News

Our Day in the Sun

Everybody had a good time.

Ireland’s agriculture minister, Michelle O’Neill, stood alongside Ring of Honor member, musician Gerry Timlin, and paused for a moment to take in the pomp and pageantry that is the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade. “This is my first time in the parade, and it’s just fantastic,” she exclaimed. “It’s a beautiful day.”

To the Philadelphians of all ethnic groups who line up along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway every year, the parade is always fantastic, even if the day dawns misty and gray, more like an early spring day in Galway. The 2012 extravaganza, held on Sunday, was likewise fantastic, but it differed from many previous Philly parades past in one significant way: this was the first parade in a long time in which it was possible to get a sunburn. With sunshine enough to make parade-goers squint and shield their eyes with their hands, blissful springlike temperatures, and a balmy breeze, Sunday really and truly was a beautiful day.

Just about anyone who’s ever been associated with the parade couldn’t help but notice one other difference this year: there’s always a crowd, but Sunday’s gorgeous weather seemed to draw many, many more parade-goers out of their winter cocoons than in years past. Logan Square is a pretty good barometer. The crowd typically thins out there—a place for the dancers, pipe bands and mummers to take a bit of a break before pressing on to the Eakins Oval reviewing stands—but there were substantial crowds there this year.

We’ve captured the parade as we usually do, with hundreds of photos, from Miss Mayo to the Fralinger String Band to the Philly Phanatic, and there’s a pretty good sampling in the photo essay above. We’ll give you links to all of the photo essays below—maybe you’ll even see yourself—but first, let’s pass along the names of this year’s parade prize winners. (With our congratulations as well, of course.)

Hon. James H.J. Tate Award
(Founded 1980, this was named the Enright Award Prior to 1986)
Sponsored by: Michael Bradley and Mike Driscoll
Group That Best Exemplified the Spirit of the Parade
2012 Rince Ri School of Irish Dance

Msgr. Thomas J. Rilley Award (Founded 1980)
Outstanding Fraternal Organization
Sponsored by: AOH Division 39, Msgr. Thomas J. Rilley
2012 Second Street Irish Society

George Costello Award (Founded 1980)
Organization with the Outstanding Float in the Parade
Sponsored by: The Irish Society
2012 Irish of Havertown

Hon. Vincent A. Carroll Award (Founded 1980)
Outstanding Musical Unit Excluding Grade School Bands:
Sponsored by: John Dougherty Local 98
2012 Reilly Raiders Drum & Bugle Corps

Anthony J. Ryan Award (Founded 1990)
Outstanding Grade School Band
Sponsored by: The Ryan Family
2012 St. Aloysius Academy Marching Band

Walter Garvin Award (Founded 1993)
Outstanding Children’s Irish Dance Group
Sponsored by: Walter Garvin Jr.
2012 Cummins School of Irish Dance

Marie C. Burns Award (Founded 2003)
Outstanding Adult Dance Group
Sponsored by: Philadelphia Emerald Society
2012 Nicholl School of Irish Dance

Joseph E. Montgomery Award (Founded 2006)
Outstanding AOH and/or LAOH Divisions
Sponsored by: AOH Div. 65 Joseph E. Montgomery
2012 AOH / LAOH Division # 17

Joseph J. “Banjo” McCoy Award (Founded 2006)
Outstanding Fraternal Organization
Sponsored by: Schuylkill Irish Society
2012 Sixty Ninth Pennsylvania Irish Volunteers

James F. Cawley Parade Director’s Award (Founded 2006)
Outstanding Organization selected by the Parade Director.
Sponsored by: AOH Division 87 Port Richmond
2012 Philadelphia Emerald Society

Father Kevin C. Trautner Award (Founded 2008)
Outstanding School or Religious Organization that displays their Irish Heritage while promoting Christian Values
Sponsored by: Kathy McGee Burns
2012 St. Katherine of Siena (NE Philadelphia)

Maureen McDade McGrory Award (Founded 2008)
Outstanding Children’s Irish Dance Group Exemplifying the Spirit of Irish Culture through Traditional Dance
Sponsored by: McDade School of Irish Dance
2012 McDade School of Irish Dance

James P. “Jim” Kilgallen Award (Founded 2011)
Outstanding organization that best exemplifies the preservation of Irish-American unity through charitable endeavors to assist those less fortunate at home and abroad.
Sponsored by: Michael Bradley
2012 Mayo Association of Philadelphia

Mary Theresa Dougherty Award (Founded 2012)
Outstanding organization dedicated to serving the needs of God’s people in the community.
Sponsored by: St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association Board
2012 Divine Providence Village Rainbow Irish Step Dancers

We should note in passing that 2012 marked Divine Providence’s parade debut. You can read more about them here.

And now, without further adieu, here are our photos. Better get a cup of coffee and settle in for a while.