2011 Bayonne St Patrick's Day Parade - Sunday, March 20th, 2011 Bayonne New Jersey

Sponsors: County Cork Association, County Donegal Association, Ireland 32, Irish American League

In 1981, members of the community of Bayonne joined together to form a committee for the purpose of establishing a Parade Committee to organize, support, and present annually in the month of March, a parade honoring the Patron Saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick.

In March of 1982, after an absence of over 70 years, Bayonne community members once again formed its first Saint Patrick's Parade. The four Irish organizations in the City of Bayonne are referred to herein as the sponsoring organizations. They are:

Ireland's 32
The Irish American League
The County Corkmen's Association
The County Donegal Association

The governing body of the organization is the steering committee, from which there are elected officers to direct the activities of the organization.

Those officers are:
Leo Hurley - Chairperson
Michael Boyle - Vice Chairperson
Agnes Gillespie - Treasurer
Margaret Calverley- Corresponding Secretary
Theresa Hennessey - Recording Secretary

From its inception the Bayonne Saint Patrick's Parade is held on the Sunday which follows Saint Patrick's Day, except when it falls on Saint Patrick's Day itself. The 2006 parade will be held on Sunday, March 19th. To contact the Bayonne Saint Patrick's Parade Committee please write to: PO Box 4043 - Bayonne, NJ 07002

Bayonne celebrates "Saint Patrick's Month" with a number of March activities building up to and following their beloved parade held the first Sunday after March 17. Among these are a ceremonial raising of the Irish flag over the Municipal Building, the official re-naming of the parade route to Saint Patrick's Way, and the display of Irish crystal, china, and other imports in the building's lobby.

The Grand Marshal, selected by committee vote in January, is invested with an official sash and walking stick at a brunch attended by about 250 people on the last Sunday in February. On the morning of the parade, a special Mass, beginning with a procession of the Grand Marshal and his aides, is hosted by one of four sponsoring Catholic churches. The parade itself includes ten bagpipe bands and several marching bands, along with contingents from the police force and fire department. Local schools, sports groups, and scouts participate as well.

At the conclusion of the parade, a two-hour party that is attended by more than 1,000 people is held at a local high school. This event is a family tradition for many Bayonne residents and a homecoming for former residents. Corned beef sandwiches are served, Irish dancing is performed by local students, and the bagpipers who marched in the parade all mass together in the gym for a grand finale of Irish tunes. The parade is broadcast on television ten times during the following weeks. It has been held each year since 1882 following a 71-year hiatus.

Additional photos Click here