St Patrick's Day Parade
Event Information
& Directions
Friday March 17 2006 11:00A
Parade Route The parade starts at 44th
Street & 5th Avenue. It travels north on 5th Avenue to 86th
Street, then travels east on 86th Street to 3rd Avenue
Getting There Take any subway to the
Midtown area between 42nd and 86th Street | Walk to 5th Avenue | Do
not drive
A Bit of History The first St
Patrick's Day parade in New York City was held in 1766 organized by
Irish soldiers serving in His Majesty's service. City folk marched
for any and all reasons back then, usually organized along
fraternal, trade or military organizational lines. The early St
Patrick's Day marchers would form up at their parish churches or
their organizations' headquarters and march to the Old
St Patrick's Cathedral (now at Mott and Prince Streets). The
Archbishop greeted the groups, dignitaries and politicians addressed
the crowd and the marchers dispersed in search of a bit of St
Patty's Day pleasure
As the City moved uptown so did the
parade, marching to the far reaches of the City and the site of the
new St Patrick's
Cathedral on Fifth Avenue and 50th Street. Today's parade starts
at 42nd Street and marchers travel north to 86th Street. It is
customary for the New York Archbishop to review the parade in front
of St Patrick's, though Cardinal O'Connor's health is declining and
no word as to his plans has been released
The St Patrick's Day Parade is one of
the few remaining where no cars, floats, buses, trucks or other
vehicles are allowed. People march, march, march up Fifth Avenue,
led by members of the 165th Infantry (originally the Irish 69th
Regiment of Fighting Irish fame). Sponsored by the Ancient Order of
Hibernians, the more than 150,000 marchers are members of various
Irish societies from New York and around the country; many
Eire-based societies make the Atlantic crossing to trek the two
miles uptown. Large contingents include the Emerald Societies of the
New York City Police and Fire Departments, and any politician
running for office within a 50-mile radius
Viewing the parade is a snap. It
starts 11:00A at 42nd Street and makes it way up Fifth Avenue to
86th Street. There is no best place to see the parade, though the
Archbishop usually greets the marchers at St Patrick's Cathedral.
Take any subway to Midtown and walk over to Fifth Avenue. Don't try
to drive; you won't get very far. Similarly, traffic is affected on
all streets surrounding the parade route; a bus will get you nowhere
fast
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