Community Corner

Essex County Freeholders Honor St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day Parade Committees and Honorees were recognized by Essex County officials

 

The Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders held its Annual “Salute to the Irish” Celebration on March 8 at the Hall of Records in Newark.  The program was highlighted by presentations of the Board’s Commendations to the Grand Marshals, Deputy Grand Marshals and members of the organizing committees for Essex County’s three St. Patrick’s Day Parades: Nutley, West Orange and Newark.

This year’s event was a collaborative effort of the Freeholder Board and its lead sponsors, Freeholders Brendan W. Gill of Montclair and Leonard M. Luciano of West Caldwell, as well as Essex County Clerk Christopher J. Durkin and Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin (34th District).

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Freeholder Gill opened the program by saying, “As the newest member of the Board, and as a proud Irish-American, I am honored to carry on this tradition of celebrating St. Patrick, our Irish history and traditions, and especially the accomplishments and contributions of the Irish-American community here in Essex County.” 

He went on to say, “Essex County is an amazing mosaic of cultures and languages and ethnicities.  Ours is a rich history that has seen wave after wave of immigrants, each one very different from the one that preceded it.  But in each case, their hopes and dreams were the same… to find political and religious freedom, and a better life for their families… and they did that right here in Essex County.  I’m proud to say that one of those waves was green, and that Irish immigrants have played a prominent and productive role in the history of this county.”

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During his remarks, Freeholder Luciano revealed that he was ½ Irish, and joked that his 88-year old Irish grandmother, who was in the audience, is still trying to claim him for the Irish side of the family.

The 34th Annual Nutley St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which was held on Saturday, March 3rd, was represented by its Grand Marshal Thomas J. McEnery, Deputy Grand Marshal Karen O’Connor, Parade Queen Elizabeth Dunigan and Parade Co-Chairperson, Deidre Hollywood.  McEnery, who also serves as President of the Nutley Irish American Alliance, remarked, “The Nutley Irish have come a long way.  Our parade has become a great community event and we want to keep that going.  I also want to thank the County for honoring our Irish heritage.”

The 61st Annual West Orange St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held on Sunday, March 11th when participants marched down Main Street, which was renamed “Dillon Boulevard” in honor of Grand Marshal Gregory Dillon.  He was accompanied by Deputy Grand Marshals Ellen Mary Sweeney, Neil O’Hare, Michael J. Shannon and Thomas Cannan, and by Parade Chairperson Stephanie Gallo.

At the 77th Annual Newark St. Patrick’s Day Parade, New Jersey’s oldest, on Friday, March 16th, the Grand Marshal, Kevin Cummings, President & CEO of Investors Bank, was unable to attend the celebration but was represented by Investors’ Vice President, Paul Kalamaras.  Deputy Grand Marshal, Sister Deborah L. Humphreys, SC, a social worker and long-time community activist and advocate, was accompanied by the Newark Parade General Chairman, Michael D. Byrne of Montclair.

In addition to Freeholders Gill and Luciano, County Clerk Christopher J. Durkin, Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin, and the “Honorary Irish” members of the Freeholder Board also participated in the presentations to the parade honorees: Freeholder President Blonnie R. Watson, Freeholder Vice President Patricia Sebold, and Freeholders D. Bilal Beasley, Rolando Bobadilla, Carol Y. Clark and Rufus I. Johnson.  Freeholder Donald M. Payne, Jr., was unable to attend due to the passing of his father, Congressman Donald M. Payne, Sr., only two days earlier.

The program also included remarks by Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., who claimed his “Irishness” through his ½-Irish granddaughter.  Carolyne Volpe Curley sang the “Star-Spangled Banner” and the Irish National Anthem, “A Soldier’s Song”, and four students performed from Verona’s “DeNogla School of Irish Dance”: Ciara McGovern of Roseland, Marykate Schiller of Scotch Plains, Molly Burke of West Caldwell and Samantha Cunniff of Verona.   Father Augustine Curley of the Newark Abbey at St. Benedict’s Prep offered both the Invocation and Benediction.


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