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2011 Somerville St. Patrick's Day Parade
Sunday, March 13th. 2011 -- Parade starts
promptly at 1:30pm
2011
Grand Marshal Patrick Mannion
The Somerville St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held on Sunday, March 13th, 2011
beginning at 1:30 pm. The Parade will begin at the corner of Main and Grove
Streets in downtown
Somerville and will proceed west to
West End Avenue near
Immaculate Conception Church.
A pre-parade show is typically held weather permitting at 12:30 P.M. will feature
Irish Dancing exhibitions, and will be located in front of the Review Stand at
the corner of
Main Street and Doughty
Avenue. The Parade, now in its 18th year, will have over 75 marching
units, 7 bagpipe bands, some drum and bugle bands and is expected to draw over
15,000 people , making the Somerville St. Patrick’s Day Parade, one of New
Jersey’s largest serving all of
Somerset County.
Restaurateur Patrick Mannion has been tapped to
lead the annual Somerville Area St. Patrick's Day Parade scheduled for March 13.
Mannion received his official green, white and orange parade sash Friday night,
during a parade fundraising dinner at the B.P.O. Somerville Lodge 1068.
Mannion, a co-owner with his father and brother for
12 years of Mannion's Pub and Restaurant in the
borough's downtown, said he's especially honored
to have been chosen since this will be the parade's
20th year.
"As a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, I
marched in the parade last year after being named
Hibernian of the Year. But most years, I'm working at
the restaurant since the parade day is our second
busiest day," Mannion said, adding that St. Patrick's
Day, March 17, is his busiest day of the year.
Although born in Morristown and raised in Peapack,
Mannion's parents have roots in Ireland. Mannion is vice chairman of the
Somerville Downtown Alliance; belongs to the Somerville Elks and Eagles lodges;
is a member of the
Somerville/Raritan Community Emergency Response
Team and search and rescue team, Medical Reserve
Corporation and the Somerville Area 200 Club.
The grand marshal honor is decided by the parade
committee, under the direction of Brendan Nally,
chairman. "We look for a grand marshal who has contributed to our community, and
is committed to family and the Irish," said Sean Decker, a parade committee
member.
RE: Somerville Saint Patrick’s Parade Annual
Fundraising Dinner and Grand Marshall Announcement Party
It may have looked like everyone in Central Jersey
still deep in the throes of winter on Friday, but Spring was on the mind of the
over 150 people who gathered at the Somerville Elks on Union Avenue to find out
who would be named the 2011 Grand Marshall for the Somerville Area Saint
Patrick’s Parade.
“The Somerville Saint Patrick’s Parade is solely
funded by our corporate sponsors, small businesses and individuals, so we take
this night to thank all of them as well as our Grand Marshall in leading our
parade. Some of the sponsors that were acknowledged that evening were the
Somerset Medical Center, American Legion, Somerset County AOH, Skylands Bank,
PSE&G and Global Pharma Alliance, Inc.
The entertainment for the evening was provided by a
local rock and roll cover band,
“Squad 5,”
as well as some more traditional Irish music via DJ and bagpipes. When there
was a break in all the entertainment the announcement was made that Patrick
Mannion would be the 2011 Grand Marshall.
Patrick was born in Morristown, NJ and grew up in Peapack. His father Coley
immigrated from Ireland (Connemara), and his mother’s parents both immigrated
from Ireland. Patrick is a graduate of Bernards High School and California
University of Pennsylvania. His family owns C Mannion Construction Co. and Pat
co-owns and operates Mannion’s Pub and Restaurant in Somerville with his father
and brother. Pat was Irishman of the year in 2009 and Hibernian of the year in
2010. He is the vice-chairman of the Downtown Somerville Alliance (DSA), member
of the SBPA, Somerville Elks and Eagles lodges; a member of the
Somerville/Raritan CERT team
(Community Emergency Response Team), search and rescue team, Medical
Reserve Corp., and the Somerville area 200 Club which supports the families of
fallen fire, police and EMS personnel.
Sean Decker noted that “Since this is our 20th
anniversary, it is a very special year for Pat to be chosen and he is well
deserving of the honor. We are still seeking program ads and sponsors for the
2011 parade”, Sean continued, “We really want this 20th anniversary
to be one of our best parades ever by featuring more entertainment than in
recent years.”
Brendan Nally thanked all those in
attendance and stated that “anyone that wants to become a part of or sponsor the
parade can call me personally for more details.” Brendan can be reached at
908-313-5481.
Brendan Nally
Parade Chairperson
[email protected]
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