Matthew Monday: Staten Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade

On St. Patrick’s Day, New York City holds what I’ve heard is the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world.  Staten Island, one of five boroughs of New York City but only 6% of the city population, has such a large Irish-American contingency it holds its own parade.  But to avoid interfering with the big parade, it holds its own St. Patrick’s Day parade a couple of weeks before. 

Most grammar schools don’t march in the parade, Catholic or not, but a woman at Matthew’s school signed the school up this year.  It was not coordinated with the school, so only four parents and their children showed up.  My wife, who is friends with the woman who signed us up, was one, and so Matthew, my wife, and I marched.  It was a lot of fun.  I’ve got some pictures and video clips to share.

The route is a good mile and a half long, and mostly with a sloping downhill grade.  However, someone had to park the car at the end of the route and then walk up to the starting point.  You guessed it, that was me!  So I walked it twice, and the first time was with the sloping uphill grade. 

Here we are at the grouping place.  There’s about a dozen of us. 

The hardest part of the entire day was the waiting.  I dropped the two off at ten thirty.  We didn’t start marching until a quarter to two, over three hours.  As you can imagine, the kids (and the parents, truth to tell) got restless.

There was snow on the ground.  Here’s a picture of Matthew eyeing a snowball retaliation.

And when I said the kids were restless, here’s a picture of one of Matthew’s school friends giving him a good swift punch.

Off on the march holding the school banner.

Here’s a look down Forest Avenue. 

We were at the back of the parade.  Most of the floats and large groups of school bands were way ahead.

Right behind us were a bagpipe group, and they played some beautiful Irish marching music.  I think they were called the United Gaelic Pipe Band.

Here’s a sample of their playing.

As you may have noticed, ahead of us was a Bassett Hound group or club which provided us some entertainment. 

They were really cute.  Here’s a few pictures.

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Here’s another movie clip as we walk by the dignitary stand with the Parade Marshall.

Not all the kids got to walk.  Some got rides.

And finally a picture of all our kids at the end of the route.