Plenty of happy faces (as well as the occasional, green one!) were seen at the 25th Throggs Neck St. Patrick’s Day Parade held this year on Sunday, March 12. Parade organizers said they were proud to have Mrs. Lois Harr and Mr. Roger Slattery leading the marchers down the parade route as this year’s grand marshals.

 

To the rousing sound of pipe and marching band music, the parade kicked off around noon from the corner of East Tremont and Lafayette Avenues and the route, lined by revelers and well-wishers, bedecked in the obligatory green, was just about a mile and a half, ending at Harding Avenue. Some families were seen marching in the parade holding banners in memory of honorary grand marshals who have since passed.

Asked for his thoughts on the day, Slattery, seen chatting to State Sen. Nathalia Fernandez (S.D. 34) at the start of the parade route, said, “It’s a wonderful day for the Irish and the Irish at heart! Happy St. Paddy’s Day!”

 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark was also seen marching on the day with her team. She later tweeted in part, “Happy St. Patrick’s Day! It’s a day to appreciate and celebrate Irish music, literature, culture, and the immense contributions to public service in our city and nation.”

She added, “I enjoyed marching in the 25th Annual Throggs Neck St. Patrick’s Day Parade last Sunday. There were dances, music and happy crowds in green. Thank you to the Throggs Neck Benevolent Association for organizing this wonderful celebration of Irish pride!”

 

Also spotted on the day was former Democratic female district leader for the 80th assembly district and current candidate for the seat in the 13th City Council District, Irene Estrada, as reported.

We spoke with parade attendees from Pelham Bay, Lisa and Kathy Murano, who were there with their little dog in toe. Lisa said she tries to come every year, depending on the weather. “I came with my sister-in-law a couple of times. I came with my ex boyfriend a couple of times. I try to come. This is the first time my mom’s been here. For her, it’s a little difficult” [Her mom uses a wheelchair.]

 

Lisa added, We’re just celebrating part of my family history. My great grandparents are from Ireland, so, we can celebrate.” Asked if she knew what part, she said she did not, but planned to find out. Turning to her mom, she asked her if she knew. Kathy replied, “No, you’re the one that told me!” Laughing, Lisa concluded, “But, it’s a nice day. It’s a lot of fun and it doesn’t last long. The one in Manhattan? Forget about it! That gets crowded. This isn’t that crowded. She can sit.” Kathy agreed, saying “I have to sit!”

 

Another Bronxite, Vinnie Cantarella, who did not have any Irish ancestry, said, “It’s a beautiful day for a parade. I’m here with my family. We come every year and it’s a very nice event. It’s a beautiful day for everyone to be Irish; it doesn’t matter. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!”

 

“Ray” from Throggs Neck said he also comes to the Throggs Neck parade every year. “It’s just enjoying the neighborhood, getting everybody together and seeing them. This parade…the Veterans Day parade, it’s just good to show support for the neighborhood.”

 

We also spoke with Gerry Ceniza, his wife, Amy Cuevas, and daughters, Antonia, 12, and Savannah, 15, just before the parade procession set off. The family said they have been living in Throggs Neck for about year. Antonia said, “I liked the day because of all the cheerleaders and everyone’s super happy! It’s fun to see everyone coming together for a very nice day.” Savannah was of a similar mindset, saying, “I’m excited to see how the parade’s gonna be. It looks really amazing, just by looking at it, so I’m really excited!”

Amy said she was born and raised in The Bronx. “I love Throggs Neck!” she said. “It seems like a departure from where I grew up. It’s like a really small community. Everyone’s looking out for one another, and, you know, I love the sense of home around here.”

 

Asked if the family was enjoying the having fun so far, Amy said, “Yeah, I’m having a good time,” before jokingly adding, “I need some drinks! No, this is fun so far. This is lovely.”

 

Amy said she was also supportive of the inclusion of the LGBQTQ+ marchers under their own banner for the second year in the parade. “I mean, I’m for LGBT, you know? Everything is at this point…. I think it’s been a long time coming, and I’m surprised it wasn’t done sooner, but I’m happy for them if they’re marching today, right? I’m gonna root for them. Yeah, I’m really proud of them. Good. It’s been a long time coming.”

Gerry added, “Oh this is beautiful. Yeah, a good turnout. Everybody’s here together. It’s our first time [at the parade] since moving to this neighborhood. It’s going great!”

 

Given the number of candidates in attendance at the event, we asked for the family’s general thoughts on the upcoming City Council election in District 13, which includes Throggs Neck. Gerry said, “Yeah, as long as they don’t rezone that area right there, I’m good for it, as long as they don’t rezone it. I’m good for it.”

Gesturing to a female Republican candidate nearby, Amy said, “She’s one of them. This lady is against it. Yeah, this one was against it. The one who’s running now [incumbent City Council Member Marjorie Velázquez], she’s for the rezoning.”

Having read online, only on the morning of the parade, last year’s Norwood News story about the inclusion for the first time of an Irish American LGBTQ+ group under their own banner in the Throggs Neck parade, since some members of the group were precluded from marching over 20 years ago, Maya Jamie Milton, a Throggs Neck resident of 57 years, who said she came out last year as Maya, decided to participate in the parade this year for the first time.

 

She was seen happily marching with Brendan Fay, who had been arrested over 20 years earlier for attempting to march in the parade, and others behind the Lavender & Green Alliance banner. “I’m just so grateful to be here and I’m blessed!” Milton said. “Thank God for that. You gotta be where you want to be, and it’s just great, finally, having LGBT in this community, and knowing that there’s a place to help out this community with the LGBT.”

 

Asked if she was aware of the history of the exclusion of the group in the parade up until last year, Milton said, I knew it. I knew a while ago that he [Fay] did march when I was at 4230 Eastern Avenue, but I had forgotten about it. I forgot that he did that, about the whole incident that he marched by himself, but when I read this morning online that he was going to march [again for the 2nd year], I said I’m gonna march and I dressed for the occasion, and I said where is he? Where is he? Where is he? And he finally came and I said, ‘I’m gonna march! I’m gonna march. I’m gonna march proudly’ and I’m so happy.”

Milton said she was recovering from cancer and had undergone radiology as part of her treatment, and is doing well. “I’m so blessed about that. Thank God for that. I’m just so happy to be here. I’m blessed, and I’m gonna be here to help this [LGBTQ+] association, to help them open up this association, to let other people know about this in the neighborhood, to let them know that you got to be what you want to be! You can’t just hide, let other people guide you and tell you what to be, like me.. Don’t let people tell you who you want to be. You have to tell people what you want to be!”

Referring to Fay, she said, “I’m just so thankful to God that that we have this gentleman. I’m just so thankful to God that the cancer is gone. I’m a very positive woman. I’m just thankful for everything,” she said.

Joseph A. McManus was the grand marshal of the parade in 2013 when he said it was sunny and 50 degrees. Of this year’s parade, he added, “First of all, it’s a great day! I was [also] the grand marshal.. the Bronx aide to the Grand Marshal in the parade in Manhattan last year and it was just like, amazing, but this is better, because this is your hometown, and I told them when they were filming it, it’s like shamrocks falling on my head! It was just a great day!” Asked if there was any particular theme this year, he laughed and said, “Have fun!”

 

Click here and here for some short videos.

 

In other news, Queens University Belfast in Northern Ireland offers a study abroad program to non-residents of Northern Ireland. The university recently appointed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as chancellor. The deadline to apply for the program is April 21. Click here for more information.

 

Meanwhile, click here for details of “Lessons Learned from the Northern Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement,” presented by Glucksman Ireland House NYU and The Clinton Institute for American Studies, University College Dublin.