Celebrating the luck of the Irish

Posted Friday, March 14, 2025 12:08 pm

When John Kelly started his grassroots St. Patrick's Day parade in 2020, he scrapped together what he could in a last minute effort to create community as the world was shutting down. The picture shows his twin daughters holding his makeshift Irish flag banner made of miscofiber rags stapled to a stick.

Courtesy John P. Kelly

What once started as makeshift banner made from rags stapled to a stick, has now gotten a bit fancier in 2025 as more people joined the effort. Kelly’s daughter’s, now 16, still created the banner, but were backed by friends and other young individuals from the community as the parade’s popularity has grown over the years.

ET Rodriguez

Bagpiper, Matthew McCrosson received a high-five from a young girl who told him, “You did a great job,” on Saturday. A retired NYPD officer who served on the force for 25 years, McCrosson was happy to serve as bagpiper for the event. He is also a member of the NYPD’s Pipes & Drums – a fraternal organization of Irish and Irish American police formed in 1960.

ET Rodriguez

The parade focused on raising funds for ELLIS Academy at the John F. Kennedy High School complex. The school focuses on educating migrant students, like the ladies pictured above. (From left) Assetou Sogodogo, 18; Nenal Maline, 18 and Fatoumata Diallo, 20. All arrived about a year ago to the U.S. from Camaroon and Ghana. When asked what their favorite part of the city was, Diallo responded, “I love the buildings.”

ET Rodriguez

Despite the parade being about three blocks long, it didn't stop sanitation, the MTA and the FDNY from joining the route and waving to parade-goers.

ET Rodriguez

Kelly's brother, Tom drove from Washington, D.C. to join in the dog contingency, new to this year's St. Patrick's Day parade in Riverdale. He dressed his dog Cadi in festive wear who has excited to join in on the fun.

ET Rodriguez

Margaret Boyle served as the parade’s grand marshal for the second year in a row. She went on to speak about the history of St. Patrick and of Irish immigrants in the U.S. She then began to share her thoughts on the current presidency, but before she could get the “T” out in government, organizer John P. Kelly, who was holding the megaphone, ended her speech. “I think we’re going to wrap it up there,” he said. “One thing I like is that I keep my parades apolitical.”

ET Rodriguez

There were upwards of 200 people who came out to celebrate Riverdale's St. Patrick's Day parade on Saturday, March 8, including dogs, children and local elected officials. Free pretzels were distributed to everyone while supplies lasted.

ET Rodriguez

by ET Rodriguez

Individuals clad in green clothing and shamrocks could be seen walking north on Broadway last weekend as they gathered to celebrate Riverdale’s own St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Started in 2020 by Riverdalian, John P. Kelly, the grassroots, hyper-local event was born out of a need to create community in the direst of times.

“I’m thinking, ‘Oh my God, we’re all going to die,” exclaimed Kelly, who called that fateful day in March, when the city’s schools, restaurants and organizations shut down indefinitely due to the pandemic.

With the idea of mortality looming darkly overhead and being a lover of St. Patrick’s Day, Kelly decided he was going to start his own parade. He went down to his basement and found three microfiber rags – green, white and orange. He stapled them to a large stick to fashion an Irish flag and created a makeshift banner.

He gathered who he could, called a bagpiper and people joined in Kelly’s impromptu celebration. The parade continues the same route it started five years ago. It kicks off at 251^st Street and Broadway, turns west on to Fieldston Terrace and terminated at 252^nd Street and Tibbett Avenue. This year, the parade lasted 10 minutes.

Kelly deliberately celebrates ahead of St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 to not compete with other events and to ensure that the community can participate.

He asked parade-goers to help raise money for ELLIS Preparatory Academy (English Language Learners and International Support Preparatory) at 99 Terrace View. On Saturday, March 8, a little more than 200 marchers -- which included the Dinowitz’s, local Assemblyman and Councilman father-and-son duo -- raised $650 with 50 percent covering parade costs and the other half donated to the school.

“This thing literally started with me in my garage lamenting,” said Kelly. “And now it’s turned into this source of joy and this source of pride for the whole neighborhood.”

Keywords

St, Patrick's Day, parade, bagpiper, ELLIS Preparatory Academy (English Language Learners and International Support, ) John P. Kelly

Comments

Tweets by @riverdalepress

50 Years on the Job

Building relationships simply by repairing one kitchen at a time

Felix Lam has been the superintendent at 2465 Palisade Ave., in Spuyten Duyvil for 50 years. The 81-year-old has made his home — and career — at the eight-story co-op since he was a young man. And how does that make him feel? “I’m very happy about it,” Lam said.

Riverdale Press

Celebrating the luck of the Irish

Keywords

Comments

From kicks to bricks: Taekwondo school gets its first home base

Giving back to Mother Earth

Volunteering this week and all year-round

Rolling out the green carpet for a blazing good time