Illustration by Danny Elchert
Whether you prefer downtown or Dogtown, there’s no denying the spirit of St. Paddy’s Day remains as strong as ever in St. Louis. As the Metropolitan St. Patrick’s Day Parade celebrates its 40th year on March 14, we talked to a slew of St. Louisans who’ve marched down Market Street to reveal why the event is so special to them and get a look behind the scenes. As the Irish saying goes, “Before you call one for the road, be sure you know the road.”
Joe McGlynn, Metropolitan St. Patrick’s Day Parade founder and chairman of the board
- “I’d been celebrating the way most young Irish men did: I went out and drank all day. I thought, ‘There’s got to be more to it than this.’”
- “I told Mayor Cervantes my plan, and he said, ‘It will never happen; the Irish can’t agree on anything. They couldn’t even agree on when or where to have it.’”
- “Jack Lynch, who was then prime minister of Ireland, visited for the parade’s second year. That really gave us impetus. We’ve had an Irish guest of honor every year since.”
- “This is the best-known [U.S.] parade over in Ireland. I know New York and Savannah [Ga.] are bigger in terms of numbers, but I can call someone in Ireland, and they can’t wait to visit because they know the hospitality is so great.”
James Crowe, St. Patrick’s Day Parade Run co-chair and committee member
- “I got involved with the run in 1981. Back then, we had about 1,500 runners. Now there are well over 9,000. Many see it as a proverbial rite of spring.”
- “If it was just a run by itself, we wouldn’t have nearly the crowd. One of the things people love is the hubbub when people are lining the streets for the parade. They feel like a part of something.”
Steve Butler, Gateway Precision Lawn Chair Krewe member and co-founder
- “I started out with the granddaddy of ’em all: Vail’s Precision Lawn Chair Demonstration Team. It was originally a hybridization of Bill Murray in Stripes and the Briefcase Brigade—along with a fusion of the Colorado mountain air and cheap beer.”
- “The chairs are now a real issue because they’re obsolete. You have to find them online or at flea markets.”
- “We do a move called ‘Rrrriver Dance,’ and I tell you: It’s at least as synchronized.”
Mary Anne Miller, Descendants of Nellie Fogarty float member
- “The float’s named after my grandma, who was queen of the Hibernian Ball in 1908. Now there’s her three children, 15 grandchildren and over 50 great-grandchildren.”
- “It’s become such a tradition that if the older kids are heading to Florida for spring break, they’ll still work it out so they can go to the parade.”
- “Five years ago, we decided to get navy sweatshirts with green shamrocks. Some family members were upset that we didn’t get green sweatshirts. We have little squabbles over things like that.”
Martin Duggan, past honorary marshal
- “For a few years, we wore top hats, cut-away coats and striped pants. We did it up pretty nifty.”
- “Being all Irish myself, I can’t imagine anything more fun.”
An Irishman’s Take
Eamonn Wall, professor of Irish studies at UM–St. Louis
- “In Ireland, it’s bacon and cabbage. Corned beef is not an Irish tradition—it’s an approximation of bacon. Even though it’s not exactly the same, it’s done in the right spirit.”
- “Guinness and whiskey are very much Irish staples, though you’d be surprised to know the biggest-selling beer in Dublin is Budweiser.”
- “Traditionally, it was a family and religious holiday. But in the past 15 years, St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland has become Americanized in many ways. It’s interesting how one country influences another.”
- “St. Patrick’s Day is far more elaborate in America than in Ireland. When parades started here in the 19th century, it was at a time when the Irish were seriously discriminated against. It was a way of claiming their own ethnic identity.”
- “It’s good that it puts the image of Ireland in everyone’s mind. The only thing to me is I’d like people to be Irish 365 days.”
