Durham on Sunday afternoon for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

A sea of green marched down State Route 145, marking the third year since the event returned after a three-decade hiatus.

Festive floats, color guards, marching bands, dancers and more delighted spectators, both young and old.

“I had no clue the first parade would be as big and well received as it was,” said Michael O’Connor, chairman of the parade committee that brought the event back to East Durham in 2024.

Organizers estimated that between 1,500 and 2,000 people came out to celebrate that first year and the parade has only grown.

One of the big decisions that must be made is selecting the grand marshal. Neil Kellegher was honored the first year, followed by Colleen McGrath Fenlon and Dermot Fenlon, and this year it was Jeanne Farrell.

Farrell and her late husband, Michael Farrell, were two of the first people to join the parade committee. Michael Farrell, who founded the beloved Farrell School of Irish Dance, had just celebrated 50 years of teaching when he passed away in April of 2024.

Known as the Emerald Isle of the Catskills, East Durham is renowned for its Irish culture, authentic pubs and events like the annual Irish Festival and Irish Arts Week.  It has been dubbed "Ireland's 33rd County,” attracting droves of Irish-American tourists to resorts and boarding houses over the last century.

St. Patrick’s Day, honoring Ireland’s patron saint, is celebrated annually on March 17, the anniversary of his death in the fifth century.

The very first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in 1601 in what in now St. Augustine, Florida.

The 265th New York City Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, the longest-running and largest in the world, steps off along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on Tuesday, March 17. Among those participating is the Cairo-Durham High School Marching Band.

On Saturday, March 21, the Greenville Irish American Club will host the 52nd St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Greenville. It steps off at 1 p.m. from St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church and marches to the Greenville Public Library where there will be a ceremony. Immediately following, all are invited to the elementary school cafeteria for refreshments and entertainment.

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Find more photos of Sunday’s parade in East Durham on our Facebook page.