Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations bring Ireland to New York for a day

The weather on Tuesday, March 17th seemed about as far from soft Irish day as possible. The air was mild and the sun breached the clouds. Yet with one look around the streets of Midtown Manhattan, it was quite clear that New York City’s annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and celebration was bringing a slice of the Irish nation across the sea for a day.

The New York City Saint Patrick’s Day Parade is the oldest of its kind in the nation, founded in 1762. In the 250 plus years since its inception, the parade has grown to include marchers from across the world and draws around 2 million revelers per year. The streets ran green with the celebratory air, and bystanders were packed four or five deep behind police barricades as bagpipers and Irish cultural groups marched down Fifth Avenue.

One spectator, Gerry McClean of Scotland, mentioned it was always a dream of his to see the parade. “It’s been on my bucket list for a long time,” he said. Another mentioned he had flown all the way from Sydney, Australia via Ireland to take part in the festivities. Rob Devitt, a native of Dublin said that he was enjoying his time in America on the big day. “I’m loving it thus far. I have no problem with Irish identity in America. Some of my friends tend to disagree, but I think it’s great that these people manage to identify with something.”

Once the parade concluded, many of the participants spilled into area pubs to grab a pint or two and celebrate their heritage. At Tir Na Nog, an authentic Irish pub in Times Square, there was Irish music and revelry long into the night. A three piece band played traditional Irish songs to an audience that gladly sang along to the tunes. Niamh Bergin, a participant in the Rose of Tralee competition, which celebrates Irish culture for young women, spoke positively of the experience. “I’ve never been here before, but I do love America,” she said. The day concluded when the band played Amrhan na bhFiann, the Irish national anthem. The crowd at Tir Na Nog lent their voices to the song, putting a fitting cap on a day that brings together Irish on both sides of the Atlantic.