By Jeremy Walsh
The parade, which starts at 2 p.m. at the corner of 43rd Street and Skillman Avenue, is a celebration of Irish heritage hailed by its organizers as more inclusive than the larger parade in Manhattan.Barbara Mohr, who helped found the parade in 2000, said she and co-founder Brendan Fay were inspired when they and a gay and lesbian Irish organization, the Lavender and Green Alliance, were barred from marching in the annual St. Patrick's Day in Manhattan. As protesters, Fay and Mohr were arrested and carried off the route, Mohr said.But more than that, Mohr said, the parade is an opportunity for people of diverse ethnicities to celebrate their Irish ties.”Most people don't know that the Chocktaw Indians were the first ones to provide aid to the Irish in the time of the famine,” she said, referring to the catastophic failure of the Irish potato crop in 1845-1852 that sent thousands of immigrants to U.S. shores. I don't know if we're going to have a representative of the Chocktaw nation, but we will have a Native American to do the invocation.”The parade will be co-marshaled by journalist Pete Hamill and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan), an openly gay elected official who Fay said was arrested with him during the parade debacle nine years ago.”I'm incredibly proud to be serving as Grand Marshal this year,” Quinn said.Quinn and Hamill will be presented with parade sashes at a pre-parade concert at the Irish Arts Center in Manhattan on Friday, featuring performers Malachy McCourt, comedian Fiona Walsh, Caroline Duggan and her Keltic Dream Dancers from PS 59 and the Niall O'Leary school dancers.All groups are invited to march in the parade, Mohr said, but some highlights this year include the Keltic Dreamers and the Afro-Irish band De Jimbe.Numerous girls and boys clubs from throughout the city will lead off the parade.”Our parade is always started off by children,” Mohr said. “The children represent our future, and they are the honorary grand marshals of the parade.”The good cheer does not end on Sunday, however. On Monday and Tuesday, Fay said, musicians from Ireland will hold assemblies at several Queens schools to explore the connections between Ireland and Mexican and African cultures.Mohr said she was looking forward to a strong turnout – Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been known to attend the parade – but noted the point of the parade was freedom of expression.”The first year we did it, I said, 'I don't care if it's just the five of us committee members walking,' ” she said. “When it happened, I was at the top of the hill and I looked back, and there was this wave of people. I have to admit, I burst into tears.”Reach reporter Jeremy Walsh by e-mail at jwalsh@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.
