2024 Yonkers St. Patrick’s Day Parade on McLean Avenue

The Yonkers St. Patrick’s Day Parade is excited to return to McLean Avenue for its 67^th edition on March 23, 2024, at 1 PM. In recent years, the parade has emerged as the largest outside of New York City, arguably surpassing Pearl River, according to estimates on attendance by Yonkers PD. It was estimated that over 42,000 attended the 2023 edition, which was the largest yet, and a display of continuing growth since the parade resumed after the cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the Grand Marshal is Moira Kiernan, a lifelong Yonkers resident, and a staple in the Yonkers community. Kiernan is the chair of the Yonkers Chamber of Commerce, and a Vice President of Orange Bank & Trust. The aides to the Grand Marshal are Martin Bellew, Andrew Hayden, Marge Delaney, Andrew McLaughlin, Dawn Doherty, Jennifer Keating McSpedon, Ailish Doran, and Kiera O’Connor.

The day of festivities begins with a mass at St. Barnabas High School Chapel, located at the intersection of McLean and Hyatt Avenue, starting at 11:15 AM. The parade will then begin at 1 PM, stretching on McLean Avenue from Vireo to Coyne Park. It is expected that up to 100 groups, if not more, will be participating in this year’s parade, another record to celebrate. The Yonkers Police Department will be protecting everyone on the parade route, and the bars and restaurants are expected to be filled to capacity as they have every year since the parade moved to McLean Avenue over a decade ago. Attendees are advised to park in the lower lot of Empire City – Yonkers Raceway, as free shuttle services will be provided between the Raceway and Kimball Avenue near McLean. Attendees are asked to respect the neighborhood, and park in the raceway lots and not in front of residents’ homes. Illegally parked vehicles will be towed at the owner’s expense. Those who cannot make the parade will be able to view the parade via livestream, provided by New Logical, on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Twitch.

The City of Yonkers and Mayor Mike Spano kicked off the beginning of the parade celebrations and Irish American Heritage Month with the Flag Raising at City Hall on March 5^th. The parade board, grand marshal, and aides celebrated the occasion with the Mayor and the City Council with a ceremony and a reception in the Mayor’s Reception Hall, with food and Irish coffee provided by The Heritage Bar & Restaurant and Rory Dolan’s. The committee will also hold a dinner dance at Castle Royale on Nepperhan Avenue on March 9^th at 7 PM. During the week leading up to the parade, on Wednesday, March 20th at 10 a.m (weather permitting), the committee and the City of Yonkers will do the ceremonial line painting near the Aisling Center, at 990 McLean Avenue.

The parade committee is chaired by Jim Landy, while the parade itself is co-chaired by Deirdre O’Mara and Ursula McIntyre. Anyone following the parade are encouraged to visit the Parade website and social media for updates, and you can find all of that on https://yonkersstpatricksdayparade.org and “Yonkers St. Patrick’s Day Parade on McLean Avenue” on Facebook.

ABOUT THE GRAND MARSHAL & AIDES

Moira Kiernan, Grand Marshal

Moira Merrigan Kiernan is a lifelong resident of Yonkers. She and her brother, Timothy Merrigan, were raised in Northwest Yonkers by their mother, Beverly Kelly Merrigan. Her family originated from Counties Down, Armagh, and Munster Province, particularly Killarney. Her Yonkers roots go back 5 generations. Her great-grandfather George T. Kelly, was a Yonkers builder who constructed Yonkers City Hall, Gorton High School and various public buildings in Westchester in the early 20th Century. Moira attended Maria Regina High School, the College of Mount of St Vincent, and received a Master’s in Business Administration from Manhattan College. Moira’s husband, Christopher R. Kiernan was a Deputy Chief with the Yonkers Fire Department, passing away in 2004.

Moira continues her career in local banking, presently as a Vice President of Orange Bank & Trust, and is managing their new office in Yonkers. She is a past recipient of the Yonkers Chamber of Commerce Women in Business – Business Professional Award. Strongly committed to community service, Moira serves on numerous Boards of service organizations that enhance the lives of many in Yonkers. She is currently Chairwoman of the Yonkers Chamber of Commerce and New York Creative Arts Therapy Foundation, as well as a Board member of St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Finian Sullivan Corp., Sacred Heart High School’s Board of Advisors, Mount Hope Cemetery Association, Westchester County Bar Foundation, Yonkers Community Planning Council and several affordable housing organizations that serve Yonkers. A parishioner of Sacred Heart, she is also a member of the Amackassin Club, and is an avid golfer and tennis player. She served as Aide to the Grand Marshal in 2010, and we are delighted that Moira is our 2024 Grand Marshal of the Yonkers St. Patrick’s Day Parade on McLean Avenue.

