Generally Speaking: Heralding the 1916 Irish Easter Rising
The Bay Ridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee marked the centennial of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin, Ireland with commemorative ceremonies on the front lawn of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, on Fourth Avenue near 97th Street.
The memorial tribute included the reading of the 1916 Irish Proclamation declaring freedom from Great Britain and ownership of the Irish Republic, and the unveiling of a remembrance stone. Monsignor Michael Hardiman, pastor of St. Patrick’s, conducted the Invocation and blessing of the stone. The program included remarks by parade officials Frankie Marra and Linda Gallagher-Lomanto, the Mayor of the County of Cork John Paul O’Shea, State Senator Marty Golden and New York City Council Deputy Leader Vincent Gentile.
The next day, it was Bay Ridge’s turn to hail her Irish heritage, as nearly a dozen pipe bands along with four floats, Irish dance groups, students from the local Catholic academies and a contingent of JROTC cadets from Fort Hamilton High School took part in the 23rd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.