This year’s Hampton Bays Hibernians St. Patrick’s Day Parade is scheduled for Saturday, March 21st at 11am. The parade will kick off at the American Legion Post 924 (55 Ponquogue Avenue, Hampton Bays, NY). The route heads south on Ponquogue Ave., turns onto Montauk Highway, and proceeds through the downtown area.
Peter Feeney, the Public Relations Officer for The Hampton Bays Hibernians, is excited about the success of last year’s parade. He said, “When we came back last year, we formed an official committee board,” and with a bunch of different subcommittees, things are really taking shape this year. He added, “We’ve got a lot of community help that has kind of reached out.”
Feeney shared that people realized that help was needed and have stepped up. He said, “Many hands make light work, making for a bigger parade.” The parade organizers are seeing so much support that the original crew is doing a lot less, since there seem to be more people to help with the heavy lifting.
This year, Brendan O’Dwyer is the Grand Marshal. When asked about choosing him, Feeney said it was a “no-brainer… he’s an Irishman.” Feeney also mentioned that O’Dwyer has always been connected to his Irish roots and is involved with all the Irish organizations, and that he serves as treasurer on the parade’s board. O’Dwyer has been described as “the guy who keeps things in check, the money in, the money out because he signs all the checks and has always played an integral part in the background. For years, Brendan O’Dwyer has played an important role in getting all the participants into their proper order for the middle school parade. He actually hasn’t been able to see the parade for years. This year, he will be in front.
The parade organizers are excited about both participation and fundraising. Feeney explained that last year the parade had 97 participants and was their biggest parade ever. However, it almost became too much to manage, so this year they are limiting the parade to 100 participants. Feeney said, “We really don’t have the space for any more, but we will have more bands than last year. He said there will be prizes for the 1st-place, 2nd-place, and 3rd-place winners. They hope it will spark some competition among local contractors and vendors.
Amazingly, Peter Feeney’s first day in the United States was March 19th, 2009; he arrived by plane from Ireland. That was also the day of the Hampton Bay St. Patrick’s Day parade. Feeney somehow ended up that very morning in Hampton Bays at Brendan O’Dwyer’s house for an “Irish Breakfast.”
If anyone wants to participate, be a sponsor, or get any information, visit hbstpatricksparade.com. Feeney mentioned the parade costs about $50,000 a year to run. So they are always conscious about the need to raise funds.
No doubt they, along with everyone else, are looking forward to another fantastic St. Patrick’s Day Parade!