MARTIN BELLEW, Aide

Martin is one of 3 brothers whose parents arrived in the U.S. in 1950, his mother from Co. Clare, and his father from Co. Armagh. Marty spent 3 summers working on his uncle’s farm in Mullagh, Clare. His late wife, Mary, was the daughter of Irish immigrants, and their 2 children embrace their Irish roots, marching in over 100 St. Patrick’s Parades. His grandchildren took part in the 2023 NYC Parade in strollers. Marty has a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering, and is Commissioner of the Dept. of Environmental Control and President of the Resource Recovery Agency in the Town of Islip. He was Director of Bureaus of Waste Disposal, Waste Disposal Engineering, and Recycling in NYC, where he managed material generated by the 9/11 attack, operations at Fresh Kills, and planning for the closure of Fresh Kills. He served as Yonkers Deputy DPW Commissioner, and later Parks Commissioner. While in the NY Dept. of Sanitation, he joined the DSNY Emerald Society. He started golf tournaments for Cystic Fibrosis. To date, the tournaments have raised over $250,000. Marty was a founding member of the DSNY Emerald Society Pipe and Drum Band, and has been a delegate from the DSNY Emerald Society to the Grand Council for approximately 40 years. In 2022, he was unanimously elected President of the Grand Council, which has over 20,000 members, serving as the umbrella of 27 affiliated Emerald Societies, whose members serve in front-line professions. Martin has been a resident of Yonkers for 38 years.

MARGE DELANEY, Aide

Marge (Marguerite McPhillips) was born in Yonkers, the older of two children of John B. McPhillips and M. Terry McPhillips. Her paternal Irish roots are in Cos. Monaghan and Louth. Marge attended Sacred Heart Grammar and High Schools. She graduated from Westchester Community College, pursuing her degree more than 20 years after high school, while raising 5 children. Marge is retired after more than 25 years in the auto industry, as Controller for various car dealerships. Marge is a Trustee of Yonkers Historical Society, where she serves as Co-Chair of the Archives Committee, volunteers in the Office, and takes an active role on the Fundraising Dinner Committee. She is Treasurer of the Morsemere Garden Club, and President of the Board of Directors of Tudor Woods, Inc. She serves as Administrator of the Green & Gold Fund, in support of the mission, programs, and students of Sacred Heart High School. Marge has been a member of our Parade Committee for several years, serving on the Dinner Committee, and greeting guests at the check-in table. She is a member of the American Irish Association. Marge is the proud mother of 4 sons, a daughter, and their spouses: Bill (Tara), Terry (Kevin), Kevin (Brandie), Ryan (Christina) and Megan Martinetti (Tommy). Her 5 granddaughters and 4 grandsons are her pride and joy. A Parishioner of the Monastery Church of the Sacred Heart, Marge is a past member of the Choir, and loved being part of its traditional and wonderful Christmas Concert.

DAWN DOHERTY, Aide

Dawn was born in New York and moved to Castlebar, Co. Mayo at 3. Her mother, Maryanne hails from Co. Sligo, and her father, Joe is from Castlebar. Her brother, Dean resides in London. Dawn and her husband Paul, also from Castlebar, have a 5-year-old son, Joey. Dawn attended the University of Limerick. She earned an honors BA in Irish Music & Dance, and two Master’s, one in Music Therapy and one in Science and Education, Special Ed. She worked as Music Therapist at Cherry Orchard Hospital in Dublin, and in St. Angela’s Primary School Castlebar, prior to moving to New York 10 years ago. She has several All-Ireland titles, competing at the Fleadh Cheoil, Readoiri, Scor and Oireachtas. She plays many instruments including the whistle, piano, guitar, bodhran, and sings in the Irish Language. She is the 2023 All-Ireland champion in Senior Tin Whistle Slow Airs, won at Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Mullingar. In May, Dawn will be inducted into the Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann Mid-Atlantic Region Hall of Fame, for her work in Irish Music preservation. Dawn is Director of her own Irish Music & Singing Academy. She is also Director of the Aisling Center Ballad Group and Co-Director of the Aisling Ceili band. She teaches Irish Music and Singing at Aisling and St Mark’s Lutheran School, and runs classes for children with special needs. Last year, the Mayo Society of NY honored Dawn as Mayo Woman of the Year, and her students performed on the grounds of the Grand Ole Opry, and sang at Carnegie Hall. She volunteers at fundraisers, churches, nursing homes and community centers, playing music and singing. Dawn and her family belong to Saint Pius X Parish in Scarsdale.

