St. Patrick’s Day Parade returning to East Durham

EAST DURHAM―In less than a month, a sea of green will march through East Durham for the third annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The road will once again rise up to meet festive floats, color guards, marching bands, dancers and more to the delight of what is anticipated to be hordes of spectators lining State Route 145.

“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 after a three-decade hiatus.

Organizers estimated that between 1,500 and 2,000 people came out to celebrate that first year.

“When we started planning the second parade my goal was to be better not bigger. Not having a major traffic jam like we had the first year was a priority,” O’Connor said.

“The extra parking areas and shuttle bus idea worked. We had a great plan and we were definitely better―much better. But people came from all over and we ended up being bigger, too,” he added.

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.

But for reasons no one is certain, the hamlet stopped hosting a St. Patrick’s Day parade after 1993.

O’Connor’s parents started bringing him to East Durham when he was a kid and after becoming a father himself, he and his wife brought their own children to town. Eventually, they got a camper and Blackthorne Resort became their home away from home for two decades before purchasing a house on Golden Hill Road.

O’Connor got involved with the Greene County Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) Mass Rock Division 2 and became its vice president.

“We love everything about living in this town,” he said. “But I kept saying, ‘Why is there no St. Patrick’s Day parade here?’ I was born on St. Patrick’s Day and going to parades has been part of my life.”

In April of 2023, the local AOH got together with community members and a group was formed to get the parade marching once again.

“My parade committee meets every month starting in April. In February and March, we will meet biweekly and weekly to prepare for the parade,” explained O’Connor.

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.

This year, the committee considered a slate of around eight to ten candidates.

“When Jeanne Farrell’s name was read out, it was unanimous,” said O’Connor.

“Everyone at the meeting loved the idea. Jeanne is on our committee but wasn’t at the meeting that night. I got to ask her while she was working at Guaranteed Irish the next day. A tear came to her eye and she said yes,” he added.

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

“It was Michael who had the idea of our Miss Shamrock contest and together with Jeanne put their ideas together for it―Little Miss Shamrock, Master Shamrock and Miss Shamrock,” said O’Connor.

“He is truly missed in town and it is because of everything he accomplished along with Jeanne throughout the years in the New York Irish dance community and here in the Irish Alps that we felt Jeanne was the perfect selection for grand marshal,” he said.

This Saturday, February 28, the parade committee will hold its annual Passing of the Sash Dinner at the Shamrock House.

“Jeanne will be honored and the sash placed on her as well as the winners of the kids contest. Many special guests and dignitaries will be there,” explained O’Connor.

The dinner is open to the public, begins at 6 p.m. and includes dinner and live music by David Barckow of the Diddley Idols. Tickets are $65 per person and are available by emailing EDParade@gmail.com or stopping by the Shamrock House. All profits support the parade.

“Michael Farrell will be looking down on us from heaven not only proud of Jeanne, but smiling on us all,” O’Connor said. “East Durham has an Irish community that is thriving more and more and we’re keeping the tradition alive by having four Irish dance schools participating in the parade. We only had two for the first two parades.”

This year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is slated for Sunday, March 15 and steps off at 1 p.m. from the Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural and Sports Centre. It marches down State Route 145, ending at Five Furlongs.

Spectators are encouraged to arrive early to find parking and a spot along the road. The cultural center parking lot is for the parade participants only. Like last year, public parking is available at the Cornerstone Baptist Church with two shuttle buses running.

Updates and information will be posted to the East Durham St. Patrick’s Day Parade Facebook page.