|
Celebrating 250 Years of the New York City
St. Patrick's Day Parade
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 launched a commerative book
documenting 250 years of Irish heritage, culture and faith
in New York at
the Irish Consulate
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
The Parade Committee are delighted to announce the launch of
This beautiful book pays heartfelttribute to the Irish in
America, descendants of the seven million who emigrated from
Ireland over three centuries. The annual parade
reflectstheir 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.
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
www.NYCStPatricksParade.Org
.
|