AILISH DORAN, Aide

Ailish Marie Cronin Doran is a lifelong Yonkers resident and proud Irish American. Ailish is the eldest daughter of Jack and Jeanie Cronin. Her father hails from Millstreet, Co. Cork and her mom was born in the Bronx, and attended high school in Sligo, close to her family’s home in Ballinfad, Co. Sligo. Ailish attended St. Paul the Apostle School and Lincoln High School. She earned a Bachelor’s in Accounting from Manhattan College and Master’s in Teaching from Iona. She began teaching at Annunciation School in the Crestwood section of Yonkers in 1997, and became a Yonkers Public School teacher in 1999. She teaches 4th grade at Las Hermanas Mirabel Community School (# 13 on McLean). Her sister Denise is a Yonkers Police Lieutenant, and her brother Sean is a Lt. Colonel in the US Army. Ailish has been happily married for 28 years to Peter Doran, Captain in the Yonkers Fire Department. They have 2 sons – PJ, a senior at Northeastern University and Brendan, a senior at Siena College. Her sons learned traditional Irish music at the Woodlawn House, which opened the door for the family to travel to Ireland numerous times to enjoy the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann. Ailish is involved with several Yonkers charitable groups, most proud of the work done with Yonkers Fire Department, School 13 Memorial Benches, and the Martin O’Grady School of Irish Music. Ailish & her family are parishioners of St. John the Baptist. Ailish thanks her parents for giving her such an appreciation and love for her Irish heritage, and thanks her 3 boys – Pete, PJ, and Brendan for always being her biggest cheerleaders and champions!

ANDREW HAYDEN, Aide

Andy’s family is from the Bronx and Yonkers. He settled in Hastings-on-Hudson with his parents, Arthur and Kathleen Hayden. Paternal Irish roots are in County Mayo. While attending Hastings High, he worked with the Hoffman’s, owners of Hastings House. After graduation, Andy was an apprentice electrician for contractors before becoming an Electrical Mechanic for Westchester Dept. of Corrections. In 1988, he was accepted into Westchester IBEW Local 501, the same year he was sworn into the Hastings-on-Hudson Police Dept. Andy had several Police influences. Uncle Walter Hayden in Yonkers and Cousin Thomas Mahoney in Mamaroneck were active members of Irish societies in their departments. Cousin and Godfather, Harold Woods, a Yonkers Police Officer was tragically murdered in the line of duty in 1974. In Hastings, Andy assisted in the Youth Division and was appointed a Project D.A.R.E. Officer. In 1993, he trained in Saratoga, instituted the program and taught in Farragut Middle School and St. Matthew School. In 1998 Andy married Joan Murphy of Clontarf, Dublin. Sons Trevor and Devin, and daughter Ciara grew up spending summers in Ireland with their grandmother Molly Condon Murphy. Trevor graduated from the University at Buffalo and is a Yonkers Police Officer. Ciara and Devin are students at SUNY Oswego. While serving in Hastings, Andy attended Westchester Community College and Manhattan College. In 2014, Andy retired as Sergeant. He and Joan purchased Lynx Transport Moving Co., serving Rivertowns and Yonkers. Andy belongs to many organizations. Nearest to his heart is AOH, Myles Scully Div. 1, Yonkers, to which he is proud and humbled to serve as President.

