An American landmark will be reached in 2011, when New York
City celebrates the 250th anniversary of its St.
Patrick's Day Parade. As part of the celebration around the
250th Parade, the NYC St Patrick's Parade
Committee will launch a commerative book documenting 250
years of Irish heritage, culture and faith in New York at
the Irish Consulate on Tuesday January 4th 2011.
The first New York St Patrick's Day Parade was held on March
17, 1762, fourteen years before the signing of the
Declaration of Independence.
That heritage is uniquely presented in Quinnipiac University
Press Celebrating
250 Years of the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade,
written by noted historian, John T. Ridge and edited by Lynn
Mosher Bushnell (publication date: January 30, 2011). The
Parade Committee are delighted to announce the launch of
This beautiful book pays heartfelt tribute to the Irish in
America, descendants of the seven million who emigrated from
Ireland over three centuries.
The annual parade reflects their strength, their
spirit, and their passion and contributes to the unique
character of New York City.
Through moving text written by John T. Ridge, one of New
York City's leading historians, Celebrating 250 Years
of the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade
explores the past, present and future of Irish-American
heritage in a vivid portrait of the nation's longest-running
parade that symbolizes the proud and passionate people and
the events that shaped it.
Drawing from New York's most precious photographic archives,
editor Lynn Mosher Bushnell has assembled a visual history
of the parade that unfolds page by page with hundreds of
rare and extraordinary photographs.
Held each year to honor Patrick, the Patron Saint of
Ireland, the parade also honors the Archdiocese of New York
by celebrating a proud legacy of Irish faith and heritage.
This year the
Parade will again be reviewed from the steps of St.
Patrick's Cathedral by Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York,
a tradition dating from earlier days at the Old St.
Patrick's Cathedral in Lower Manhattan.
In 2011, as in all 250 previous years, the parade will be
organized by volunteers from the community and AOH under the
careful stewardship of the St. Patrick's Parade Committee
who ensure that the parade retains its traditional values
and connection to its past and the church, under the steady
leadership of Chairman-Director John T. Dunleavy.
This year the
Grand Marshal of this historic parade is best-selling author
Mary Higgins Clark.
"Recognizing the 250th Anniversary of the New
York City St. Patrick's Day Parade is a momentous occasion
worthy of great joy and celebration,"
says Mr.
Dunleavy. "By
publishing this signature book along with Quinnipiac
University Press, we strive to preserve the history of the
parade and the memory of all the wonderful years for future
generations to enjoy and remember. On behalf of the parade
committee, our affiliated organizations, sponsors and
supporters, we hope you enjoy this publication and all that
it represents in our proud 250-year history of marching on
the streets of New York."
The New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade workers and
committee members are volunteers. Some members and their
families have helped run the parade for several
generations. All take great pride in the work while
encouraging others of Irish heritage and descent to join
them in organizing and running the world's largest parade.
In a recent message Mary McAleese, President of Ireland,
said, "Every year
on the 17th of March, we in Ireland come together
with our extended family around the world to honor our
patron saint and to celebrate all the attributes that made
us proud to be Irish. It gives us immense pleasure and
delight to see so many celebrations of our culture and
traditions taking place across the globe. Our connection to
New York and the St. Patrick's Day Parade in that city is a
particularly strong and special one."
Celebrating 250 Years of the New York St. Patrick's Day
Parade
is a full-color hardcover edition, 144 pages, lavishly
illustrated history of the legendary New York City event,
the oldest (and biggest) parade of its kind in America.
Published by Quinnipiac University Press, the book retails
at $49.95, and is available December 30 for pre-order
through the dedicated webpage,
www.250yearsparadebook.com.
Format: Hardcover, 144 pages
Price: $49.95
Author:
John T. Ridge (author) has been attending St.
Patrick's Day Parades since the 1950s when his immigrant
Irish parents first took him to watch the spectacle on Fifth
Avenue. For more than 40 years he has been a regular marcher
in the ranks and at the same time a careful observer of the
parade's struggles and triumphs in an era of major
challenges. As historian for the parade committee, Ridge has
combined his insider's view with years of research in
libraries and archives to bring to life a unique picture of
New York's oldest parade. Ridge has also drawn on many years
of writing about the New York Irish in periodicals and books
as well as some up-close observations from his walking tours
of long-vanished Irish neighborhoods in the city. He is a
past president and current officer of the New York Irish
History Roundtable. He is a past president and current
officer of the New York Irish History Roundtable and a
frequent contributor to its annual journal of New York Irish
History.
Editor:
Lynn Mosher Bushnell (editor) manages Quinnipiac
University Press and serves as vice president for public
affairs at Quinnipiac University. She has marched in the New
York City St. Patrick's Day Parade under the Quinnipiac
University banner for nearly 20 years. She often is joined
on the parade route by her husband, Donald, the
great-grandson of Irish immigrants, and their three
children, Katharine, Rebecca and Stephen. Quinnipiac
University is home to An Gorta Mór, the world's largest
collection of art and literature devoted exclusively to
Ireland' s Great Hunger. The extensive sculpture collection
and other rare holdings may be viewed on the Quinnipiac
University campus or online at
www.thegreathunger.org.
St. Patrick's Parade Committee
John T. Dunleavy, Chairman-Director
Dr. John L. Lahey, Vice Chairman-Director
Hilary Beirne, Executive Secretary-Director
Catherine Mitchell, Miceli Recording Secretary-Director
Francis McGreal Jr., Controller-Director
Rosemary Lombard, Treasurer-Director
Michael. Cassels, Sergeant-At-Arms-Director
The Perfect Gift for Irish America from Quinnipiac
University Press and The St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee.
"To be invited as Grand Marshal to lead the
parade in such a significant year as 2011 is a very high
accolade and one that I will deeply appreciate forever. .
. This is a book that is sure to be treasured by your
family for generations to come. Now you can enjoy this
wonderful keepsake of all those memorable parades through
the decades."
- Mary Higgins Clark
2011 Grand Marshall of the 250th New York City
For additional information regarding the 2011 Grand Marshal
and Parade events leading up to the Parade, contact Hilary
Beirne at the Parade Offices or visit the Parade web site at
NYCStPatricksParade.Org.