JENNIFER KEATING MCSPEDON, Aide

Jennifer Keating McSpedon was born and raised in Yonkers. She is the 3rd of 4 children of Richard and Joyce (Read) Keating. She is proud of her Irish heritage from both sides of her family. Her paternal grandparents and great-grandparents are from Counties Limerick and Waterford. Her maternal great-grandparents are from County Galway. Jennifer attended Sacred Heart Grammar and High Schools. She is an alumna of Pace University, with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and of Mercy University, with a Master of Science in Reading. Jennifer and her husband Matt currently reside in Northwest Yonkers and are parishioners of the Monastery Church of the Sacred Heart. She has worked for the Yonkers Public Schools for over 20 years. Jennifer is currently the Reading Teacher at Martin Luther King, Jr. Academy. As a teacher and resident of Yonkers, she is a proud member of the Yonkers Federation of Teachers, in its promotion of high standards for teachers, students and the community. Jennifer is also an active member of the LAOH, Our Lady of Knock Division 19 – Yonkers. She has volunteered and taken part in many initiatives and events, which promote Irish culture, benefit charities, and enhance the life of the community. She is grateful for the support of her sisters of the LAOH, who continue to uphold their motto of Friendship, Unity, and Christian Charity. Jennifer is honored to march as an Aide to the Grand Marshal.

ANDREW MCLAUGHLIN, Aide

Andrew was born and raised in Yonkers 2nd Precinct, where his father still resides. His parents were Yonkers natives, with paternal roots in Cork, and maternal in Donegal. He comes from a Police family starting with his father, Captain Roy McLaughlin, siblings, Lt Mitchell McLaughlin (retired), Lt Meredith McLaughlin, and the late Det Lt Roy McLaughlin. Andrew is a YPD Captain. His late mother Arleen was very supportive of their career choice. Andrew and his wife, Nay Wasicsko McLaughlin, who also works for the City of Yonkers, have teen-age children, Madison and Michael. Andrew attended St. John the Baptist Grammar School and Fordham Prep. He earned a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from Manhattan College in 1995. Shortly after, he was sworn in as a YPD Officer, serving in the 4th Pct., where he continued after promotions to Sergeant, First Line Supervisor, Getty Square Supervisor, and Lieutenant. He was later named Commanding Officer in the Housing Unit. In 2015, he was promoted to Captain, named Commanding Officer in the Youth Div., and later Commanding Officer of the 2nd Pct. where he continues to serve. During his career, he attended the FBI National Academy in Quantico. He bicycled twice in the 300-mile Police Unity Ride, in honor of his brother Roy, who passed due to complications from service after 9/11. A park at Kneeland and Theresa Aves. is named for Roy. Andrew’s father was Grand Marshal of the Yonkers St. Patrick’s Parade on So. Broadway in 2011, and a Piper with Westchester Emerald Society. Andrew has been assisting Parade planning, and assigned as Parade Incident Commander for several years. He is honored to facilitate a safe and fun day for all, at the Yonkers St. Patrick’s Day Parade on McLean Avenue.

KIERA O’CONNOR, Aide

Kiera was born and raised in Woodlawn. Her parents are Kerri Ann O’Connor and the late Patrick Mahoney. Maternal roots are in Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim. Paternal are in Achill Island, Co. Mayo and Ballylongford, Co. Kerry. 3 generations of her family call Woodlawn and St. Barnabas Parish home. Kiera attended St. Barnabas Grammar School, Maria Regina High School, Manhattan College, and NUI, Galway. She teaches 2nd Grade Special Education at PS 19 in Woodlawn. She is coordinator of St. Barnabas Religious Education, and works part time in Real Estate with Houlihan and O’Malley. She is Foroige Leadership Coordinator at Maria Regina, and will travel with a group of students to the Foroige Leadership Convention in Maynooth. Kiera is a member of the NY GAA, and has been a member of St. Brigid’s Ladies Gaelic Football Club since its inception. Kiera proudly represented NY all over America and Ireland with the NY Ladies GAA. She serves as St. Brigid’s LGFCC Vice Chair, and Secretary for NY Gaelic 4 Girls. Kiera was honored by St. Brigid’s LGFCC last March as Guest of Honor. She works on social media for the NYC St. Patrick’s Parade, and helping out her team in any way needed. Kiera was the 1st President of Irish American Young Leaders, and was the NY Mary from Dungloe last summer. Kiera is very involved in her community, parish, and alum schools. She enjoys traveling, especially to Ireland.